We are acquainted with the obvious advantages of teamwork in an office set-up, but is teamwork essential in a school-like set-up? Some students dislike teamwork or group projects as they have to depend on other classmates included on their team for the outcome of the project and the marks secured thereafter. Also, when a bright student is paired with an average grader, there is always some apprehension as to whether they would be on the same page and will the efforts shown by each member be equal. So, the question arises is individual learning more effective or does group work benefit the students in a greater way?
Most schools encourage group work, as participating in team activities helps students build and sharpen skills that are essential in today’s world. For students to become well-rounded individuals, it is important to integrate teamwork at different stages of learning to foster a collaborative spirit in young minds.
Here are some good reasons to adopt Teamwork in classrooms for the benefit of the students:
Develops Social Skills
Having good social skills allows you to communicate effectively, and connect with other people to form meaningful relationships, whether they are on a personal level or in a professional set-up. Let’s say, students have been assigned a Science group project and they have to make use of the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime kit to not only demonstrate their knowledge, but also succeed in getting the desired outcome as a team, then they would have to use this opportunity to make the most of their social skills. Strategizing, executing, and testing the LEGO® model requires students to brainstorm ideas, assign roles, resolve grievances with each other, and most importantly be open to listening & accepting different points of views. While doing so, leaners actually develop confidence to speak and listen, thus readying them for the outside world.
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Personal Growth
As a team, when an idea which was suggested by an individual student is appreciated, imaging the confidence one gets. Getting to know one’s own strengths and abilities in school itself, will give the student a safe backing, before he or she decides to pursue higher studies in college and beyond. Every member in the group should be made to feel valued, for the contributions, no matter how big or small they are. Also, when one interacts with likeminded peers, there is a lot of learning from each other, and the bond grows from being project partners, to lifelong buddies. So, project work in school is definitely working towards giving students a platform to discover & showcase their talents.
Collaborative Approach
A team that works together, learns together! Collaboratively working towards the project’s goal can benefit each and every team player. Students are not only emphasizing on what they already know, but they are open to new knowledge. Value addition happens when you listen and ponder upon the thoughts shared by others, thereby broadening your own horizons. Nowadays, the STEM model of learning taught in schools across GCC, UAE, and other parts of the world, very much focuses on collaborative learning and emphasizes on a hands-on approach. In the example of LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime, to calculate the average kinetic energy, students come together to perform an experiment and apply formula K.E. = 1/2 m v2 to derive the calculation. A team member who is good at math, will take initiative here and assist in performing the math function correctly. Others, who are not so inclined towards math, can observe & learn. Having said that, every lesson learnt may not necessarily be academic related. One can also learn posture, body language, way of communication, and presentation skills from each other, thereby further leading to personality development.