Cooperative learning

Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy in which small, teams, each with student’s different level of abilities use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject.

Five Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning

1.     Positive Interdependence

-          Team members are obliged to rely one-another to achieve goal.  If any member fails to do their part, every one suffers consequences.

“We sink or swim together”

2.     Individual Accountability

-          All students in a group are held accountable for doing their share of the work and for mastery of all of the material to be learned.

“Everyone must know”

3.     Face to Face interaction

-          Although some of the group work may be parceled out and done individually, some must be done interactively, with group members providing one another with feedback, challenging reasoning and conclusions and perhaps most important, teaching and encouraging one another.

“Taking to Learn (Verbal exchange)

4.     Interpersonal / Small group skills

-          Students are encouraged and helped to develop and practice trust building, leadership, decision-making, communication and conflict management skills.

“Communication and collaborative skills”

5.     Group processing

-          Team members set group goals, periodically assess what they are doing well as a team and identify changes they will make to function more effectively in the future.

“How well did they function as a group”

Why use cooperative learning?

-          Promote students learning and academic achievement

-          Increase student retention

-          Enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience

-          Help students develop skills in oral communication

-          Develop student’s social skills

-          Promotes student’s self-esteem

-          Help to promote positive race relations

Cooperative efforts result I participants striving for mutual benefit so that all group members

-          Gain from each other’s efforts (Your success benefits me and my success benefits you)

-          Recognize that all group members share a common fate (we all sink or swim together)

-          Known that one’s performance is mutually caused by oneself ad one’s team members (We cannot do it without you)

-          Feel proud and joinly celebrate when a group member is recognized for achievement (We all congratulate you on your accomplishment)

COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES

Through cooperative learning, students work in small groups or in pairs to actively engage in the learning process and improve their understanding of the content.  Each member of the team is not only responsible for their own learning, but also for helping teammates learn. Cooperative learning promotes achievement, enhances retention, increases desire and motivation, develops interpersonal and social skills, builds self- esteem, and improves student satisfaction with their learning experience.

RALLY COACH

1.  Teacher asks one student from each pair of students to take out a piece of paper

(worksheet, lab report, etc) and a pencil.

2.  Partner A works the first problem while Partner B watches, listens, coaches, and praises.

3.  Partner B solves the next problem while Partner A watches, listens, coaches, and

praises.

4.  Partners take turns until the task is complete.

RALLY ROBIN

1.  Teacher poses a question or a problem.

2.  In teams, students take turns responding orally to the question.

RALLY TABLE

1.  Teacher explains the task.

2.  In pairs, students take turns completing the task.

VARIATIONS:

RALLY COACH:  Students work with partner.  The pair has one paper/pencil and take turns with one solving problem while the other coaches.  Partner A solves the first question while Partner B watches and listens, coaches and praises.  Students switch positions with Partner B solving and Partner A coaching.  This may also be used with oral questions or with manipulatives.

SIMULTANEOUS RALLY TABLE:  All students have paper/pencil.  Students work with a partner to compare or contrast topics.  Each student places a different heading at the top of the paper.  Students write one thing about their topic and pass the paper to their partner. Partner then writes about the other topic.  Continue passing papers back and forth until teacher says to stop.

ROUND ROBIN

1.  Teacher poses a question or a problem.

2.  In teams, students take turns responding orally to the question.

VARIATIONS:

SINGLE ROUND ROBIN:  Each student responds one time.

ALL WRITE ROUND ROBIN: Each student responds orally.  If teammates agree, all students record the answer on their own paper.

TIMED ROUND ROBIN:  Each student contributes one time for a designated length

of time (one minute, 30 seconds, etc).

ROUND TABLE

1.  Teacher asks one student from each team to take out pencil and paper.

2.  Teacher poses a project, question with multiple answers, a topic to write about, or

a task that has many possible solutions, steps, or procedures.

3.  In teams, students take turns passing the paper and pencil or team project, each writing one answer or making one contribution.

VARIATIONS:

ROUND TABLE CONCENSUS: Student with the piece of paper and pencil verbally gives an answer.  Teammates must show agreement or disagreement (thumb up or thumb down).  If there is disagreement, team discusses the answer until there is consensus.  All teammates must agree before student records answer.

SIMULTANEOUS ROUNDTABLE:  Teacher asks a question or poses a problem which has multiple answers. In teams, students each write a response on their own piece of paper.  Students then pass their papers clockwise so each teammate can add to the prior response.

STAND UP, HAND UP, PAIR UP

1.  Teacher poses a question or problem and gives think time.

2.  Teacher calls, “Stand up, hand up, pair up.”

3.  Students stand, put their hand up, and pair up with a student from a different table.

4.  Pair discussion.  Students talk over the problem with a partner.

3 STEP INTERVIEW

1.  Within each team, students form pairs. Students nearest the front of the room are partner “A” and those nearest the back of the room are partner “B.”

2.  Partner A interviews Partner B. Partner A asks open-ended, fat questions.

Partner B answers.

3.  Partner B interviews Partner A by asking questions.

4.  In Round Robin fashion, each of the four-team members introduces his/her partner to the team and summarizes the information that was shared during the interview.

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

1.  Teacher poses a question related to the lesson.

2.  Give sufficient think time for individuals think.

3.  Students pair to discuss responses.

4.  Students share their responses with the team or the class.

VARIATIONS:

THINK-PAIR-WRITE:  Students discuss the response with their partner.  Then

instead of verbally sharing answers in teams or with the class, all student write down

their ideas.  Pairing helps students develop a better understanding of the topic before writing.

THINK-WRITE/DRAW-PAIR-SHARE:  Students write or draw their own ideas before they pair up to discuss them with a partner.  This allows students to more fully develop their own ideas before sharing.