The purpose of this paper is to identify what collaborative learning and competitive learning are in regards to adult education. I will discuss what the pros and cons are of each according to recent studies and identify results of what experts claim to be the preferred choice in terms of teaching. As an adult learner and an adult educator, I have found that I can benefit from both learning environments. Initially, the idea of collaborative learning did not sound appealing to me as I am a sufficient independent learner. However, once I was in a group working with several other classmates, I found the level of expertise and experience that was brought to the table to be of value and to be fun. Not only was I learning the subject …show more content…
Competitive learning generally only has one winner, which means all of the other students must fail. This antic could result in lowered self-esteem and raised anxiety levels. It also means that to avoid losing, students may consider desperate options, to include cheating, which essentially means that learning is not actually achieved. Setting these criticisms aside, there are activities and situations where a competitive learning environment is ideal. For instance, when conducting a review for an upcoming test, competitive learning may be a better suite as problem solving is not the goal rather memorization. Situationally, if the class can be divided into groups accordingly to what level the student is at (academically, socially, etc.), competition may have positive results and will provide a challenging and beneficial …show more content…
The concept is that of “divided we fall, united we stand” (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1991). Adult education culture is changing and there is now a level of encouragement to leave the concept that learning is an individualistic and competitive endeavor in the past. By having the students work together, not only are they learning more information quicker, they are building life skills such as team building, networking and social-interactive skills. These skills are invaluable in the workforce and when learned, can be utilized repetitiously throughout one’s life. I also found that there is a time and a place for competitive learning, but those times do no supersede a collaborative learning environment’s benefits on the student. As a student, I appreciate what was learned throughout the course of researching this topic. In my introduction, I specified that I traditionally tend to be more of an independent learner but can see the benefits of each learning technique. The more information I researched, the more I could see the benefit of a collaborative learning environment. Moving forward, I will strive to be more open-minded to ensure that learning is always achieved and that my skills continue to be improved and polished. As an adult educator, my instruction will be more collaborative based to ensure positive interaction and that learning is