GENERIC SKILLS ACQUISITION IN COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative learning is supported by one of the strongest research traditions in education, with thousands of studies conducted across a wide range of subject areas, age groups, ability levels and cultural backgrounds. The results, in general, suggest that cooperative learning develops high-order thinking skills, enhances motivation and improve interpersonal relations as well as enhancing motivation. Using cooperative learning, students are continuously discussing, debating and clarifying their understanding of the concepts and materials being considered during the class teaching. They are constructing their own knowledge base. The emphasis is on understanding the material as evidenced by the student's ability to explain ideas to their peers.

This study has determined the effectiveness of using cooperative learning approach can somehow or rather to improve acquisition of generic skills among university students. The effect of cooperative learning on university's student generic skill is determined by comparing the level of student's generic skill before and after apply the methodology of collaborative work using the same measure. Cooperative learning has been shown to increase retention and boost the performance of at-risk students, improved University student academic performance, promote higher achievement and greater retention than do individualistic learning experience, increases in self-esteem, social acceptance, and teacher ratings of students. In cooperative learning students of work together in small groups as a team to accomplish a common goal

Our study also shows that cooperative learning improves selected generic skills such as communicating ideas and information, problem solving, planning and organizing activities Cooperative learning can be used by almost any teachers as it can be adapted to match their teaching and practices.

In summary, cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that not only helps increase students participation in class as they have to work together to complete their assignment, it is also helps to improve students' generic skills.