Cooperative Learning

Roberto Bustamante Teacher: Luis Daz

It is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement. Students work through the assignment until all group members successfully understand and complete it.

Definition

In accordance with Cooperative Learning (CL) experts David and Roger Johnson, the Czech Johan Amos Comenius (1523-1679) considered that students teaching one to another, would learn more and better. Also, Joseph Lancaster and Andrew Bell (1700's) implemented CL groups in England first and later in America. Also in America, in mid 1880's Colonel Francis Parker introduced the CL concept in the public schools of Massachusetts, and became a popular method of instruction. In the following century, John Dewey defended the use of CL in the American educational system.

Who invented cooperative learning?

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

Gain from each other's efforts. (feedback between students) Recognize that all group members share a common fate. Know that one's performance is mutually caused by oneself and one's team members. (We can not do it without you.) Feel proud and jointly celebrate when a group member is recognized for achievement. (We all congratulate you on your accomplishment!).

Promote student learning and academic achievement Increase student retention Enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience Help students develop skills in oral communication Develop students' social skills Promote student self-esteem Help to promote positive race relations

Why use Cooperative Learning?

Cooperative Learning Strategies (Slavin, 1990)

1. Positive Interdependence
Indispensable. Unique contribution.

Elements of Cooperative Learning

2. Face-to-Face Interaction (promote each other's success)

Solve problems Teach knowledge each others Checking Discussing concepts Connect present with the past

3. Individual & Group Accountability ( no hitchhiking! no social loafing)

Small groups Giving individual test each other Random orally Observing each group and recording the frequency with each student contribute in the group. Having students teach what they learned to someone else

4. Interpersonal & Small-Group Skills

Social skills must be taught: Leadership Decision-making Trust-building Communication Conflict-management skills

5. Group Processing

Group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships. Describe what member actions are helpful and not helpful. Make decisions about what behaviors to continue or change.

Over the past twenty-five years, the use of small-group learning has greatly increased. Informal collaborative projects have grown into structured, cooperative group work. Cooperative learning became especially popular in the early 1980s and has matured and evolved since.

When cooperative learning become popular?

Advantages Helps foster mutual responsibility. Supported by research as an effective technique. Students learn to be patient, less critical and more compassionate. Disadvantages Some students don't work well this way. Loners find it hard to share answers. Aggressive students try to take over. Bright students tend to act superior. Preparation Decide what skills or knowledge are to be learned. Requires some time to prepare students. to learn how to work in groups.

Advantages and Disadvantages

As a conclusion

conclusion

http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/coope rativelearning.htm http://www.worksheetlibrary.com/teachin gtips/cooplearning.html

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept 2class/coopcollab/index_sub2.html

Bibliography