Cooperative Learning

1. Cooperative Learning By: Angela, Ashley & Mary

2. Quotations about using Cooperative Learning in the Classroom-ALL • 1) “Isn’t it wrong to teach using cooperative methods when we must prepare students for a competitive world?” • 2) “Isn’t the accelerated achievement of low-achieving students in cooperative learning bought at expense of high-achieving students?” • 3) “If I allow students to discuss and argue among themselves, won’t I be faced with difficult classroom management problems?” • 4) “Doesn’t cooperative learning mean forcing some students to work with others they don’t like?”

3. Quotations about using Cooperative Learning in the Classroom-ALL • 5) “The group decided on a topic and I had to go along, although I did not agree. Doesn’t cooperative learning mean giving up individuality?” • 6)“In my group a few members did all the work. Doesn’t cooperative learning mean a free ride for some or most of the students?” (Kagan, 1990, pgs. 1:1-1:5)

4. Benefits of Cooperative Learning-ASHLEY • Research shows-students who participate in cooperative learning score better on tests in particular: reasoning & critical thinking skills • Students are more personally engaged in the content when working cooperatively • Cooperative learning is good for socialization, but individual reward is best used to keep motivation • Heterogeneous groups-students of different race, gender, learning styles=deeper understanding of material • Students more likely to ask questions or clarification from peers & teachers when participating in a cooperative learning activity • Cooperative learning tasks allows for students to create friends in class; to trust peers; students to have higher self-esteem

5. Benefits of Cooperative Learning Continued-ASHLEY • Teamwork is an essential skill for the workforce • Cooperative Learning increases language and communication skills • Cooperative Learning increases accountability & self-esteem • Cooperative Learning develops conflict management skills & lowers anxiety • In a study completed by Slavin, 63% of students saw an increase in their grades when using cooperative learning methods (Kagan, 3:1, 1992) • Out of 10 studies, 7 studies proved that time on task in the classroom improves in cooperative learning situations (Kagan, 3:3, 1992) • Cooperative Learning is beneficial to language acquisition for EAL students---we learn by speaking, and cooperative work allows for discussion, sharing, opinions and language use (High & Kagan,V1, 1993)

6. Elements of Cooperative Learning-MARY • There are 5 basic elements of successful cooperative learning these are: • Positive Interdependence • Face to Face Interaction • Individual and Group Accountability • Interpersonal and Small Group Skills • Group Processing • They differentiate cooperative learning from other forms of group learning. These are like pieces of a puzzle – when all elements are present the result is cooperative learning.

7. Positive Interdependence-MARY • Each group member’s efforts are required and necessary for the group to succeed • Each group member brings their own unique strengths and resources to the group • The efforts of each group member directly benefits the group

8. Face to Face Interaction-MARY • The group needs to promote one another’s success • The group needs to have the tools to verbally explain to each other the methods they will use to solve the problem • They need to be able to check for understanding amongst the group • Have the ability to discuss the problems and concepts being learned • They need to have the ability to connect present learning with previous learning

9. Individual and Group Accountability-MARY • Size of group – the smaller the size the greater the member’s accountability • Test each individual for comprehension and progress • Observe groups and note how often each member contributes • Assign one student in the group to ask other group members for their progress • Have students teach other group members what they have learned

10. Interpersonal and Small-Group Skills-MARY • Ensure that group members have these basic teamwork skills or help the group develop them • Leadership • Decision-making • Trust-building • Communication • Conflict-management skills

11. Group Processing-MARY • Group members discuss the progress of their work • Should feel free to communicate with group to share concerns and successes • Should feel free to show they are achieving their goals • Group members should be able to discuss their working relationship within their groups

12. Conditions required for Cooperative Groups to be Successful-MARY • Small groups working as a team • Using 5 basic elements to make certain everyone achieves a defined goal • Full participation of all team members • All team members involved in decision making process • Members trust other group members that they will add value to the project • Open communication: • Group members contribute ideas • They ask for clarification • Members provide constructive feedback • Group frequently updates other members • They listen attentively to each other

13. Teaching Students the Required Interpersonal and Small Group Skills-MARY • Identify the necessary skills • Define the different member roles • Discuss how they are important to small group work • Practice and role play these skills • Rotate the roles through the group so all group members have experiences in different roles

14. Cooperative Learning Techniques and Methods-ASHLEY • Think-Pair-Share-Involves a 3 step process. Initially, students reflect individually about a question. Students then pair up with another student and exchange ideas and thoughts. In the final step, the partners share their ideas with other partnerships or the class. • Three-Step Interview-Involves a 3 step process. Initially, 1 student interviews a partner, and the other student responds. Then the students exchange roles. Finally, each partner shares their partner’s role with the class. • Note-Taking Pairs- Involves students working together to complete a note-taking activity. • Jigsaw- Students are placed into groups of approximately 4-5. Then each student in the larger group is designated a section of the curriculum to learn and master. When mastery of individual topics is complete, students come back together into their original group of 4 or 5 and each student teaches their mastery to the rest of the group.

15. Cooperative Learning Technique and Methods- ASHLEY • Group Grid- Involves students working with a partner or a group to organize and classify information into a table or chart format. • Sequence Chains- Involves students working with a partner or small group of students to represent the correct sequence of events in content being taught. An example of Sequence Chain cooperative assignments would be timelines or comic strips. • Peer Edit/Revision-Involves students working with a partner to edit and revise a piece of writing written by the other student. The idea behind this process is for students to reflect on their writing, in addition to the writing of a peer in the class.

16. Cooperative Learning Techniques-ASHLEY • Three-stay, One-stray-Allows students to have a break from the students they are working with in a cooperative learning assignment, while keeping conversations on topic. The technique involves having 1 student from each group “straying” to another group to discuss the process and workings of their current group. This technique allows for sharing of ideas between groups, yet in a controlled manner. • Literature Circles-Involves students reading a novel with a small group of fellow students in the class. Students complete oral reading, discussion questions, and various tasks within their cooperative reading group. • Peer tutoring-Enables students to learn from or help other students in the class. The technique allows for increased self-esteem and confidence amongst students. • Poster/Journal Carousel- Involves cooperative group collaboration on a given topic---then presenting what each group in the class contributed to that topic. Poster or journal paper will travel from each group, with each group adding to the responses of previous groups.

17. Cooperative Learning Techniques-ASHLEY • Projects/Presentations-Involves group collaboration of any size to complete assignments such as: posters, PowerPoint, presentations and skits. • Co-Op Co-Op-Involvesstudents reviewing unit material through re-teaching presentations. Each group would be responsible to re-teach and review a topic in the unit and present it to the class in the form of a review. • Gallery Tours & Walks- Students walk with a partner to view other student work displayed in the classroom. Partners may be required to comment on pieces of student work, as a piece of paper is often placed beside the work and partners are expected to leave a comment or positive feedback. • Brainstorming/Word Webs/KWL- Students work with a small group or a partner to discuss their initial ideas, predictions, and knowledge about a given topic. This technique is generally used at the beginning of new units.

18. Using Cooperative Learning Strategies Age-Appropriately - ANGELA • Strategies that are age-specific: • Note-Taking Pairs: • useful only for middle years and up, as students younger than this are probably not capable of summarizing material enough to take notes independent of a teacher’s direction • Three-Stay, One-Stray: • requires certain amount of abstract thinking, as students are asked to discuss how the process and workings of their cooperative learning groups. • Useful for Grades5 and up • Literature Circles: • requires students to have well-developed literacy skills, students must be able to read longer texts, discuss topics related to the novel, and write responses to the text • useful only for Grades 3 and up • This method might be adaptable in the context of “buddy-reading”. If the older students were reading a shorter text that would keep the attention of the younger students, buddies could read it together and then get together in literature circles to discuss. However, this would entail a lot of buddy-reading time, which most teachers do not have in their schedule.

19. Using Cooperative Learning Strategies Age-Appropriately - ANGELA • Strategies that are age-specific: • Co-Op Co-Op: • useful for Middle Years and up – students must have the ability to review material given over several weeks and then summarize and re-word it • a great method for older students in that it gives all students a second chance to learn something (however, it might be hard to fit into schedules, given time/curriculum restrictions) • Group Grid and Graphic Organizer Creations • useful for upper elementary and onwards • requires ability to create categories for information and sort information accordingly

20. Using Cooperative Learning Strategies Age-Appropriately -ANGELA • Strategies that work for all students: • Think-Pair-Share and Interviewing • requires only verbal abilities • give older students a list of topics to consider, while for younger students, verbally give them one topic at a time • Jigsaw: • great for older students as it gives them a lot of independence and responsibility • if students are being asked to read materials in order to do Jigsaw, this method can be used for Grade 3 and up • for K-2 students, learning methods are adapted: reading students can read text, while others can view pictures or other visuals, look at video or listen to audio on the internet, listen to books on CD, or handle physical objects • Sequence Chains: • older students can handle complex timelines with many dates and information • younger students can do similar activities using pictures or short phrases

21. Using Cooperative Learning Strategies Age-Appropriately – ANGELA • Strategies that work for all students: • Peer Edit/Revision • older students can be given a list of criteria to use when editing • younger students can be given a simplified list (i.e. check for finger spaces, periods, and lower-case letters). • Poster/Journal carousel and Gallery Walks: • as long as students have been taught to provide constructive, rather than overly critical, feedback, all students can grow by hearing other groups’ ideas about their work • for older students, feedback could be provided in a formal way using a rubric, while for other students, feedback could be verbal or a sticky note on the work with a short phrase written on it. • Brainstorming/Word Webs/KWL: • especially great for younger students, who are always eager to share what they already know about a topic. • The responsibility to record ideas and prior knowledge could shift from teacher to students depending on students’ age • In younger, pre-writing grades, students could also draw their ideas, while in older grades, students could create more sophisticated graphic organizers and webs.

22. Expectations/Roles of Students Within Cooperative Learning Groups-ASHLEY • Rolesfor Cooperative Learning: • Taskmaster: makes sure group on task • Checker/Mediator: checks to be sure everyone agrees • Gatekeeper: monitors if everyone contributed equally • Praiser: encourages the sharing of ideas, gives opinions • Recorder: note-taker for group • Gofer: gathers materials • Noise Monitor: monitors group noise level • Researcher: gathers important information

23. Dealing with Common Issues with Cooperative Learning Groups-ASHLEY • Individual students dominating groups • Some members do not contribute • Group conflict-bickering, arguing

24. Teacher Role in Cooperative Learning Activities-Management of Group Issues-ASHLEY • Structure groups properly-assess what will be best for student learning • Quiet Signal-Brings groups back together • Clear expectations of work- verbal & visual • Discuss what makes good group work? • Model/show good group work • Frequent checks/consults for understanding/participation • Provide positive feedback on group progress • Individual assessment is key! Maybe a self-assessment and teacher assessment combination (explain to students upfront) • (Kagan 7:2-7:10)-1992

25. Situation Topic-ASHLEY • Grade 8 Class-Social Studies Group Project: Michael is a quiet student in the class, and is certainly the quietest student in his cooperative learning group. He is not very social with students inside of or outside of class. Ethan (a fellow group member) notices that Michael has been slacking off and not producing his work or contributing in the decisions of the group. The group comes to speak to you about the situation and to help handle it. What do you do as the teacher?

26. Analyze the Situation-ASHLEY • What could be the underlying issue for Michael? (Do you know something the group members do not?) • What would be the best approach to speak with Michael? (after class/before class) • How should you communicate with Michael? (think about personality) • What information are you expecting to/wanting to hear from Michael? • How will you discuss as a group at the end of the conversation?

27. Forming Cooperative Learning Groups-ANGELA • What size of group is best? • Recommended group sizes range from 2 to 6 members • Smaller groups foster less social interaction, but each member must contribute more. Larger groups give more diversity of ideas. • How should groups be formed? • Random selection: useful mostly for short-term groups • Student-selected: also useful mostly for short-term groups, as groups will likely be very homogeneous • Teacher-selected: Most useful, as teachers can careful monitor level of diversity in each group, choosing students with certain strengths, needs, or interests. Teacher should also take personality into consideration (e.g. introvert/extrovert).

28. Forming Cooperative Learning Groups-ANGELA • How long should these groups should be used? • Unless groups are randomly selected or student-selected, groups should usually last for a few weeks, or long enough for the group to become cohesive and experience some success as a unified group. • Groups that are together longer become more efficient at working together and can therefore handle more complex tasks • Groups that encounter difficulties should be a chance to work through them, instead of switching right away • Should groups be homogeneous or heterogeneous? • Research shows that groups usually work best when students are grouped heterogeneously • Randomly selected or student-selected groups (usually homogeneous) are sometimes useful for limited tasks

29. How does Cooperative Learning Promote Responsible Behaviour?-ANGELA • Cooperative learning encourages accountability in students • Students have to be accountable to their group members, as all must fulfill their roles in order to achieve success • Teachers may allow groups to evaluate each other, and students who consistently “shirk” their work can be asked by the group to leave – this is a major incentive for students to remain accountable

30. How does Cooperative Learning Promote Responsible Behaviour?-ANGELA • Cooperative learning increases students’ abilities to contribute in a responsible way • Socially difficult or awkward students are placed in groups with students who are capable socially, so they can learn from these models • It is especially helpful for students who needs lots of help socially to be in small groups, so they are forced to participate • Students who struggle to contribute responsibly are given specific roles to fulfill (instead of floundering around for a group and a role) • Students are often asked to give constructive feedback to each other which promotes polite ways of interacting and realistic self-esteem

31. How does Cooperative Learning Promote Responsible Behaviour? - ANGELA • Collaborative learning encourages interdependence • Every group member’s work is indispensable for the group’s success • Students see that they can help each other learn, in ways that even the teacher might not have been capable of • Teachers may assess accordingly: give group marks for projects, individual marks for tests, but give all group members a bonus if they all reach a certain criterion on the test • Students who are difficult or irresponsible normally will see that their work is important and needed by others, boost feelings of competence and self-esteem

32. Assessment of Cooperative Learning-MARY • Have all groups check in on their progress • Assign roles to group members to ensure equal involvement in group • Assign individual tests to ensure group learning • Provide rubric or checklist for groups to assess their productivity • Require posters or presentations which can be graded • Provide opportunities for peers to assess work of other groups • Individual Accountability & Self-Assessments

33. Disadvantages of Cooperative Learning-MARY • Cooperative learning is not always collaborative learning • Students working together but not engaging in the learning process together • Students who lack certain social skills do not know how to work in groups • Not all students contribute equally • Difficulty in assessing when groups and ensuring that all groups are on task • Cooperative learning is difficult for shy students • Risk of placing students in roles before they have appropriate skills

34. Community Resources for Cooperative Learning-ANGELA • Cooperative Learning-Glacie Group: http://www.glacie.ca • GLACIE is comprised of a group of educators from the Great Lakes region: our members are enthusiastic advocates of cooperative learning in all levels of classrooms and the community at large. • Our mission is to promote cooperative learning in classrooms and communities in the Great Lakes region, through workshops, staff development, newsletters and conferences. • Our purpose is to encourage: • Personal and professional development • Caring and respectful learning environments • Empowerment of teachers to use cooperative learning strategies • Collegiality • Respect for diverse points of view

35. Community Resources for Cooperative Learning-ANGELA • Manitoba Association for Cooperative Learning Teachers (MACLT) • This group is a Manitoba-based SAG (Special Area Group) in 2010 Contact- Sheila Silversides

36. Video Clip- Kagan Cooperative Learning-Structures for Success (Part 1) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0s_qxJDuas

37. References Cooperative Learning. (2011). Retrieved January 22, 2011, from http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm Cooperative Learning Information. (2011). Retrieved January 23, 2011, from http://istudy.pdu.edu/FirstYearModules/CooperativeLearn/CoopLearnInfo.htm Goltz, S. M. (1998). Composing a team. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 25, 194-200. Great Lakes Chapter of the International Association for the Study of Cooperation in Education (IASCE). (2010). Retrieved February 28, 2011, from http://www.glacie.ca/ Gross Davis, B. (1993). Tools for Teaching, Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams, University of California, Berkeley, Jossey-Bass Publishers: San Francisco. Retrieved January 24, 2011, from http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html High, J. (1993). Second Language Learning Through Cooperative Learning, Kagan Cooperative Learning, San Clemente, CA

38. References Hill, S., & Hill, Tim. (1990). The Collaborative Classroom: A Guide to Co-operative Classroom: A Guide to Co-operative Learning. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NewHampshire. Jenkins, R. J., Antil, L. R., Wayne, S.K., Vadasy, P. F. (2003). How cooperative learning works for special education and remedial students. Exceptional Children, 69(3), 279-292. John, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Holubec Johnson, E. (1994). The New Circles of Learning: Cooperation in the Classroom and School. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Alexandria, Virginia. Johnson, D. W. and Johnson, R. T. (1999). Cooperating Learning and Assessment, Cooperative Learning, (pp. 163-178). Tokyo: Japan Association for Language Teaching. Kagan, S. (1990). Cooperative Learning Resources for Teachers, San Juan Capistrano, CA

39. References Kagan, S. (1992). Cooperative Learning, Kagan Cooperative Learning, San Clemente, CA Kagan Cooperative Learning-Structures for Success Part 1 (Video file). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0s_qxJDuas Manitoba Association for Cooperative Learning Teachers (MACLT). Sheila Silversides, SAG conference Winnipeg, MB October 21,2011, ssilversides@hotmail.com Minister of Education and Training. (1996).Success for all Learners: A Handbook on Differentiating Instruction, A Resource for Kindergarten to Senior 4 Schools, Winnipeg, MB Prince George’s County Public Schools. (2011). A Guide to Cooperative Learning, Retrieved January 24, 2011, from http://pgcps.org/~elc/learning1.html Starting Point Teaching Entry Level Geoscience. (2011). Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/cooperative/techniques.html Stone, J. M. (1989). Cooperative Learning and Language Arts, Resources for Teachers, San Juan Capistrano, CA