Going deeper The five elements of co-operative learning It is only under certain conditions that co-operative efforts may

be expected to be more productive than competitive and individualistic efforts. Those conditions are: 1. clearly perceived positive interdependence 2. considerable promotive (face-to-face) interaction 3. clearly perceived individual accountability and personal responsibility to achieve the groups goals 4. frequent use of the relevant interpersonal and small-group skills 5. frequent and regular group processing of current functioning to improve the groups future effectiveness. Reference: Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R. (1994) An overview of cooperative learning. Brookes Press: Baltimore Positive interdependence: We sink or swim together The first requirement for an effective co-operative activity is that learners know that they sink or swim together. This is achieved by ensuring that learners can only achieve their learning goal if all of the team members also attain their goals. A system of rewards can be set up to reflect this goal interdependence, for instance by boosting individual scores if the whole team completes the task successfully. Each team member takes on complementary roles and tasks. Tasks are divided up so that everyone makes a distinct individual contribution towards the finished product. This also has the advantage that individual achievement can be identified for assessment purposes.

The Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning (QIA) 2008

Promotive interaction: Supporting team effort Promotive interaction refers to individuals interacting to encourage and facilitate each others efforts. This involves learners developing communication and team work skills that enable them to: coach or teach their peers; give effective feedback to peers; challenge peers without negativity; negotiate and reach consensus; develop trust within the team; create motivation and energy, without causing stress and anxiety.

Promotive interaction generally takes place face-to-face. However, it can also happen through electronic communication. The structured nature of co-operative learning has been found to work well for groups working in virtual teams. Individual accountability: No free rides This is the flipside of positive interdependence. Individual and group accountability ensures that no one gets a free ride. It can be encouraged in a number of ways including: keeping group sizes small; giving individual tests to learners at key points; random selection of individuals to present their work to the teacher, the team or the class; observation by the teacher of individual contributions and group effectiveness; assigning a checker, who asks individuals or groups to explain their work; individuals explaining what they have learnt to others (peer explaining); team presentations to the whole class; team games and tournaments.

Interpersonal and small group skills: Improving our people skills The learning of interpersonal and social skills forms an explicit part of a co-operative project or task. Learning goals contain specific reference to these skills, and learners are rewarded for demonstrating these skills. Learners discover that these skills are the key to team productivity and that they are highly valued by employers.

The Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning (QIA) 2008

Group processing: The teams the theme Time and space are created for teams to: agree ground rules; reflect on how well they are functioning what helps and what hinders the team; and decide what behaviours to change.

Team members may rate themselves and others on their team citizenship. Periodically, there may be whole class reflection and discussion on team effectiveness and how to improve it.

The Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning (QIA) 2008