The main purpose of tertiary education is to improve academic knowledge, career-related skills and social skills to prepare one to be productive and active individuals in societies. Postsecondary education offers valuable opportunities to learn to understand differences in people. Therefore, the importance of cooperative and collaborative relationships in a tertiary education context has been vigorously discussed by many researchers. In this context, the concepts of social independence, social interdependence and social isolation are strongly associated with learning outcomes in universities. The goal of this paper is to identify the influences of social isolation, social independence, and social interdependence on learning outcomes for individuals and groups. This essay will also discuss the relationships of these three concepts with cooperative learning and traditional learning approaches to achieve satisfactory outcomes for those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Specific examples and suggestions will be provided for improved learning outcomes for vulnerable groups within a tertiary education context. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Social isolation refers to the lack of interactive behavior between individuals and other members of society. It is commonly caused by introversion, shyness, being a newcomer, self-alienation, and involuntary exclusion. Being socially isolated can lead not only to physical health problems but also psychological health problems such as poor sleep quality, impaired executive functions, and accelerated cognitive function decline that can impact academic achievement. College students may experience reduced opportunities for social connection due to allocating free time to a heavy study load that may result in social isolation. Bryant and Trower also indicated that tertiary students are more likely to experience psychosocial disorders and social isolation, and insufficient social participation can have a negative impact on academic learning outcomes for both individuals and groups. Undoubtedly, socially isolated students have limited access to any accessible learning resources. For example, a CALD student may be unintentionally separated from the rest of the students due to the language barrier, limited literacy, and different cultural understanding. As a result, this student will not be able to cope with certain learning tasks as well as other students and may even negatively influence the outcome of the groups as a whole. In contrast, social interdependence is represented in students working towards a shared goal. between team members and the learning outcome is believed to be influenced by the actions of peers and themselves. There are two types of social interdependence which are positive and negative social interdependence. Positive social interdependence appears if individuals' goal achievement is positively related to the rest of the group members encouraging interactive efforts. While negative social interdependence typically occurs when individuals' goal achievement is negatively linked to others and hinders each other's efforts to achieve the goal. Positively interdependent group members are most likely to be motivated towork cooperatively as they have a shared goal to achieve. In other words, the academic outcomes of both individuals and groups are positively affected by being socially interdependent. The meaning of success for individuals with positive interdependence is the same as the success of other group members. On the other hand, social independence exists when students fundamentally rely on their own work and individuals' goal achievement is not influenced by other peers. Only individual achievements are rewarded, so there is little or no attention to the development of social skills. As a result, it poses limitations in terms of collaborative working. However, it is beneficial for individual learning outcomes as becoming socially independent can increase self-confidence, self-esteem and competence. In the educational context, socially independent students are generally passive and inactive in obtaining information and knowledge. This concept is strongly related to the traditional teaching and learning approach that was the most common educational technique in the early 20th century. Zohar and Dori stated that traditional education is a linear and sequential method that focuses on rote learning and memorization. Since the main role of teachers in this context is to transfer information and knowledge to students, teachers are mostly oriented while students tend to remain silent and simply listen to the teacher's instructions in the classroom. Furthermore, students work individually and independently without any interference from other peers, so that they are responsible only for themselves. As a result, social independence tends to cause social rejection and social isolation. On the other hand, the cooperative learning approach has become increasingly popular in many tertiary education institutions. Many researchers have observed the connection between social interdependence theory and the cooperative learning approach. Essentially, cooperative learning is a form of active pedagogy that allows individuals to interact with other peers and work towards a common goal. There is an emphasis on small group learning which aims to reduce social isolation by having collaborative individuals as part of a group. However, each student is responsible for their own individual learning and participation. Furthermore, they believe in the power of collaboration. Additionally, Johnson & Johnson noted that positive interdependence strengthens personal responsibility and accountability because it unites team members. It makes individuals feel responsible for completing assigned tasks and supporting the work of other group members in the cooperative learning approach. Overall, both traditional and cooperative learning approaches have different merits and demerits in terms of learning outcomes for individuals and groups. However, the level of information and knowledge has continuously become diverse and complex. As a result, the meaning of learning is no longer viewed as just memorizing information or following given instructions, but is viewed as understanding, reasoning, and developing higher-order thinking skills through effective interactions with other peers. Therefore, the cooperative learning approach is preferable to traditional learning in a tertiary education context. When it comes to CALD students in universities, there are many obstacles in their learning environments. Among the underlying reasons there are undoubtedly language barriers, cultural differences, communication and construction difficulties.