Differences Between Collaboration and Cooperation
Collaboration refers abstractly to any process involving the work of several people together. As an intrinsic aspect of human society is applied in various contexts such as science, art, education and business. This is very related to cooperation and coordination.
This implies that the group that collaborates preferentially should be as homogeneous a group as possible. And if for some reason the School of our days is distinguished, it is not precisely because of its homogeneity, but because of its heterogeneity.
Living in such a changing world makes people in a classroom more and more different in every respect.
This does not mean that collaboration between students is a negative thing and that we should banish it from our teaching practice. I simply believe that collaboration does not have the potential that cooperative learning does.
Cooperation consists of the common work carried out by a group of persons or major entities towards a shared object, usually using common methods, rather than working separately in competition.
If teachers get our students to cooperate rather than collaborate, we will get people educated in mutual help, in unconditional support and this will inevitably result in their personal growth as it can be transferred to other areas of their lives.
Another aspect of cooperative learning is emphasized, and is based on the heterogeneity of the students. And that heterogeneity should not be seen as an inconvenience, but as an opportunity.
Students should be able to learn from each other, but should also be able to interact with each other. Thus, cooperation is capable of transcending from the individual to the community.
