Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning

1. Types of cooperative learning

   • Formal Cooperative Learning
     • It consists of students working together, for one class period to several weeks, to achieve shared learning goals and complete jointly specific tasks and assignments
   • Informal Cooperative Learning
     • It consists of students working together, for one class period to several weeks, to achieve shared learning goals and complete jointly specific tasks and assignments
   • Cooperative Base Groups
     • They are long-term, heterogeneous cooperative learning groups with stable membership
   • Integrated use of all three types of Cooperative Learning
     • For example, a typical class session may begin with a base group meeting, which is followed by a short lecture in which informal cooperative learning is used. The lecture is followed by a formal cooperative learning lesson. Near the end of the class session another short lecture may be delivered with the use of informal cooperative learning. The class ends with a base group meeting

2. Cooperative groups need to meet five essential elements

   • Positive interdependence
     • It exists when group members perceive that they are linked with each other in a way that one cannot succeed unless everyone succeeds. If one fails, all fail
   • Individual and group accountability
     • The group has to be clear about its goals and be able to measure, on the one hand, the group’s progress in achieving them and, on the other hand, the individual efforts of each of its members. Individual accountability exists when the performance of each individual student is assessed and the results are given back to the group and the individual in order to ascertain who needs more assistance, support, and encouragement in completing the assignment.
   • Promotive interaction
     • It occurs when members share resources and help, support, encourage, and praise each other’s efforts to learn.
   • Appropriate use of social skills
     • In cooperative learning, students need to learn both the academic subject matter (task work) and also interpersonal and small group skills required to function as part of a group (teamwork): effective leadership, decision-making, trust-building, communication, and conflict-management
   • Group processing
     • It exists when group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships

3. roles

   • Leader or organizer
     • who provides the group with the overall process structure, makes sure everyone participates, and helps resolve disputes
   • Recorder
     • who writes down important information
   • Checker
     • who makes sure that all team members understand the concepts and the team’s conclusions.
   • Questioner
     • who generates questions and involves all students
   • Assessor
     • who evaluates the progress of each work session
   • Encourager
     • who models and reinforces appropriate social skills
   • Summarizer
     • who restates the team’s conclusions or answers.
   • Spokesperson
     • who represents the group and presents group work to rest of the class
   • Timekeeper
     • who keeps group on task and on time.
   • Team facilitator
     • who moderates discussions, keeps the team on schedule, ensures that work is completed by all, and makes sure that all have the opportunity to participate and learn
   • Elaborator
     • who relates the discussion with prior concepts and knowledge.
   • Research runner
     • who gets needed materials.

4. disadvantages

   • TBL, PBL, and cooperative learning
   • unequal workload and grading problems
   • team composition
   • classroom management challenges