Last Updated: 01/05/2022
There are two major explanations for how participating in a group endeavor helps members learn (Webb, 1982). Group members learn by virtue of mediating socio-emotional variables (such as motivation, reduced anxiety, or satisfaction) that create an emotional or intellectual climate favorable to learning. When working with peers instead of alone (or with the instructor), anxiety and uncertainty are reduced as learners find their ways through complex or new tasks (Harasim, 1990). In Making the Most of College, Light presents evidence that "students who study outside of class in small groups of four to six students, even just once a week, benefit enormously. Group meetings are organized around discussions of the homework, and as a result of their study group discussion, students are far more engaged and better prepared for class, learning significantly more" (2001, 52). These effects tend to increase motivation and satisfaction with the learning process in general.
As reviewed by Dillenbourg and Schneider (1994), several collaborative learning mechanisms directly affect cognitive processes, including
Conflict or Disagreement - When disagreement occurs between peers, social factors prevent learners from ignoring conflict and force them to seek additional information and find a solution.
Internalization - The concepts conveyed by the interactions with more knowledgeable peers are progressively integrated into the learner's knowledge structures. When integrated, they can be used in his or her own reasoning.
Self-Explanation - Less knowledgeable members learn from the explanations of more advanced peers. But, surprisingly, the more able peer also benefits because providing an explanation improves the knowledge of the explainer (self-explanation effect). Explaining to others may be more beneficial to the explainer when the material is complex than when the material is simple (Webb, 1982). In collaborative learning, explanation occurs naturally or spontaneously.
Source: Hiltz, S. R., Coppola, N., Rotter, N., Turoff, M., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2000). Measuring the Importance of Collaborative Learning for the Effectiveness of ALN: A Multi-Measure, Multi-Method Approach. 4(2), 103-125.
References
Dillenbourg, P., & Schneider, D. (1994). Collaborative learning and the Internet. Paper presented at the International Conference on Computer Assisted Instruction.
Harasim, L. M. (1990). Online education: Perspectives on a new environment. New York : Praeger.
Webb, N. M. (1982). Student interaction and learning in small groups. Review of Educational Research, 52(3), 421-445.
Light, R. L. (2001). Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.