Difference Between Self-Regulated Learning and Collaborative Learning

Back to: Learning and Teaching – Unit 3

Learning is the activity of gaining knowledge, skills, behavior, etc through the process of study, teaching, experience, or practice. Learning makes an individual identify his or her strengths and use their abilities and skills in achieving the desired goal. It also helps a person in identifying his weaknesses and working on improving in the lacking areas. Through learning an individual can acquire the skills required to achieve his set goals.

What is Self-Regulated Learning?

Self-regulated learning is where one tries to gain knowledge through their understanding. The student is in control of their learning. The thinking is done through one’s thinking. The individual sets the tasks for himself/herself and monitors the performance to speculate the outcome to achieve the set goal.

What is Collaborative Learning?

Collaborative learning is where knowledge is gained in pairs or groups. All the learning and activities are done through joined intellectual efforts and working in co-operation. People mutually attempt to learn and solve solutions together.

Difference Between Self-Regulated Learning and Collaborative Learning

1. Self-regulated learning is gaining knowledge and skills through one’s self-understanding and efforts. Collaborative learning is the knowledge and skills acquired through joined understanding and efforts of one’s self and others.

2. In self-regulated learning, a person is working individually towards achieving their own goal whereas, in collaborative learning, people are working together towards achieving a common goal.

3. In self-regulated learning, there is no sharing of ideas and opinions as one is working individually whereas, in collaborative learning, there is sharing of ideas and opinions between pairs or groups.

4. In self-regulated learning, the individual does not interact with any other person and makes the plans and strategies solely. In collaborative learning, the plans and strategies are shared and there is an interaction among the members.

5. In self-regulated learning, the individual’s knowledge and behaviour do not influence the others whereas, in collaborative learning, the knowledge and behaviour of the group members influence one another. 

6. The goal is to accomplish the task for one’s self in self-regulated learning. In collaborative learning, the goal is to accomplish the task together.

7. In self-regulated learning, the source of motivation is just the person itself, whereas, in collaborative learning, the members are each other’s source of motivation and encourage one another throughout.

Hence, self-regulated learning is a solo effort by the individual trying to acquire knowledge and collaborative learning is acquiring knowledge in collaboration with a group or a pair.