This document provides an introduction to cooperative learning, which involves students working in small groups to maximize their own and each other's learning. It defines cooperative learning and outlines its benefits over individual and competitive learning. The document discusses that cooperative learning must be structured, with elements like positive interdependence, individual accountability, equal participation, and simultaneous interaction. It also presents various cooperative learning structures and strategies that can be used in the classroom.
2. Cooperative Learning?
* Definition *
“An instructional arrangement in which
small groups or teams of students work
together to achieve team-success in a
manner that promotes the students’
responsibility for their own learning as
well as the learning of others.
[Mercer & Mercer, 2001]
3. What is
Cooperative Learning?
Superior to individual/competitive learning
Students work together in small groups to
maximize their own and each other’s learning
Provides students the opportunity to practice
skills or learn content given by teacher
Largest empirical and research base of any
educational innovation
4. What Cooperative Learning
is NOT?
Any group-work is NOT cooperative learning. If
not done well…
Groups get into conflicts and power struggles
A member sits quietly, too shy to participate
One member does the work, while the other
members talk about unrelated things
A more talented member comes up with all the
answers, dictates to the group, or works
separately, ignoring other group members
5. Cooperative Learning needs to
be Structured
It does not occur by chance
Facilitate learning; don’t allow things to just
happen
Cannot be based on the assumption that all
students have proper social and learning skills
Occurs best only when essential components
for each cooperative learning activity are
ensured
Need to be learned, practiced and mastered
8. Six Key Elements
of Cooperative Learning
Teams
Classroom Management
Will to Cooperate
Skill to Cooperate
Four Basic Principles
Cooperative Learning Structures
9. Concept 1: Teams
What is a Cooperative team?
Strong, positive team identity among students
Four members (preferably)
Endures over time
Heterogeneous
Teams learn to learn together
10. Concept 1: Teams…
How are teams formed?
Based on friendships or interests? – Can have
discipline problems; exclusivity: leaving others out
Random teams? – Can end up with four low
achievers on the same team
Teacher assigned heterogeneous teams?–Maximize
the probability of peer tutoring and improving
diverse-background and cross-gender relations
11. Concept 1: Teams…
How big should teams be?
Four per team: Allows pairs work which
doubles participation
Teams of more than four do not allow for
enough participation and are harder to manage
12. Concept 2: Management
Room and Seating Arrangement
Quiet Signal
Class Rules and Consequences
Giving Positive Attention
Teacher and Student Modeling
Blackboard Management
13. Concept 3: Will to Cooperate
Three ways in which the will to cooperate is
created and maintained:
Teambuilding
Classbuilding
Task and reward structures, including
recognition systems
14. Concept 3: Will to Cooperate…
Teambuilding and Classbuilding
Team and classbuilding provide unique
learning experiences not offered by traditional
methods that focus only on academic content
Found in workplace–should be in classrooms
too
15. Concept 4: Skill to Cooperate
Developing Social Skills (a defining
characteristic of Cooperative Learning)
Modeling
Defining
Reinforcing
Role-playing
Structures
Reflection (debriefing)
16. Concept 5: Basic Principles
Four Basic Principles of Cooperative
Learning
Positive Interdependence
Individual Accountability
Equal Participation
Simultaneous Interaction
17. Concept 5: Basic Principles…
Positive Interdependence
The success of every team member is not possible
without success/contributions of each
The success of a team is not possible without
success or contribution of each member
18. Concept 5: Basic Principles…
Individual Accountability
Each student is responsible for a unique portion
of a team’s learning product
Whatever the form of individual accountability,
the contribution of each individual is valuable to
the team
19. Concept 5: Basic Principles…
Equal Participation
Every student is actively involved in the learning
process
No passive learners
Success of the team depends on participation of
all team members
20. Concept 5: Basic Principles…
Simultaneous Interaction
Discuss Topics: All students discuss views in pairs
Share Answers: All students engage in choral
response
Receive Help: Students ask a teammate and
receive immediate help
21. Three Basic Types of
Structures
Mastery
Thinking Skills
Information Sharing
22. Examples of Cooperative
Learning Structures
Agreement Circles
Blind Sequencing
Circle-the-Sage
Corners
Fan-N-Pick
Find My Rule
Find Someone Who
Find the Fib
Flashcard Game
24. Common Cooperative Learning
Structures
Inside/Outside Circle
Numbered Heads Together
Round Robin
Think-Pair-Share
Timed-Pair-Share
Think-Pair-Write-Share
Pair-Discussion
Pair-Discussion-Share
Group Discussion
25. Benefits of Cooperative Learning
Teambuilding and cooperation
Breaking down of differences
Development of social skills
Provides for more than one “teacher”
Mastery
Higher Order Thinking skills
Communication skills
Better comprehension and longer retention
Children enjoy learning
Enhanced classroom discipline
Students motivated as effort is acknowledged
26. Superior to Traditional Approaches
Cooperative Group
Traditional Group
Positive interdependence
No interdependence
Individual accountability
No individual accountability
Heterogeneous
Random/Homogeneous
Shared leadership
One leader
Responsible to each other
Responsibly only for self
Task and effort emphasized
Only task emphasized
Social skills directly taught
Skills assumed or ignored
Active teacher supervision
Teacher teaches content
Group processing occurs
No group processing
Mutual assistance
Individual/competitive work
27. From traditional to Cooperative
Learning
“A good class is • “Learning involves
a quiet class.”
healthy noise.”
“Do your own • “Help your partner
work.”
learn/solve.”
“Sit quietly.”
• “Get up and look at
what the others did.”
28. Cooperative Learning supports
the Learning Principle
I Hear
I See
I Do
I Discover
–
–
–
–
I Forget
I Remember
I Learn
I Understand
Cooperative Learning ensures the students are
using all their faculties while learning and
therefore learn better.
Thus, students benefit not only from WHAT they
are learning but also from HOW they learn.
29. Cooperative Games
Same principles as Cooperative Learning
Not just any game is ‘Cooperative Game’
These are specific games designed after
years of experimentation and observation
Help teach children cooperation and key
moral values
Nobody wins or loses in these games
Care should be taken not to make these
games competitive