Collaborative, Cooperative, po-tay-to, po-tah-to.  Do these words mean basically the same thing, just said in a different way? These terms are pretty much identical, right? I used to think that was the case, but through my research on this subject, I’ve learned that the philosophies are different at their core and it is important to know the differences. 

Once I fully grasped the distinctions between these two seemingly interchangeable words, it completely revolutionized how I ran my classroom. Let me show you why these terms are more like a potato, tomato situation. 

First, let’s look at how the teaching universe defines these terms.  The Cooperative Learning Institute defines Cooperative Learning as “the instructional use of small groups so that students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.”  [1] Likewise, in their article titled “What is Collaborative Learning?”, Barbara Leigh Smith and Jean T. MacGregor define Collaborative Learning as “an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together. Usually, students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product.” [2]

I’ve highlighted the similarities between these two approaches, because it is clear they are similar and connected, but I want to draw more clear boundaries so that when we use either term, we are creating meaning tied to each word that is heavily influenced by pedagogy.

We are going to start with the more generic term “Cooperative Learning.”  This has gained much popularity in teaching circles in recent years and for good reason.  Cooperative Learning strategies cause students to work together, rather than on their own, to solve problems.  This is successful because we all of course know the old adage of “two heads are better than one” and this is the outworking of that philosophy.  I would define Cooperative Learning as the typical “group work,” where a small group of individuals works together to achieve a specific outcome.  

Contrastly, Collaborative Learning is more rigorous.  To collaborate suggests a much more active role on the part of the participants in taking the whole of knowledge shared by the different parts of the group and synthesizing it and creating something greater than simply the sum of all the parts.  It demands greater higher order thinking skills and develops highly skilled listeners and communicators who recognize that listening is just as important in communicating. 

I call collaboration “team work” instead of “group work.”  The reason being that a team is able to accomplish much more when time is invested consistently over a longer period of time to better learn each other and better collaborate to achieve greater ends.  Group work in cooperative learning is short-term and focused on reaching a specific goal. 

Team work in collaborative learning is long term and open-ended, calling for creativity, ingenuity, entrepreneurship, innovation, and vision that spans the borders of the guidelines given.  Students become the facilitators and experts and they help each other thrive in their own unique giftings and challenge each other to grow and go outside of their comfort zone to support their team and the shared vision they have helped create.  

Collaborative learning is so much more dynamic and challenging for students and will eventually create leaders who critically think, communicate, and share knowledge and skills.  

How have you seen the similarities and differences between the terms Collaborative Learning and Cooperative Learning?

[1] Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1999). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning (5th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

[2] Goodsell, A., Maher, M., Tinto, V., Smith, B.L., & MacGregor, J. (1992). “What Is Collaborative Learning?" in Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Pennsylvania State University