The Difference Between Collaboration & Cooperation

Both collaboration and cooperation focus on student engagement with their peers but seek a different outcome. Collaborative approaches include social constructivism, individualism, and negotiated aims. An example would be assigning students to design a science experiment and determining the step by step procedures as a group. Cooperative approaches include cognitive constructivism, anti-competitive, emphasizes the group, and is teacher controlled. An example would be assigning students to complete a science lab following a step by step procedure provided by the teacher. The similarities between the two approaches are group work, deep learning, social learning, and active learning all of which prepare the student for 21st careers.

I would explain to a colleague that collaboration and cooperation share some similarities but there are also large differences between them. I would explain how they are similar because in both situations students are the center of the learning and they are working with one another. However, cooperative learning are more structured and the teacher structures the lesson and the goal, collaborative learning is less structured.  However, in Cooperative learning the teacher has already set the outcome and the goal and students are working together toward that goal, while in collaboration the learning is done with in the group and the goal at the end is not known ahead of time, students are working through it together.  

Both collaboration and cooperation involve students working in groups, participating equally, and taking an active role in their learning. However, as the handout and video explain, they are different. Cooperative learning is more structured and the teacher takes a more active role in laying out the "problem" or task that the groups need to solve or accomplish. It's more about the group and less about individuals. Collaborative learning, on the other hand, is less structured and students determine what the goal is together and celebrate what each individual brings to the table. 

*Video is unavailable

Cooperation
Goal Oriented: The task is focused on an outcome or destination. For example, students may be asked to locate two pieces of text evidence to support a claim, or identify which Enduring Issue(s) link a set of 5 documents.

Focus on the Group: Again, the aim is to achieve the task set and produce an outcome as a group. Students may "divide and conquer" to achieve the desired outcome more quickly.

Structured: The teacher structures the activity to funnel the group to the desired outcome.

Collaboration
Process Oriented: The task is focused on the process of a given task, with no one particular "right" outcome. The proverbial journey is the emphasis of the activity. For example, students may be asked to create a Bill of Rights for a fictional society. In order to do this, students must discuss what values they wish to represent, as well as who to protect with the Bill of Rights.

Focus on Individual Strengths: The aim is to see how the group can take the task and make it their own. Students may "divide and conquer" to create depth and richness in their finished product. For instance, the the Bill of Rights activity aforementioned, an artistically inclined student may create an illustrated component of the Bill of Rights for individuals who may not be able to read. Another student possesses very neat print may write the final draft of the Bill of Rights so that it is legible for citizens to read. 

Not Structured: The teacher sets the task, but does not specify an ideal, narrow outcome of the activity. The activity allows the group the freedom to pursue points of passion or creativity. This freedom to explore again fosters an environment for individual strengths to be valued and used.

Similarities of Both
Groups: Both cooperation and collaboration  utilize groups and social interaction

Preparation for Work: Cooperation and collaboration are used in the workplace. For instance, in the medical field, cooperation is used in doctors' offices and operating rooms. However, in the field of technology, collaboration and the pursuit of many ideas may be more common. 

One similarity between collaboration and cooperation is that they both involve working in a group, focusing on a common goal.  Also, the most meaningful learning occurs when all group members are fully participating equally.  A large part of each involves social interaction.  Students give thoughts and ideas, while others can respond and give feedback.  The back and forth communication allows the group members to learn from each other and refine their perspectives.  Both also help to prepare students for the world of work, where working in a group and with others is often necessary.  Active learning is also encouraged, rather than passive memorization.

Cooperative learning differs from collaborative learning in that it's anti-competitive.  The learning is considered a shared project.  In contrast, a collaborative approach embraces individualism, and the achievements and strengths of each member are a focus.  In a cooperative approach, members are not seen as "experts", but rather as equals in all areas.  Also, in a cooperative approach, there's more teacher control and facilitation.  In a collaborative model, there's less teacher involvement, as each group member may be assigned a different role.

An example of a cooperative group in a classroom may be the Jigsaw strategy.  For example, each group may be assigned the task of finding the main idea of a chapter.  The students then meet with others outside their group to read some pages, then reporting back to their original group with what they have read.  An example of a collaborative strategy may be a Team Product approach. This involves each student having a specific role (Manager, Reader, Encourager, etc.). 

First things first, I wanted to let you know that the Collaborative Learning vs. Cooperative Learning video was unavailable.

To define Collaborative Learning, it is to start off with a goal and have a set objective; students are focused on group work. To define Cooperative Learning, there is social-constructivism and working together to come up with a solution. There is negotiation involved with Cooperative Learning. 

While working with my students, I encourage students to work together in a small group. I give out the provided instructions/directions, and we begin to work together. I always tell my students that the activity we are working on is not a race to the finish line - we take our time and use our time wisely. I see interactions among the students and a meaningful learning experience. I often reflect with not only the students, but with my colleagues as well.

Hello,

I forgot to mention that I believe that the video for collaborative & cooperative learning may have been taken down. 

Both are approaches to "group work" in which students collectively work to solve a problem through feedback and experiences of others in the group. 

Collaborative learning is very student driven, with the group establishing goals. Each student brings to the group their own understandings to try to create new understandings. I think that Socratic Seminars are a good example of collaborative learning. 

Cooperative learning is more teacher driven, with students working together to complete a task or find predetermined answers. This strategy is more focused on the group achieving the goal with input from members, than on highlighting the perspectives of each member. I think that escape rooms or Breakout Edu boxes are good examples of cooperative learning. 

Cooperative learning is when students work together instead of competing with each other.  This can be seen in the classroom though whole group or small group instruction. Collaborative learning focuses on the individual students in the those groups  They both work in groups to achieve a shared goal. Student are given equal opportunities to participate. For example, students often work together when learning new material. Students may be placed in groups to read various chapters of a book and have to report back their findings to the class. 

Cooperative learning has students working together for a common goal vs competing. They work as a class. We see this in the classroom often thanks to their ability to use their phone to distribute work equally. Collaborative learning focuses on the individual student.  They are similar in the fact that they work in groups to achieve a common goal. All students participate equally. In the classroom, students often work in groups to compete in various learning games, but also work in groups to distribute work so everyone can work independently.