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Jigsawing is a complex form of group work that involves students switching between different groups.

• The first set of groups works on different projects that give the students relatively deep knowledge of one particular aspect of the problem.
• Then these groups break up and the new experts recombine with experts from other specialties to form the second set of groups.
• Each of the second set of groups is made up of a variety of experts and is ready to tackle a complex project that will require all of their expertise.

An Earth Systems Example

Every one of the 16 students above belongs to two groups: their base group (A, B, C, or D) and a sphere group (atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, or geosphere).

In a typical NASA Earth Systems Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) class, students work on problems like hurricanes, deforestation, or global warming which affect (and are affected by) the atmosphere, water, life and the solid Earth.

• Rather than deal with all of these at once, students are sorted into specialized sphere groups. They research the connections between their spheres and the problem and each group assembles a report.
• The sphere groups split up and return to their teams (which need real names, by the way). Between the four of them, they have reports from all four spheres and personal expertise to match.
• The team's project is to work out causal chains that include the problem to determine its indirect effects and causes (which can be far more important for intermediate ones.
  • For example, an erupting volcano can melt glaciers on its peak (hydrosphere). The meltwater running downhill builds up speed and entrains loose dirt, creating lahars (geosphere). These lahars can level and bury human settlements along the slopes and at the base of the volcano (biosphere).

What if there were 24 students above instead of 16? How to divide groups up then?

• Three or four students is the ideal group size, so the best way may be to have six teams of four (add a team E and Team F), and split the sphere groups so there are two groups for each sphere with three students each.

Rotating Spheres: Generally ESSEA courses consist of multiple units (typically four), each focusing on a different problem. Have the sphere groups switch spheres each unit.

Other Kinds of Expertise

In the example above, students became experts in components of the Earth system. Depending on the nature of the exercise, each expert group could learn to use one particular instrument or interpret one kind of data and the base group would work on the same samples or problem. Alternatively, the experts might come from different fields (similar to the example above).

Why Use Jigsawing?

Advantages:

• Expertise: Students acquire deep knowledge about one aspect of a problem, which they are more likely to remember and apply than the shallow knowledge they develop about the rest of it (NRC, 2000 ).
• Self-Esteem: Students will realize that their team is dependent on their specialized knowledge during the second part of the project and generally feel a sense of responsibility towards their team.
• Getting to Know Classmates: This is a great chance for students to get acquainted, especially if the course involves multiple units and sphere groups and teams remain intact.

Disadvantages:

• Time: Use Jigsaw for activities which allow students time to both develop and apply their expertise, such as projects, problem sets, readings, or test reviews.
• Complexity: As with any classroom technique more complex than basic lecture, be prepared to spend time explaining the process to the students.
• Interdependence Becoming Dependence: Rarely, a student is not motivated to do his or her share of the group's work. In the case of a team on the second part of a jigsaw project, this can derail the whole group as they lack that member's expertise. The instructor needs to be on the lookout for this and be prepared to intervene to ensure the success of the group. Check out this Wisconsin Center for Education Research page for more information on why groups fail and what to do about it.

Origins

The jigsaw classroom was devised by Elliot Aronson, who now maintains Jigsaw.org (more info) .