Cooperative Learning
This material was originally created for
Starting Point:Introductory Geology and is replicated here as part of the SERC Pedagogic Service.
What is Cooperative Learning?
Cooperative Learning involves structuring classes around small groups that work together in such a way that each group member's success is dependent on the group's success. There are different kinds of groups for different situations, but they all balance some key elements that distinguish cooperative learning from competitive or individualistic learning.
Cooperative learning can also be contrasted with what it is not. Cooperation is not having students sit side-by-side at the same table to talk with each other as they do their individual assignments. Cooperation is not assigning a report to a group of students where one student does all the work and the others put their names on the product as well. Cooperation involves much more than being physically near other students, discussing material, helping, or sharing material with other students. There is a crucial difference between simply putting students into groups to learn and in structuring cooperative interdependence among students.
Why Use Cooperative Learning?
Extensive research has compared cooperative learning with traditional classroom instruction using the same teachers, curriculum, and assessments.
On the average:- Students who engage in cooperative learning learn significantly more, remember it longer, and develop better critical-thinking skills than their counterparts in traditional lecture classes.
- Students enjoy cooperative learning more than traditional lecture classes, so they are more likely to attend classes and finish the course.
- Students are going to go on to jobs that require teamwork. Cooperative learning helps students develop the skills necessary to work on projects too difficult and complex for any one person to do in a reasonable amount of time.
How to Use Cooperative Learning
Conducting a cooperative lesson involves several important steps:
- Preinstructional Decisions
- Explaining the task and cooperative structure of the lesson
- Monitor all learning groups and intervene when necessary
- Assess students' achievement of learning goals and teamwork
- With your students, process students' achievement of learning goals and teamwork
Resources
- Bibliography of useful books and articles about cooperative learning.
- Web Resources which provide additional information on cooperative learning.
- Examples of ways to use cooperative learning in your classroom.