|
|
Educational systems tend to mirror the values and beliefs existing in the general society, and most cultures stress the competitive nature of the world, particularly the job world. As a result our schools tend to be based on an implicit model of competition based on the theory of limited resources. The most blatant examples of this competitive environment can be seen in many standardized tests, where the results are stated in percentiles -- ie. where one ranks relative to all other takers of the test.
Cooperative Learning Focuses On Teamwork, and Working Together To Learn
The cooperative learning movement focuses on both learning content, and also on learning how to work with others, thus attempting to teach important social and problem solving skills to students. Often, learning activities involve working in groups, where the success of group members is tied to the success of the group.