In teacher-centred models students are passive recipients of knowledge from an expert. In the learner-centred collaborative or group learning the student is an active participant in the learning and teaching process. Learners are encouraged to work together on solving problems.
Ideas have to be verbalised to be presented to peers.
The process of verbalising strengthens the ideas because learners have to re-think their ideas to be able to formulate them into words. After presenting the material to the group, a peer group discussion can start. A lot of anxiety is removed when working with group members instead of an instructor. Students can be motivated and feel satisfied if their arguments, or modified versions of their arguments, are finally accepted by their peers. One might think that online education is supposed to replace teachers, but, on the contrary, teachers have a very important role.