CooperativeCollaborative Learning

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Cooperative/Collaborative Learning

• TACT
• Spring, 2005

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Workshop Purpose Format

• The purpose of this workshop is to introduce you
  to Collaborative Learning or CL and to
  demonstrate CL techniques.

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Collaborative v. Cooperative Learning

• The terms Collaborative Learning and Cooperative
  Learning are often used interchangeably.
• Follow these links for more information
• Dr. Theodore Panitz
• University of California, Office of Instructional
  Consultation

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What is CL?

• Formal cooperative learning groups may last for
  one class period to several weeks to complete any
  course requirement (such as solving problems,
  reading complex text material, writing an essay
  or report, conducting a survey or experiment,
  learning vocabulary, or answering questions at
  the end of a chapter). (Johnson Johnson, 1998).

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What is CL?

• The term collaborative learning refers to an
  instruction method in which students at various
  performance levels work together in small groups
  toward a common goal. The students are
  responsible for one another's learning as well as
  their own. Thus, the success of one student helps
  other students to be successful (Gokhale, 1995).

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Group Discussion

• Please get into your assigned triads.
• Choose a recorder to take notes.
• The purpose of your group discussion is to create
  a list of the benefits of CL.
• Each individual should be prepared to share the
  groups responses if called on.

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What are the benefits of CL?

• Promotes students active orientation toward
  learning.
• Allows students to construct knowledge.
• Promotes deeper learning.
• Provides opportunities to practice soft skills.
• Encourages understanding of diversity.
• Promotes student-faculty interaction and
  understanding.
• Increases retention.

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What are the benefits of CL?

• For more information, follow these links
• Teaching Effectiveness Program, University of
  Oregon
• 44 Benefits of Collaborative Learning
• Western Oregon University

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Cooperative Learning and Critical Thinking

• If cooperative education is to go beyond mere
  activity, if it is to involve activity that
  produces high-quality thinking and desirable
  learning, it must embody clear-cut intellectual
  standards and a self-assessing process whereby
  students raise their learning to a self-critical
  level. (Elder, 1997).
• Collaborative Learning Collaborative Mislearning

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Cooperative Learning and Critical Thinking

• Gokhale (1995) writes, There is persuasive
  evidence that cooperative teams achieve at higher
  levels of thought and retain information longer
  than students who work quietly as individuals
  (Johnson and Johnson, 1986). The shared learning
  gives students an opportunity to engage in
  discussion, take responsibility for their own
  learning, and thus become critical thinkers
  (Totten, Sills, Digby, Russ, 1991).

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Designing Effective Cooperative Learning
Activities

• The five essential elements
• Positive interdependence
• Face-to-Face promotive interaction
• Individual and group accountability
• Interpersonal and small group skills
• Group processing

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Positive Interdependence

• The first requirement for an effectively
  structured cooperative lesson is that students
  believe that they "sink or swim together." Within
  cooperative learning situations, students have
  two responsibilities 1) learn the assigned
  material, and 2) ensure that all members of the
  group learn the assigned material (Johnson and
  Johnson, 1994).

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Positive Interdependence

• Positive interdependence exists when students
  perceive that they are linked with group mates in
  such a way that they cannot succeed unless their
  group mates do (and vice versa) and/or that they
  must coordinate their efforts with the efforts of
  their group mates to complete a task (Johnson and
  Johnson, 1994).

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Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction

• Promotive interaction may be defined as
  individuals encouraging and facilitating each
  other's efforts to achieve, complete tasks, and
  produce in order to reach the group's goals
  (Johnson and Johnson, 1994).

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Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction

• Promotive interaction is characterized by
  individuals providing each other with efficient
  and effective help and assistance(Johnson and
  Johnson, 1994).

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Individual and Group Accountability

• The third essential element of cooperative
  learning is individual accountability, which
  exists when the performance of individual
  students is assessed, the results are given back
  to the individual and the group, and the student
  is held responsible by group mates for
  contributing his or her fair share to the groups
  success. It is important that the group-knows who
  needs more assistance, support, and encouragement
  in completing the assignment. It is also
  important that group members know they cannot
  hitchhike on the work of others (Johnson and
  Johnson, 1994).

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Interpersonal and Small Group Skills

• The fourth essential element of cooperative
  learning is the appropriate use of interpersonal
  and small-group skills. In order to coordinate
  efforts to achieve mutual goals, students must
  1) get to know and trust each other, 2)
  communicate accurately and unambiguously, 3)
  accept and support each other, and 4) resolve
  conflict constructively (Johnson, 1990, 1991
  Johnson F. Johnson, 1991).

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Group Processing

• Group processing may be defined as reflecting on
  a group session to 1) describe what member
  actions were helpful and unhelpful, and 2) make
  decisions about what actions to continue or
  change. The purpose of group processing is to
  clarify and improve the effectiveness of the
  members in contributing to the collaborative
  efforts to achieve the groups goals (Johnson and
  Johnson, 1994).

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Group Activity Jigsaw

• All the 1s form the Positive Interdependence
  team
• All the 2s form the Face-to-Face Promotive
  Interaction team
• All the 3s form the Indiviudual and Group
  Accountability team
• All the 4s form the Interpersonal and Small
  Group Skills team
• All the 5s form the Group Processing team

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Group Activity Jigsaw

• Spend a few minutes individually reviewing any
  materials that could enhance your understanding
  of the term your group has been assigned.
• After five minutes of individual work, join your
  group and craft an approach for teaching your
  concept to your peers.
• After you have devised your teaching approach, be
  prepared for reassignment. You will share your
  understanding of your concept with your
  classmates, and they, in turn, will teach you the
  concept they have learned.

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Strategies for Fostering Positive Interdependence

• Assign all group members the same grade and
  require a single group product.
• Assign rotating group roles (recorder, reader,
  etc.)
• Give each member different critical resources.
• Give incentives to groups based on individuals
  performances.

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Strategies for Promoting Face-to-Face Interaction

• Watch body language and bring outliers in.
• Make learning circles.
• Design classrooms to facilitate Face-to-Face
  interaction.
• Provide positive reinforcement for groups
  demonstrating good interaction.

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Strategies for Creating Individual and Group
Accountability

• Have the group create a list of goals and tasks
  needed to accomplish them.
• Have the group report on each others progress
• As the instructor, provide individual feedback on
  performance.
• Design an assessment that follows the group
  project and requires group members to demonstrate
  their individual mastery of the material.

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Strategies for Teaching the Required
Interpersonal and Small Group Skills

• Have students analyze a case study of a
  problematic group.
• Have students create parameters for successful
  interactions.
• Have students outline team roles (e.g., what
  behavior/responsibilities are expected of the
  leader(s)).
• Outline procedures for handling grievances. Make
  the students accountable for negotiating through
  conflicts, but provide mediation when necessary.

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Strategies for Group Processing

• Create opportunities for students to analyze
  effective and ineffective behaviors require the
  students to verbally share their critiques with
  their group members.
• Keep the students with the same group throughout
  a semester.

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Web Resources

• http//www.wcer.wisc.edu/nise/CL1/CL/doingcl/DCL1.
  asp
• http//teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.htm
  l
• http//www.co-operation.org/