I learned that students learn more effectively when actively engaged during their coursework. The student's learning experience also improves when they are encouraged to work in groups and to help their peers.
An instructor can approach one portion of the class with the Collaborative Learning Method by creating group activities, and grading the groups as a whole. Then they could later approach their class with the Cooperative Learning Method, still directing a group activity, but grading the students individually instead.
The cooperative method is similar to the way that a film or production crew would work together to create a project. They're all working together to create something, but are ultimately evaluated in their abilities as individuals in the workplace. I intend to apply this method more in my teaching to encourage teamwork, self-directed learning, and communication. All of these skills are essential to the line of work that they'd like to work in.
