I was recently going through my online units and one involved having to think about the benefits and challenges on working co-operatively.  This is something which I enjoyed thinking about and therefore wanting to post on my e-portfolio.

Working co-operatively to me means working along side others in order to achieve a certain goal or to discuss a certain topic.

I believe that working co-operatively can produce many benefits for all involved. Firstly, I feel that by working with others it gives you the opportunities to learn from one another and discuss certain topics. Through this process of discussion very valuable information can be thought about and questioned which often leads to better understanding. In my personal experience I feel that by working co-operatively I have the opportunity to listen to other people’s thoughts and opinions and as a result of this I often end up thinking about things that had never previously crossed my mind. Therefore I feel that by working co-operatively you have the opportunity to learn completely new things. Besides the areas of gaining knowledge and taking part in discussion, I also feel that working co-operatively provides the opportunity to get to know others which I feel can be very beneficial later in life, especially within the teaching profession.

As with most things, there are always challenges to working co-operatively. I believe the main challenge when working with others are different levels of motivation and commitment. It is important that everyone in the group is committed and wants to be a part of the discussion because if not, this can often lead to people not contributing and being left out of the discussion. Also if someone is more focused in being the leader of the group this could lead to tension as they may begin to become dictating and controlling of the group.

Overall, I believe that working co-operatively provides many benefits and that these benefits definitely outweigh the challenges. Although, challenges are apparent within co-operative working I feel that as long as these are monitored they can be dealt with and not affect the overall benefits of co-operative working.