Experience on Collaboration in the Classroom

Fostering Interdependence

As a student, I had to participate in a project that was based on the need to collaborate and be interdependent. The task was to create a presentation on the environmental impacts of urbanization. There were five of us on the project, and the project was structured in such a way that each of us was responsible for a specific aspect. My part was on the ecology aspect, but others had the human aspect, the economic aspect, and so on. The success of the project was really on every student’s ability to make a solid contribution, so it was impossible for one person to complete the whole task alone.

The success of our learning activity was due to a few key factors. First, everyone had clear roles. We all knew what we had to do. This made sure no one was confused. It also made sure everyone did their part. Second, we talked a lot and met to share updates and issues. This helped us stay connected and help each other. The project also made us rely on each other. We needed each other's skills and knowledge. This made us work closely and feel united as we knew we had to work together to succeed (Sullo, 2007).

Reflecting on the CARE principles described by Silver, our project resonated most with the principle of Accountability. Every member was accountable not only for their individual tasks but also for the group's overall success. This mutual accountability fostered a sense of responsibility and commitment to the project.

To enhance interpersonal learning for students, I would implement the C in CARE, which stands for Cooperation. One way to do this is by designing projects where students have to interview or collaborate with peers they don't usually interact with. This pushes them out of their comfort zones and encourages them to build relationships with a broader range of individuals. In short, they learn to appreciate diverse perspectives and develop essential interpersonal skills that will benefit them in the real world (Ball, 2004).