How DLRC’s Collaborative Learning Centre Promotes Teamwork and Peer Learning

Can children truly learn how to collaborate when they’re always being assessed individually?

In a world that prioritises teamwork and collaboration, why do so many schools still restrict students behind desks and grades? This is something that we don't question often. On one hand, we want our children to grow up and become strong team players who are ready for modern workplaces that require employees to work in collaboration and give collective input. But on the other hand, we raise them in learning spaces where silence is valued, group discussions are not encouraged much, and the main focus all comes down to the individual performance of students.

DLRC's collaborative learning centre has very thoughtfully and smartly tackled that contradiction. Here, you're not only learning by yourself; you're also learning with others. It's a place where facilitators and students feel free and comfortable talking about their thoughts and ideas, working together and growing as great team members in a supportive community, rather than doing everything individually.

How a Collaborative Learning Centre Debunks the Solo Learner Myth

As kids, many of us had a clear idea of what it meant to do well in school.  The person who did best on the test.  The first person to answer.  The kid who didn't need help.  Everything was made to recognise individual success, even when it meant people didn't get to interact with each other as much.

In that world, collaboration was hardly ever given importance. Asking for help seemed like a weakness. And overall, teamwork was seen as something kept only for annual day skits or last-minute group projects.

This culture tends to focus more on training children to compete rather than collaborate. And this results in everyone viewing learning as something that is individual and performance-based, not something shared and open-ended.

DLRC transforms that culture. Everything at this collaborative learning centre is designed and meant to encourage group discussions, teamwork and cooperation, and group discovery.

Why Traditional Classrooms Struggle to Collaborate

The truth is that most traditional schooling systems aren't designed to allow students to work and learn together. It's not that teachers don't care; it's just that the system itself is such that most of the time, there is no other way. 

Teachers spend a lot of time getting ready for the next class, reviewing the work of students, planning other routine tasks and more. It gets difficult even for the most enthusiastic teachers to break out of the teach-test-repeat loop. So this leaves them with little to no time to creatively plan group-led activities and learning.

Because of this, when they do work on group tasks occasionally, it's usually a quick, last-minute one that's squeezed into a tight schedule where there's not much time for students to come up with quality work. They end up doing whatever needs to be done in haste and haphazardly, without perhaps reaping much out of it. Ultimately, the purpose is lost because they don’t realise the importance of teamwork.

At DLRC, things are done differently. We have a student-teacher ratio of 12:1, and this means that our classrooms have at least two facilitators who collaborate with each other to plan lessons and facilitate them. This means that they bring their respective strengths and varied experiences to the table. They are able to create a meaningful and effective learning experience for the children that stays with them for a long time. 

The collaborative spirit that the facilitators share extends to the students. The Cambridge curriculum is designed in such a way that it sets aside time for students to learn and dig deeper into concepts at their own pace. It allows them to be curious and ask questions, make mistakes, and ask for help from one another. DLRC’s pedagogy allows ample amount of time for group tasks and peer-to-peer learning that fosters a positive environment where everyone loves working together. Our programmes, like the Social Impact Project and internships, also encourage collaboration actively.  

A Culture that Builds Confidence, Not Competition

At DLRC, collaboration is at the heart of our culture. Our students grow up learning and understanding the value of teamwork, and this way, they develop a liking towards working with one another rather than competing.

The key takeaway from 'teamwork' is that children are encouraged to share their ideas, listen to one another, work through disagreements and build something together. Through this method, they slowly begin to see each other as partners instead of competitors. It could be something as simple as a group project or maybe even a larger group initiative, where the senior students are mentoring and guiding the juniors. As a result, they're learning how to grow as a team.

This method of learning helps students to become self-confident in a way that wouldn't be as effective if they had done it by themselves. They learn real-world skills that will come in handy long after they have passed out of school. These shared experiences shape their views in the long run.

After all, the ability to think and form perspectives is a skill that every employer seeks. These days, companies don't just look for top performers; they want team players who know and understand how to collaborate, communicate and work well with each other. At DLRC, our students learn how to clearly state their thoughts in front of a group of people, give and take feedback, and allow others to express their viewpoints too.

That's the DLRC way. It's not enough to just complete the syllabus. It's about raising children to think critically and work together in a respectful manner. It’s about keeping an open mind, inviting ideas, celebrating differences and coming together in the true spirit of collaboration.