Social Learning in the Classroom

Today in the 21st century, social learning in the classroom has an even greater importance. So many students live in an isolated environment where they have little interaction with peers outside of the classroom. They may live in unsafe neighborhoods which force them to stay inside or close to home, many spend an exorbitant amount of time playing video games and watching television. Therefore it is important that educators provide students with opportunities to interact with other students that enhance their learning (Pitler,et all, 2007).

Cooperative learning is one instructional strategy which implements social learning. This instructional strategy focuses on student interaction in ways that enhance their learning. Cooperative learning groups can be formal, informal, and base. The base groups provide student support throughout a semester or school year. Base groups help students with homework support, tasks, and planning and participating in activities. Technology can provide support for base groups through the use of an application such as Google Calendar. This application can help with organization and collaboration within their group.

Formal groups in cooperative learning teach students how to work together toward a common goal. The students learn how to work interdependently, helping each other to learn and achieve their goal. In the formal group, students develop communication skills, leadership skills, and the process of conflict resolution. Incorporating multimedia projects, using WebQuests, or building a Web site are some ways technology provides support to formal cooperative learning groups.

Students need to have the opportunity to learn in a social setting. As educators, we must continue to seek ways to include this in our classroom planning. Technology provides us with the tools and support to make social learning integration a powerful tool for student learning. As Thomas Friedman notes in The World is Flat (2005), we are living in a time when learning and innovation are increasingly global. To be prepared for the fast-paced, virtual workplace that they will inherit, today’s students need to be able to learn and produce cooperatively (Pitler, et al, 2007).