What is collaborative learning?

Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that

involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or
create a product. According to Gerlach, "Collaborative learning is based on the idea
that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves
(Gerlach, 1994). It is through the talk that learning occurs."

There are many approaches to collaborative learning. A set of assumptions about the
learning process (Smith and MacGregor, 1992) underlies them all:

1. Learning is an active process whereby students assimilate the information and

relate this new knowledge to a framework of prior knowledge.
2. Learning requires a challenge that opens the door for the learner to actively
engage his/her peers, and to process and synthesize information rather than
simply memorize and regurgitate it.
3. Learners benefit when exposed to diverse viewpoints from people with varied
backgrounds.
4. Learning flourishes in a social environment where conversation between
learners takes place. During this intellectual gymnastics, the learner creates a
framework and meaning to the discourse.
5. In the collaborative learning environment, the learners are challenged both
socially and emotionally as they listen to different perspectives, and are
required to articulate and defend their ideas. In so doing, the learners begin to
create their own unique conceptual frameworks and not rely solely on an
expert's or a text's framework. Thus, in a collaborative learning setting, learners
have the opportunity to converse with peers, present and defend ideas,
exchange diverse beliefs, question other conceptual frameworks, and be
actively engaged.

Collaborative learning processes can be incorporated into a typical 50-minute

class in a variety of ways. Some require a thorough preparation, such as a long-
term project, while others require less preparation, such as posing a question
during lecture and asking students to discuss their ideas with their neighbors
(see concept tests). As Smith and MacGregor state, "In collaborative
classrooms, the lecturing/listening/note-taking process may not disappear
entirely, but it lives alongside other processes that are based in students'
discussion and active work with the course material." Regardless of the specific
approach taken or how much of the ubiquitous lecture-based course is replaced,
the goal is the same: to shift learning from a teacher-centered to a student-
centered model.
 Cooper, J., and Robinson, P. (1998). "Small group instruction in science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology." Journal of College Science Teaching 27:383.

Cooper, J., Prescott, S., Cook, L., Smith, L., Mueck, R., and Cuseo, J. (1990). Cooperative learning and
college instruction: Effective use of student learning teams. California State University Foundation, Long
Beach, CA.

Gerlach, J. M. (1994). "Is this collaboration?" In Bosworth, K. and Hamilton, S. J. (Eds.), Collaborative
Learning: Underlying Processes and Effective Techniques, New Directions for Teaching and LearningNo.
59.

MacGregor, J. (1990). "Collaborative learning: Shared inquiry as a process of reform" In Svinicki, M. D.

(Ed.), The changing face of college teaching, New Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 42.

Smith, B. L., and MacGregor, J. T. (1992). "What is collaborative learning?" In Goodsell, A. S., Maher, M.
R., and Tinto, V. (Eds.), Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. National Center on
Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, & Assessment, Syracuse University.

http://archive.wceruw.org/cl1/CL/moreinfo/MI2A.htm
Reflection on the Movie "The Emperor's Club"
Posted by April Lloyd - 8:04 AM -

The story of the Emperor’s Club is about a professor named William Hundert who was a next promising
headmaster in the school for St. Benedict for boys. The teachings of Mr. Hundert is quite good for being a classical
one. Also, there was a competition in the school named “Mr. Julius Caesar” wherein the competitor will have a
question and answer about the history. After several classes, Mr. Sedgewick Bell – a child of a senator and who has
intelligence but had a bad study habits. The time came that Mr. Hundert influenced Sedgewick to study and
eventually got higher grades. Mr. Hundert decided to change the grade of Sedgewick in order to participate the “Mr.
Julius Caesar” contest instead in the place of Mr. Martin Blythe. In the contest, Mr. Hundert noticed that Sedgewick
was cheating while answering his questions. Mr. Hundert had regret of what he did in changing the grade in order for
Sedgewick to join the contest. After several years, the batch of Sedgewick graduated. After 25 years wherein Mr.
Hundert was already retired, Sedgewick invites him to have a rematch and Mr. Hundert will be the host as well. Mr.
Hundert saw again that Sedgewick cheats again and that makes him disappointed. After that, he told Martin that he
should have been the participant of that event 25 years ago. After he left the place of Sedgewick, Mr. Hundert went
again to St. Benedict to teach and eventually, the son of Mr. Blythe enrolled in his class.
From what I had saw from the movie, I was in a quiet disappointed in Sedgewick wherein he had given the
chance to showcase his talent on the competition. He did not noticed what will consequences he had to face when he
would win in that event and also that will make the “Mr. Julius Caesar” competition had a bad image. Being also a
future teacher, I would not do what Mr. William Hundert did to change the grade of Sedgewick in order to make it in
the competition. I would rather to play fare for them with my students because when the time comes of knowing the
truth, you will be also one of the cheaters of your own class. The intention of Mr. Hundert is good but in the place of
Mr. Blythe was unfair enough not to qualify in the competition and have a chance to be the list together with his father
if he could have won.
As far as the moral lesson I learned in that movie, in class, there are so many ways of being a successful person,
not by only being academically high grades, but also being a true you as you want to be. Some cheats but they tend
to do that in order to have a good life. Some said that cheating with knowing does truly hurt your ego but cheating
without knowing makes you more dumb enough to face the real life values. Being a good teacher in the near future
must also acquire the good quality assessment and also being a good teacher is being fair to his/her students. Being
fair to his/her students can give you more credit of being a good professional teacher. It will also give you not just
respect of your students but also respect to yourself and whenever you will meet them years and years went by, the
students you handled before will recognize what you did to them in their schooling days.
“The worth of life is not determined by a single failure or solitary success.” – In this quotation, this was the one I
liked the most because it really applies on each of us wherever and whenever. Many of us has struggles in life before
we proceed to success. Even though we faced many problems each day, we chose different choices, some of this
may lead us to success and some of it are failures, we should not quit, because when you stop believing in yourself,
you will not get what your aiming for. Just learn how to manage your failures and eventually learn from it because
failure is also a never ending process until you will get that right. After you obtain your success, remember to look
backward where you came from, because with your foundation, you will not get on that on the top of success. There
are no shortcuts in life, you should face all the struggles in order to obtain a gold of success, just be a better man
always.
One assessment that was related in the issue embedded in the movie for me is the communication.
Communication is the part of interaction between students and teachers that involved solving what are their problems
in getting to school, also had low grades. You must communicate with them like Mr. Hundert did to Sedgewick. Mr
Hundert noticed that time that Sedgewick was too lazy to study and to learn new things from the past. He confronted
him and told him encouraging words to let Sedgewick study hard. He also value the being playful and cheerful of
Sedgewick that make Sedgewick proud of. Having a good communication to student lets you know what are their
problems in going to school and after that, you can have what method you will do to encourage the student do their
best in their studies.
http://lipradyoll.blogspot.com/2013/07/reflection-on-movie-emperors-club.html

his movie display the picture of the heart and soul of a teacher that in teaching it is not just to mold
the intellectual capability but also to understand and help the needs of the students in order to
improve and develop his personality and character as well. In watching the movie these are the
things that touched and stroked my feelings that it is really difficult to be a teacher in a sense that it
is in his hand it’s either to make or break the life of the students.

a. It is much rewarding on the part of the teacher to see most of the students are successful in their
chosen career because of the teacher’s influence and inspiration. It’s nice to hear that the students
talk about how grateful they are and value their teacher for mentoring them to help them become
better men. This makes Mr. William Hundert proud of himself that in spite that he failed to turn Bell to
change to become a better man but yet most of his students at St. Benedict’s Academy are
successful and his influence change their lives and had done well in their respective career and
business. This fact contemplates Mr. Hundert his legacy as a teacher.

b. Another thing in the movie that shows a good traits of a teacher is to be concern and have a
desire to change the awful traits and characters of Bell of being rebellious in nature that break the
rules and principles of Mr.Hundert. The fact that Bell’s father is uninterested in his son's character
development Mr.Hundert make a way and tries to develop a closer student-teacher relationship and
become a mentor to Bell in order to help and change him into a better person.. This move of Mr.
Hundert shows that the teacher is not only accountable of the cognitive aspect but also to develop
the total personality of the child. Character development is important for it reflects the kind of
personality on how one interact to others and his environment at the same time good character
formation and positive attitude will also lead one to become successful.

c. Another scene in the movie that make my heart cries out is when Mr. Hundert had a feeling of guilt
when he decided to raise Bell’s grade thus moving him above Blythe the third place winner where
after Blythe sitting all by himself under a tree but in spite of what happen in the past Blythe is still
proud that he is Mr. Hundert student as a prove he enrolled his son in Mr. Hundert class. This
touches me in a sense that it shows forgiveness and what prevail are the good things and the legacy
that Mr. Hundert leaves to his students.

The teachers really make spot in the lives of the students for they make a huge contribution in their
total formation and development. They are God chosen people to build a human being… One of my
favorite line is the La Salle mission statement that says …touches the heart…. teaching the minds….
and transforming lives… and for me it what makes up a good teacher.

http://olga-teachingmethod.blogspot.com/2011/09/reflection-on-movie-emperors.html
W hat do Enron, Martha Stuart, Worldcom, and Bill Clinton (or just about any political

figure) have in common? No, it’s not the latest crude joke (at least, not to my knowledge). It’s
just a simple observation of our culture: we’ve got a major problem with ethics and integrity.

It’s easy to blame others, so let’s get closer to home. Did you know that 91 out of 100 of you
reading this right now lies on a regular basis? 18 of you 91 lie daily. 64% will “lie when it suits
me, so long as it doesn’t cause any real damage.” 30% of adults will cheat on their
taxes. [Source: The Day America Told the Truth, James Patterson, Peter Kim]

The Emperor’s Club couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. Starring the masterful Kevin
Klineas William Hundert, a dedicated teacher of the Classics at St. Benedict’s preparatory boys
school, we have here a story that spans a quarter of a century. Though it can be likened to
“Dead Poets Society” only in that it takes place at an elite boarding school, it is a total contrast
in the overall message. Whereas the Latin phrase “Carpe Diem” became commonplace after
the 1989 feature, The Emperor’s Club reminds its viewer that it’s not just one mistake that
determines our future. In most cases, it is rather a series of continual choices made over time
that molds and makes the man.

In this case, that man is Sedgewick Bell (Emile Hirsch, “The Dangerous
Lives of Altar Boys”), a bright and privileged Senator’s son who finds acting out the part of class
clown and rule breaker more attractive than attentive student. While Emile (pronounced Em-eel)
may be relatively unknown, it is certain he’ll find plenty of roles after his excellent performance
in The Emperor’s Club. Going toe-to-toe with the Academy Award Winning Kline, Emile and his
character Sedgewick couldn’t be more opposite. Emile says “let’s see, we’re both human, but
other than that, I don’t think there’s any relationship to him for me! But I do think anyone can
kind of relate to him not wanting to lose. No one wants to lose. It’s just how certain people
handle it. He handles it in a way of someone that can’t lose and won’t lose.” His character is
willing to win at any cost. This story breaks the myth that cheaters don’t win. Sometimes it
seems that they DO win, DO get ahead. (Ever read the Psalms?) Yet at what cost to their
soul… or to others mowed down in the process?

When Sedgewick enters the school, the other students are immediately drawn to his magnetic
personality. It’s in part exactly that magnetism that makes Mr. Hundert know he must confront
Sedgewick’s rudeness and lack of respect for any authority. During the semester Hundert offers
a bit of a truce and the two develop a mutual respect. Though Hundert is a man of ethics and
morality, he finds himself breaking some of those rules here and there for Sedgewick. A
generation later, Mr. Hundert, Sedgewick and his former classmates gather for a reunion… but
it’s an uncomfortable one at best. Has Sedgewick changed for the better in the past 25 years?
Mr. Hundert comes to face the generation-old choices he has been haunted by.

If you think you can already guess how it ends, with the teacher redeeming the student or vice
versa, you’d be wrong. One of the interesting things about this story (based on the short story
by Ethan Canin entitled “The Palace Thief”) is that there is no redemptiveness. There is no
preaching. The Emperor’s Club simply raises questions about situational ethics, morality, and
right and wrong. It’s the perfect film for teachers, students, and parents who wish to start
discussions that can influence one another for good.

Wanna know more about this film? Read our interviews with actors Kevin Kline, Emile Hirsch,
Rob Morrow; Director Michael Hoffman and Producer Marc Abraham; and writers Neil Tolkin
and Ethan Canin

Shot for a mere $14 million (mere by industry standards) The Emperor’s Club is a marvelous
piece. Each of the cast and crew members I spoke with talked of the passion that brought
everyone together to help see this project to completion. It’s that kind of passion that can be felt
here. It’s technically terrific, with strong acting from each of the characters. Kline is famous for
saying it all with his eyes, and here we find no exception. There are a few instances of foul
language (mostly coming from Sedgewick’s Senator father, and later from an adult Sedgewick).
There is also a scene in the first 20 minutes that shows some of the contraband that Sedgewick
brings to school, including a girlie mag with a topless woman on it. Keeping in mind the MPAA
rating (PG-13), I find The Emperor’s Club a strong pick with something to offer for those of any
age over 13. My recommendation is that audiences mix it up a bit so that young and older can
view the film together with a point of discussing it afterwards. A film like this isn’t for mere
entertainment only…

https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2002/theemperorsclub.html