Cooperative Learning Concepts

1
Cooperative Learning Concepts

• Basics of Cooperative Learning
• Mervin Maxwell, RRC/CAE/CDD

2
Five Essential Elements

• 1. Positive Interdependence
• 2. Face-to-Face Interaction
• 3. Individual Accountability
• 4. Interpersonal Small Group Skills
• 5. Group Processing

3
Positive Interdependence

• Students perceive that they need each other in
  order to complete the group task. This is
  accomplished by establishing
• Students agree on answers solution strategies
• Mutual Goals learn and make sure all other group
  members learn

4
Positive Interdependence

• Assign Role Responsibility / Division of Labor
  each member performs his/her job or duty
• Common Rewards if all group members achieve the
  goal, each member will receive a reward

5
Positive Interdependence

• Shared Resources/Dependent on each others
  resources one paper for each group or each
  member receives and/or obtains part of the
  information from other members
• All members are linked together, one cannot
  succeed unless the group succeeds
• Learn your partners answer

6
Face-to-Face Interaction

• Students promote each others learning by
  helping, sharing, e encouraging, efforts to
  learn. Students explain, discuss, and teach what
  they know to their classmates. Groups are
  physically structured I.e., around a small
  table so that students sit and talk through each
  aspect of the assignment.

7
Face-to-Face Interaction

• Students orally explain to each other how to
  solve problems.
• Students discuss concepts strategies being
  learned.
• Students teach their knowledge to each other.
• Students explain to each other the connections
  between what they are doing now how it related
  to past material.

8
Face-to-Face Interaction

• Students help, assist, encourage, and support
  each other throughout the learning process.
• Share your answer with a partner.

9
Individual Accountability

• Each students performance is frequently assessed
  the results are given to the group and the
  individual. Individual accountability is
  accompanied by giving an individual test to each
  student, or randomly selecting one group member
  to give the answer.

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Individual Accountability

• Instructor ensures each member is assessed with
  feedback to group to individual.
• Group cannot rely on one member no one dominant
  member.
• Individual written assessments.
• Randomly calling on one member for all.
• Individual oral exams within the group.
• Formulate an answer individually.

11
Interpersonal Small Group Skills

• Groups cannot function effectively is students do
  not have and use the needed social skills.
  Collaborate skills include
• leadership
• decision-making
• trust building
• communication
• conflict-management skills

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Interpersonal Small Group Skills

• Teach leadership conflict resolution skills
• Explain decision making, trust building, and
  communication skills.
• Students are not used to this method and must be
  trained in it.
• Listen carefully to your partners answers.
• Create a new answer through discussion.

13
Group Processing

• Groups need specific time to discuss how well
  they are achieving their goals and maintaining
  effective working relationships among members.
  The group processing is accomplished by assigning
  such tasks as a list at least 3 member actions
  that helped the group be successful, and b list
  1 action that could be added to make the group
  even more successful tomorrow.

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Group Processing

• Instructors also monitor the groups and give
  feedback on how well the groups are working
  together to the groups and to the class as a
  whole.
• How well is the group achieving its goals?
• How well is the group maintaining effective
  working relationships?

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Group Processing

• Ask what is something that each member did that
  was helpful to the group?
• Ask what is something that each member could do
  that would be helpful to the group?
• Ensure each member gets feedback, remind students
  to practice collaborative skills.

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Types of Groups

• Informal Groups
• Formal Groups
• Base Groups

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Informal groups

• Typically used in a classroom 15 min. lecture,
  5 min. group 15 min. lecture, 5 min. group
  summary

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Informal groups

• Temporary one discussion or one class period.
• Purpose focus student attention on material to
  be learned, set a mood to conducive learning,
  ensure students are learning material, provide
  closure to an instructional lesson.

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Informal groups

• Can be used anytime.
• Especially useful during a lecture.
• Helps pass information from the notes to the
  student.
• Focused discussions
• Ask questions in class
• End class with a discussion

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Informal groups

• Turn to your partner discussion 3-4 minutes
  making thinking visible!
• Formulate /or summarize an answer to a question
  just asked by you
• Share your ideas with a partner
• Listen to other persons point of view
• Create a new answer resolving any differences
• Randomly pick a group

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Formal Group

• Typically lab groups, projects, etc.
• Last 1 class to several weeks
• Purpose complete a specific task
• Procedure
• Receive instruction from instructor
• Instructor assigns groups, provides materials
• Instructor explains task
• Instructor monitors group

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Formal Group

• Procedure continued
• Groups present their model solution
• Class discusses solutions
• Each group prepares a report
• Instructor Class evaluate

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Base Groups

• Long term
• Stable membership
• Groups personalize the work required course
  learning experience
• Group responsibilities
• Give assistance, support, encouragement for
  mastering the content skills needed to
  understand the theory of the material

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Base Groups

• Group Responsibilities continued
• Ensure all members engage in intellectual
  controversy, get work done on time, and apply
  what is learned
• Ensure all members of all interacting base groups
  master the theories, concepts, skills, and
  knowledge of the course
• nantung_at_ecn.purdue.edu