Collaborative Learning: The Example of Quizlet

One of the benefits of the internet and world wide web are the opportunities for collaborative learning and work. The distributed structure of the internet mirrors the brain in many ways. While specific parts of the brain are specialized for specific tasks, wide areas of the brain are needed to do just about anything. The interconnectedness of major brain networks are visualized in the following image.


Portions of the internet have also been visualized in similar ways, such as this image produced in 2010 by AT&T Labs.


What does this have to do with collaborative learning?

One example is the site (I have no affiliation with them). Quizlet is a site billing itself as providing “Simple tools for learning anything. Search millions of study sets or create your own. Improve your grades by studying with flashcards, games and more.”

People can create study sets (digital flashcards) about just about any topic. The site is particularly helpful for middle and high school students who can access content created by others or provide their own content.

Do you need to study vocabulary words for the SAT? There is a study set with words that might appear on the test.

Do you need to study for an AP Psychology test? Here’s a set of terms that might be helpful.

Whether you are lazy and don’t want to create your own study materials, are interested in learning something new, have a big test coming up, or want to help other people, sites like Quizlet provide opportunities for collaborative learning.

Image sources


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