Collaborative Problem Solving Model - Essay Example

In the thick of the problem students' work in groups, co-operate, and often act as professionals facing problems as they occur without suggesting any boundaries on the part of the teacher. Indeed the information they have may not be sufficient. However, with in the limitations they arrive at solutions, which are far more effective than the traditional teacher centered problem-solving approach. and peers than he/she can achieve by them self. Social interaction is beneficial for the growth of the child.

It has also been confirmed by research that peer collaboration can facilitate better performance when one child is more advanced. In brief, the problem-solving ability can heighten when they work together. effectiveness of collaborative problem solving in certain situations. Studies on peer collaboration among school-aged children have sometimes questioned the benefit of collaboration under a certain age. Research has been somewhat inconclusive on this problem. It found that five year-olds were more likely to get involved in discussion and collaboration than 3 year-olds.

Moreover, it was found that 5 to 6 year old children performed better, when they worked with a more competent partner than when they worked with a less competent partner. In fact, more research is called for to determine at what age collaborative sharing can be effective (Vermette, 1998). Application of collaborative problem solving can be done in the classroom in reference to an ecosystem. The ecosystem of the saltwater marsh is ideally suited for this study. Any ecosystem has four major components.

First, there are the nonliving or abiotic components. The other three components are the living organisms. They are the producers, consumers, and decomposers. The goal of exercise is to develop a deeper understanding of the interdependence with ecosystems by examining how plants and animals are interdependent. The student should also develop enough knowledge about the marsh plants and animals. They should build sufficient vocabulary to explain scientific phenomenon in proper terms. In this study, the ultimate aim is to make a comparative study of the traditional method and the application of collaborative problem solving approach in teaching.

For collaborative problem solving study, two standard methods are available, Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD) and Jigsaw. A Jigsaw classroom method is preferred because it not only helps in collaborative problem solving, but also helps in narrowing down ethnic, cultural, and religious differences among the learners. In the Jigsaw approach, all the students have the opportunity to be a teacher,