What is Cooperative Learning

 

     Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. Students must work in groups to complete f tasks collectively. Everyone succeeds when the group succeeds.

    In CL, students working together to maximize their own and each other’s learning (i.e.,achieve shared learning goals) (Johnson et al., 2002).Cooperative learning is usually contrasted with competitive and individualistic learning.  Competitive learning is students working against each other to achieve an academic goal such as a grade that only one or a few students can attain. Individualistic learning is students working by themselves to accomplish learning goals unrelated to those of the other students

Steps to Implimenting Cooperative Learning

 Class Activities to Promote Cooperative Learning

 

  1. Jigsaw - Groups with five students are set up. Each group member is assigned some unique material to learn and then to teach to his group members. To help in the learning students across the class working on the same sub-section get together to decide what is important and how to teach it. After practice in these "expert" groups the original groups reform and students teach each other. (Wood, p. 17) Tests or assessment follows.                                           

2. Think-Pair-Share - Involves a three step cooperative structure. During the first step individuals think silently about a question posed by the instructor. Individuals pair up during the second step and exchange thoughts. In the third step, the pairs share their responses with other pairs, other teams, or the entire group.                                                     
3. Three-Step Interview (Kagan) - Each member of a team chooses another member to be a partner. During the first step individuals interview their partners by asking clarifying questions. During the second step partners reverse the roles. For the final step, members share their partner's response with the team.                                              

4. RoundRobin Brainstorming (Kagan)- Class is divided into small groups (4 to 6) with one person appointed as the recorder. A question is posed with many answers and students are given time to think about answers. After the "think time," members of the team share responses with one another round robin style. The recorder writes down the answers of the group members. The person next to the recorder starts and each person in the group in order gives an answer until time is called.                                             

5. Three-minute review - Teachers stop any time during a lecture or discussion and give teams three minutes to review what has been said, ask clarifying questions or answer questions.                                                                             

6. Numbered Heads Together (Kagan) - A team of four is established. Each member is given numbers of 1, 2, 3, 4. Questions are asked of the group. Groups work together to answer the question so that all can verbally answer the question. Teacher calls out a number (two) and each two is asked to give the answer.                                                                                          
7. Team Pair Solo (Kagan)- Students do problems first as a team, then with a partner, and finally on their own. It is designed to motivate students to tackle and succeed at problems which initially are beyond their ability. It is based on a simple notion of mediated learning. Students can do more things with help (mediation) than they can do alone. By allowing them to work on problems they could not do alone, first as a team and then with a partner,                                                                                    
8. Circle the Sage (Kagan)- First the teacher polls the class to see which students have a special knowledge to share. For example the teacher may ask who in the class was able to solve a difficult math homework question, who had visited Mexico, who knows the chemical reactions involved in how salting the streets help dissipate snow. Those students (the sages) stand and spread out in the room. The teacher then has the rest of the classmates each surround a sage, with no two members of the same team going to the same sage. The sage explains what they know while the classmates listen, ask questions, and take notes. All students then return to their teams. Each in turn, explains what they learned. Because each one has gone to a different sage, they compare notes. If there is disagreement, they stand up as a team. Finally, the disagreements are aired and resolved.                                                                                                      
9. Partners (Kagan) - The class is divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side of the room. Half of each team is given an assignment to master to be able to teach the other half. Partners work to learn and can consult with other partners working on the same material. Teams go back together with each set of partners teaching the other set. Partners quiz and tutor teammates. Team reviews how well they learned and taught and how they might improve the process.                                 

 

Examples in Cooperative Language Classroom

 

Comparison of Learning Groups

Traditional Learning Groups

1. Low interdependence. Members take responsibility only for self. Focus is on individual performance only.

 

2. Individual accountability only.

 

3. Assignments are discussed with little commitment to each other’s learning.

 

4. Teamwork skills are ignored. Leader is appointed to direct members’ participation.

 

5. No group processing of the quality of its work. Individual accomplishments are rewarded.

 

Cooperative Learning Groups

1. High positive interdependence. Members are responsible for own and each other’s learning. Focus is on joint performance.

 

2. Both group and individual accountability. Members hold self and others accountable for high quality work.

 

3. Members promote each other’s success. They do real work together and help and support each other’s efforts to learn.

 

4. Teamwork skills are emphasized. Members are taught and expected to use social skills. All members share leadership responsibilities.

 

5. Group processes quality of work and how effectively members are working together. Continuous improvement is emphasized. 

The Basic Elements of Cooperation

Brown & Ciuffetelli Parker (2009) discuss the 5 basic and essential elements to cooperative learning:

1. Positive Interdependence

    §  Students must fully participate and put forth effort within their group

    §  Each group member has a task/role/responsibility therefore must believe that they are responsible for their learning and that of their group

 

2. Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction

    §  Member promote each others success

    §  Students explain to one another what they have or are learning and assist one another with understanding and completion of assignments

  

3. Individual Accountability

    §  Each student must demonstrate master of the content being studied

    §  Each student is accountable for their learning and work, therefore eliminating “social loafing”

  

4. Social Skills

    §  Social skills that must be taught in order for successful cooperative learning to occur

    §  Skills include effective communication, interpersonal and group skills

    i. Leadership

    ii. Decision-making

    iii. Trust-building

    iv. Communication

    v. Conflict-management skills

 

5. Group Processing

    §     Every so often groups must assess their effectiveness and decide how it can be improved

 

Why Use Cooperative Learning

Research has shown that cooperative learning techniques:             

  •  promote student learning and academic achievement
  • increase student retention
  • enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience
  • help students develop skills in oral communication
  • develop students' social skills
  • promote student self-esteem
  • help to promote positive race relations