COOPERATIVE LEARNING “ Everyone Succeeds When the Group Succeeds ”

1. COOPERATIVE LEARNING“Everyone Succeeds When the Group Succeeds” Presentation by: Kristen Leisse, Cuong Do, & Robinson Gautier

2. Cooperative Learning • Definition: • Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning activities. Students must work in groups and complete the tasks collectively.

3. History • Before World War II, various social theorists establish cooperative learning theory • 1937 - researchers emphasized group work more effective than individual work • 1975 - researchers identified that cooperative learning promoted: • Mutual liking • Better communication • High acceptance and support • More variety in thinking strategies • 1994 - five elements published that are essential for cooperative learning

4. Elements • Positive Interdependence • Students must fully participate and put forth effort within their group • Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction • Members promote each others success • Individual Accountability • Each student is accountable for their learning and work

5. Elements • Social Skills • Social skills that must be taught in order for successful cooperative learning to occur • Skills include effective communication, interpersonal and group skills • Group Processing • Every so often groups must assess their effectiveness and decide how it can be improved http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBoWNIfgJs4

6. Types • Formal Cooperative Learning: • Formal Cooperative Learning is structured, facilitated and monitored by the instructor over time and is used to obtain group goals. • Some examples of this are writing a report, doing a project as a group, performing a lab experiment and reviewing for a test.

7. Additional Types • Informal Cooperative Learning: • Informal Cooperative Learning consists of group learning with passive teaching. These groups are usually temporary and can change from lesson to lesson. • Some examples of this could be when a teacher tells the class to turn to your neighbor and discuss your homework assignment. These kind of groups are often used to break up a lecture or for use as a review.

8. Even More Types • Group-based Cooperative Learning: • Cooperative Base Groups are long term, heterogeneous cooperative learning groups with stable membership. Typically they are heterogonous groups that meet regularly for the duration of the class (i.e. semester or year). • Some examples of these groups are personal support groups which promote cross cultural relationship building, or routine tasks (i.e homework or attendance).

9. Research Supporting Cooperative Learning • Pros: • Students demonstrate academic achievement • Cooperative learning is usually equally effective across all ability levels • Students perceptions of each other are enhanced once they get the opportunity to work with each other • Ethnic, Physical and mental handicapped barriers are broken down allowing for positive interactions and friendships to occur

10. Limitations • Cons: • Students might feel like they are being held back by their slower classmates • Can plant a seed of self doubt in a slower comprehending child • Teachers can easily lose control of their classroom if proper classroom management techniques are not in place

11. Summary • Definition • Established prior to World War II • Five Basic and Essential Elements • Positive Interdependence, Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction, Individual Accountability, Social Skills, and Group Processing • Three Different Types • Formal, Informal, and Group-based • Pros and Cons

12. References • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_learning • Johnson, D. W. (2003). David W. Johnson: Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training. American Psychologist, 58(11), 931-934. • http://cooperativelearning.nuvvo.com/lesson/216-5-basic-elements-of-cooperative-learning • edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.html