Reflections on Collaborative Learning

In his article, Bruffee argues that knowledge is a social construct. What we accept is knowledge is the product of many peoples' work and opinions. When people fail to place knowledge in the context of society they cannot see the full picture. I believe that the most important aspect of life is social interaction. All of what we learn about ourselves and the world comes from observing and communication with others. Everybody has the ability to memorize and recite basic facts. Understanding how these facts fit into the the accepted views held by society is much more difficult, and more important. 

I think that it is impossible to learn anything of significance without interaction. While anybody is able to memorize a fact, to truly understand something you need to discuss it with others. This can help you understand something you were not previously clear on, or allow you to help someone else understand your point of view. By exchanging ideas and opinions regarding things you have learned, you can see that not everyone views things the way you do. This is especially true with writing and literature. A hundred people can read the same thing and get a hundred different things from it. When you read by yourself you are limited to only your own point of view. When other people share what they learned you can see how other people would interpret things. You have a better understanding of the world when you are able to see things through other peoples eyes. Also, things that may have seemed insignificant to you may end up being profound to others. Reading is only one example where you are extremely limited in your ability to learn on an individual basis. You are limited to your own interpretations and opinions about the piece of writing and therefore cannot see its cultural significance. The most knowledgeable people are those who can understand their society and the people who make it up.

When information is introduced into society people react differently based on their past experiences and previously held beliefs. You are limited by your own experiences. The more people you interact and exchange ideas with, the more knowledgeable about the world you become. Though many of us embrace the individualistic nature of our society, it is the people who have the most different opinions than us that can teach us the most. Even when you believe a person is wrong, you can learn how to analyze information for yourself and come up with your own ideas. You can learn to distinguish between biased or unfounded beliefs and theories based on evidence. During conversation you are always learning. Even before reading this article, I have always valued interaction with others as the most important and useful form of learning. Learning to evaluate your own knowledge in the context of society makes you a more aware and educated person and also teaches you the best way to communicate your ideas with others so that they will be understood by different people.