The benefits of collaborative learning in e-learning

Perhaps you are also someone who learns much better when you learn together. Working together on an assignment, interviewing each other before an exam, explaining and asking, and, of course, all the fun that comes with it.

Then e-learning can feel quite alone. Or at least that's what you think. Because then you miss out on the fun, the interaction, and the benefit of learning together, right?

Fortunately, there is “collaborative learning” or “cooperative learning”. When created according to this principle, e-learning offers all the benefits of learning together.

1. Focus sessions

Nowadays, there are several software programs that make remote collaboration very easy. For example, Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet. It can help enormously to come together virtually to work together on an assignment, or just everyone on their own task.

The fact that other people are present and you are expected to focus together can increase productivity enormously. Pluvo offers so many options for social learning, such as chat, discussions, assignments, and more

One idea is, for example, to start a co-working session, check in with each other: what are you going to do today? What will you be working on in the next hour? Then an hour of silence (with camera on!) collaborate and then check in again: how did it go? Did you do what you wanted to do?

2. Mentoring Program

The collective of employees within an organisation has an enormous amount of knowledge and experience. So why should we get all the knowledge “from outside”? Anyone who understands a particular topic can help create a course to meet a learning challenge. Staff can ask questions about or update existing courses. They can also respond to courses and provide feedback, which helps fill knowledge gaps within the organisation. The great thing is that this type of peer training also saves costs.

Instead of hiring an external expert to come and train, you can use the knowledge of your own colleagues.

3. Peer feedback

As an employee, what feedback do you value more: the feedback from your supervisor that you may see once a month, or from that senior colleague you work with every day? The last one, of course. So why is it still the case in many organisations that only senior management provides feedback and evaluations?

By introducing peer feedback, the learning outcomes of the employees are regularly evaluated and adjustments can be made where necessary. Offering content based on, for example, level of knowledge is easy to do with Pluvo.

The employees also receive direct feedback from colleagues who work in the same environment and know a lot about the processes, skills, or knowledge that the employee is studying. And there are many more benefits: peer feedback increases the value of evaluations within an organisation by offering diverse perspectives, promoting objectivity, and fostering a collaborative culture. It complements managerial assessments, identifies development opportunities and involves employees more effectively in their own learning and evaluation process.

4. Make it social

Research has shown that experiencing connection while learning increases intrinsic motivation. By making online learning social, you add many benefits to your e-learning:

• It promotes collaboration and collegiality
• It promotes connection between employees (even between employees who would otherwise not meet directly at the coffee machine)
• It involves employees who may be skeptical about “traditional learning”
• It offers flexibility
• It encourages employees to take responsibility for their own learning process and to carry it out in a way that suits them.
• It stimulates intrinsic motivation

How nice is it when you can spar with your colleagues about what you've learned? Can you challenge each other to discuss what you have learned? Can you remind each other how important it is, what you are learning? This online connection can be established in various ways.

For example, consider the discussion forum on the online learning platform (like Pluvo), on social media, or in an online community. The more you can invite people to connect and interact, the more sustainable your e-learning is.

Are you curious about the possibilities of collaborative learning within your organisation? Contact us via chat!