Cooperative Learning
Definition: Cooperative learning is a form of active learning where students work together to perform specific tasks in a small group.Each cooperative learning group should be carefully selected by the teacher so that a heterogeneous structure allows each student to bring his or her strengths to the group effort.The teacher then gives the students an assignment, often helping them to divvy up the work that needs to be done so that each individual in the group has a certain role to play. The end goal can only be reached when every member of the group contributes effectively.The teacher should also spend time modeling how to resolve conflicts in a cooperative learning group.
There are three different types of goal structures in a classroom setting. These are competitive goals where students work against each other towards some goal or reward, individualistic goals where students work alone towards independent goals, and cooperative where students work with each other towards a common goal.Following is a list of ways that cooperative and traditional learning groups differ. In the end, cooperative learning activities take longer to create and assess but they are much more effective in helping students learn to work as part of a team.
1. Interdependence
In a traditional classroom group setting, students are not interdependent upon one another. There is no feeling of a positive interaction where the students need to work as a group to produce a quality piece of work. On the other hand, true cooperative learning provides students with incentives to work as a team to succeed together.
2. Accountability
A traditional learning group does not provide the structure for individual accountability. This is often a huge downfall and upsetting to those students who work the hardest in the group. Since all students are graded the same, less motivated students will allow the motivated ones to do the majority of the work. On the other hand, a cooperative learning group provides for individual accountability through rubrics, teacher observation, and peer evaluations.3. Leadership
Typically, one student will be appointed the group leader in a traditional group setting. On the other hand, in cooperative learning, students share leadership roles so that all have ownership of the project.4. Responibility
Because traditional groups are treated homogeneously, students will typically look out for and be responsible for only themselves. There is no real shared responsibility. On the other hand, cooperative learning groups require students to share responsibility for the overall project that is created.5. Social Skills
In a traditional group, social skills are typically assumed and ignored. There is no direct instruction on group dynamics and teamwork. On the other hand, cooperative learning is all about teamwork and this is often directly taught, emphasized, and in the end assessed through the project rubric.6. Teacher Involvement
In a traditional group, a teacher will give an assignment like a shared worksheet, and then allow the students the time to finish the work. The teacher does not really observe and intervene on group dynamics because this is not the purpose of this type of activity. On the other hand, cooperative learning is all about teamwork and group dynamics. Because of this and the project rubric that is used to assess the students' work, teachers are more directly involved in observing and if necessary intervening to help ensure effective teamwork within each group.7. Group Evaluation
In a traditional classroom group setting, the students themselves have no reason to assess how well they worked as a group. Typically, the only time the teacher hears about group dynamics and teamwork is when one student feels that they "did all the work." On the other hand, in a cooperative learning group setting, students are expected and typically required to assess their effectiveness in the group setting. Teachers will hand out evaluations for the students to complete where they answer questions about and rate each team member including themselves and discuss any teamwork issues that arose.Tips and Techniques
So how do you effectively use cooperative learning? As previously stated, you should give each student a role to fulfill in the group. Each role should contribute a art of the overall project. This will help students understand what they should be doing and it helps you divvy out the grades at the end of the lesson.
You should also provide students with a means for presenting their feelings about the efforts of each team member. You might pass out a form that asks each student to rate her own and her team members' work; each student would complete this form privately. If numerous members of a team agree that someone did not participate in the group, this can be combined with your own observations to determine grades.
It is also important to keep cooperative learning groups on task. Divide your cooperative-learning lesson into chunks and tell your students when they should be moving to the next part of the lesson. Also, make sure to circulate through the room and directly observe what each group is doing.
Kids work as one to reach a single goal. Every student learns:
- He succeeds by helping his classmates succeed.
- Every member plays a valuable role in the success of the group.
- Members must work together to succeed or they will fail together.
- The success of the group is more important than the success of the individual.
The five essential components of cooperation identified by Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 1993, are: positive interdependence (one child can't succeed unless they all succeed); face-to-face promotive interaction (applauding each others efforts); individual and group accountability (each child must contribute to the goal); interpersonal and small-group skills (teamwork); and group processing (examination of the ongoing process).
