Cooperative Learning: Not Just Working in Groups

1. Cooperative Learning: Not Just Working in Groups Dr. Mary Ransdell Spring 2011

3. Definition: Cooperative learning is a method of organizing students into small heterogeneous groups for the explicit purpose of working toward a common goal, which will result in increased learning and recognition. (Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Holubec, E. J. (1990). Research on Cooperative Learning. In Circles of Learning. (3rd ed.). Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.)

4. Some differences between cooperative and traditional learning groups Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Holubec, E.J. (1990). Research on Cooperative Learning. In Circles of Learning. (3rd ed.). Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

5. Logic Blocks Assign roles based on birthdays. The person with the first birthday in the year is the facilitator, the person with the second birthday in the year is the timekeeper. The third person is theleader. • Facilitator – Gather and return materials. • Time keeper – This person will time the activity. The group will have 5 minutes to complete the task. • Leader - This person maintains order as the task is accomplished and can ask the teacher questions.

6. Individual Accountability • Nimrod, Manlin, Soltoy and Jovar are creatures from the planets Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. None live on a planet with the same first letter as his/her name. Neither Jovar nor Nimrod can survive close to the sun. Manlin depends on his planet’s rings for life. Who lives where? Manlin: Soltoy: Jovar: Nimrod: • Five students ran the 100-meter race. Joe came in first and Henry came in last. If Amber was ahead of José, and Katrina was just behind him. Who came in second?

7. Individual Accountability Answers • Nimrod, Manlin, Soltoy and Jovar are creatures from the planets Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune. None live on a planet with the same first letter as his/her name. Neither Jovar nor Nimrod can survive close to the sun. Manlin depends on his planet’s rings for life. Who lives where? Manlin: SaturnSoltoy:Mercury Jovar: NeptuneNimrod:Jupiter • Five students ran the 100-meter race. Joe came in first and Henry came in last. If Amber was ahead of José, and Katrina was just behind him. Who came in second? Amber came in second.

8. Academic Controversy The participants in this activity learn to communicate and to disagree … without being disagreeable. Accountability: Students write about their own opinions after the discussion.

9. Rules for Academic Controversy • I am critical of ideas, not people. I challenge and refute all ideas, I do not indicate that I personally reject them. • I remember that we are all in this together. I focus on coming to the best decision possibly, not on winning. • I encourage everyone to participate and to master all the relevant information. • I listen to everyone’s ideas, even if I don’t agree. • I restate what someone has said if it is not clear. • I first bring out all ideas and facts supporting both sides, and then I try to put them together in a way that makes sense. • I try to understand both sides of the issue • I change my mind when evidence clearly indicates I should. • I use active listening without the use of negative words.

10. Was Peter Pan Right or Wrong? • Task: Divide into As and Bs. • Question: Is it better to stay young (under 15) or should you grow old with the fullness of time? • Procedure: • Research and prepare your position • Present and advocate your position

11. Was Peter Pan Right or Wrong? • Task: Divide into As and Bs. • Question: Is it better to stay young (under 15) or should you grow old with the fullness of time? • Procedure: • Research and prepare your position • Present and advocate your position • Conduct an open discussion

12. Was Peter Pan Right or Wrong? • Task: Divide into As and Bs. • Question: Is it better to stay young (under 15) or should you grow old with the fullness of time? • Procedure: • Research and prepare your position • Present and advocate your position • Conduct an open discussion • Reverse your position • Synthesize and come to consensus

13. Components of Cooperative Learning • Positive Interdependence • Individual Accountability • Social and Communication Skills • Positive Promotive Interactions • Group Processing

14. Positive Interdependence Specific, and interdependent, roles for each participant that are necessary for the group to work toward the goal set by the teacher. No one person has all of the “tools” to complete the whole activity. Communication is a MUST.

15. Individual Accountability Teachers assess the academic learning or the attainment of social skills by formal or informal methods using subjective or objective measuring instruments (i.e., test, homework, or observation of social skills demonstrated in a group setting).

16. Social and Communication Skills Sharing is not innate! This component’s focus is on the participants’ ability to share materials and workspace and demonstrate consideration for others by keeping their voices at a reasonable level. Participants discuss topics, disagree constructively, and resolve conflicts peacefully.

17. Positive Promotive Interactions Participants’ verbal interactions are positive and offer encouragement to group members.

18. Group Processing (most important and most skipped) This procedure allows the students to tell the teacher how well the groups worked together or to report any problems. The teacher might orally discuss the completed cooperative activity with the students, or ask for information in a written format. Allowing students to write their comments permits confidentiality. Teachers might use information gained from group processing when forming groups for future projects, grading, or to address deficiencies in acceptable social skill demonstration.

19. Six Sample Group Processing Ideas Created or edited by Dr. Mary Ransdell

20. 1. Group Processing for older students after a Jigsaw activity • Before leaving today, privately write several paragraphs answering the following: • Who in your group was responsible for which questions or portions of the activity? • Did everyone share useful information? • How well did your group work together? Were there any problems?

21. 2. Problem Based Learning (PBL) Rubric • My program has a three page PBL rubric • 14 questions (problem solving and teamwork) with a rating scale where students rate themselves and their teammates. • Six short completion questions; three of which are a self rating, and three reflect teammates’ contributions.

22. 3 Group Processing ChartThis chart coordinated with a science project asking students to design a bridge.

23. 4 Group Processing Chart for Primary Grades

24. 5 Group Processing for Middle School Group’s Name ___________Date ________ Your name ______________Class _______ Answer the following individually: Rate your group members performances today according to the following scale. Rate yourself – honestly.

25. 6 Group Processing Chart 1= Never 2=Rarely 3=Sometimes 4=Usually 5=Always

26. Jigsaw and Reverse Jigsaw BASE GROUPS = Home Groups (where you started) EXPERT GROUPS = Discussion Groups

27. Directions • BASE GROUP members choose an article • Move to EXPERT GROUP areas • Read and discuss your article • Come to consensus about the important points of the article • At instructors signal, return to BASE GROUP and teach the other members what you learned in EXPERT GROUP

28. Jigsaw Accountability Paraphrase the opinion(s) expressed by members of your group about making cooperative learning equitable. Paraphrase the opinion(s) expressed by members of your group about grading. Describe cooperative learning used in Social Studies. Analyze this in terms of your classroom. Describe cooperative learning used in Language Arts. Analyze this in terms of your classroom.

29. Tips and Tricks • Cooperative learning is most effective when discussion is involved – especially when some academic disagreement is also involved. • Heterogeneously balance the groups. • Group size ranges from 2-5 members. Smaller sizes work better when approach is new to students. Fewer group members means that participants must do more of the work and stay involved.

30. More Tips • Students learn How to do the task together but do something similar independently. Activities may be a one-time (brief 10 minutes) assignment or a lengthy (several weeks) project. • Every group member has a responsibility. There are many possibilities – reader, recorder, researcher, checker, facilitator, reporter, monitor, evaluator, timekeeper, materials handler, or mouse….

31. A Few More Tips • Provide reasonably challenging levels of achievement that will be the measure of accomplishment for the task. • Culminate the activity with class-wide, group, or individual recognition. Forms of recognition may include putting the students work on display, performing for others, taping the presentation, certificates of merit, accomplishment or participation, ….

32. One More Tip • A themed project might have corresponding role titles. • For instance…building bridges and testing for tensile strength. Sample titles and jobs might include the following. • Architect – draws the design of the bridge; • Foreman – asks questions the group has for the teacher (no one else may speak to the teacher or member of another group); • Construction worker – conducts the experiments; • Journeyman - records the results of the experiments and reports to the class.

33. Keys to Cooperative Learning Organization (lesson plans, assessments) Share your expectations (model, charts) Assign roles and monitor continually

34. Thank you… Thank you for your attention. I hope you gained something today that you can use in your classroom tomorrow.