Enhancing Learning through Cooperative Groups

1. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills 11th Edition David W. Johnson Frank P. Johnson

2. Purposes • What Is Cooperative Learning And Why Use It? • What Are the Cooperative Learning Outcomes? • How Do You Structuring Formal CL? • How Do You Structuring Informal CL? • How Do You Structure Base Groups? • How Do You Use All Three Groups • What Is The Cooperative School?

3. History of Cooperative Learning • Old Idea • Talmud, Quintillion & Seneca • Joseph Lancaster in England • Lancaster School in NY in 1806 • Common School Movement – early 1800s • Colonel Frances Parker • John Dewey

4. Nature of Cooperative Learning • Social Interdependence • Individual’s outcomes are affected by others’ actions • Positive Interdependence • Individuals work together to achieve mutual goals • Negative Interdependence • Individuals work against each other to achieve a goal • Social Independence • Individual work alone, unaffected by others

5. Types of Learning Groups • Formal Cooperative Learning Groups • Informal Cooperative Learning Groups • Cooperative Base Groups

6. Formal Cooperative Learning • Team-Based Learning • Used to teach specific content • Students responsible for self-learning, group members’ learning, class learning • Completes a task, unit, or chapter • Emphasis on helping each other learn • The heart of an academic classroom

7. Formal Cooperative Learning • Make Preinstructional Decisions • Explain the Task and Cooperative Structure • Monitor and Intervene • Evaluate and Process

8. Preinstructional Decisions • Specify Instructional Objectives • Decide on Group Size • Assign Students to Groups • Assign Roles to Ensure Interdependence • Arrange the Room • Plan the Instructional Materials

9. Structure Task and Cooperation • Explain Academic Task • Explain Criteria for Success • Structure Positive Interdependence • Structure Individual Accountability • Structure Intergroup Cooperation • Specify Desired Behaviors

10. Monitor and Intervene • Monitor Students’ Behavior • Provide Task Assistance • Intervene to Teach Social Skills • Provide Closure to the Lesson

11. Evaluate Learning and Process Group Interaction • Assess the Quality and Quantity of Learning • Process How Well the Group Functioned • Feedback • Reflection • Improvement Goals • Celebration

12. Informal Cooperative Learning Groups • Focuses student attention on material • Sets a mood conducive to learning • Helps cognitively organize material • Sets attention and provides closure • Allows for identifying and correcting misconceptions, incorrect understanding, and gaps in comprehension • Personalizes learning experiences

13. Use During Direct Instruction or Lecture • Introductory Focused Discussion • Advance organizer for learning • Establishes learning expectations • Intermittent Focused Discussions • Lecture Segments • Pair Discussions • Closure Focused Discussion

14. Cooperative Base Groups • Long-term heterogeneous groups • Stable membership • Members give each other academic support • Members give each other personal support • They personalize the learning experience and provide a sense of belonging

15. Base Group Tasks • Give Each Other Academic Support • Give Each Other Personal Support • Handle Routine Tasks • Help With Assessment and Evaluation Tasks

16. Base Group Agendas • Opening Tasks • Greeting and Welcome • Relationship and group-building tasks • Check Homework • Review Progress: Ongoing Assignments • Closing Tasks • Review and Clarify Assignments • Discuss What Was Learned • Discuss Applications of Learning • Celebrate Member’s Hard Work

17. Integrate the Use of the Groups • Start With Base Groups • Lecture With Informal Cooperative Learning • Guided Practice with Formal Cooperative Learning • End With Base Groups

18. The Cooperative School • Classrooms use cooperative learning the majority of the time • Faculty meet in collegial teaching teams, task forces, and ad-hoc decision-making groups • Administrators meet in collegial teams

19. Summary • Cooperative Learning Is The Effective Use Of Small Learning Groups • It Enhances Learning, Motivation, And More. • There Are Three Types Of Groups For Different Purposes • You Use These Groups In An Integrated Way To Enhance Learning • The Cooperative School Includes Faculty and Administration Cooperative Groups