Cooperative Learning

What is Cooperative Learning? Learning is something students do, not something that is done to students. Cooperation is working together to accomplish shared goals. Cooperative Learning is the instructional use of small groups through which students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.

Learning is something students do, not something that is done to students.

Cooperation is working together to accomplish shared goals.

Cooperative Learning is the instructional use of small groups through which students work together to maximize their own and each other’s learning.

What is Cooperative Learning? Cooperative Learning helps you accomplish a number of important goals simultaneously. First, it helps raise the achievement of all students, including those who are GT AND those with learning problems!

Cooperative Learning helps you accomplish a number of important goals simultaneously.

First, it helps raise the achievement of all students, including those who are GT AND those with learning problems!

What is Cooperative Learning? Second, it helps you build positive relationships among students which is the heart of creating a learning community that values diversity. Third, it gives students the experiences they need for healthy social, psychological, and cognitive development.

Second, it helps you build positive relationships among students which is the heart of creating a learning community that values diversity.

Third, it gives students the experiences they need for healthy social, psychological, and cognitive development.

What is Cooperative Learning? Cooperative Learning’s ability to work on these three fronts at the same time places it above all other instructional methods.

Cooperative Learning’s ability to work on these three fronts at the same time places it above all other instructional methods.

Three Types of Cooperative Groups Formal Cooperative Groups last from one class period to several weeks. Informal Cooperative Groups may last a few minutes to one class period. Cooperative Base Groups are long term and last at least a year.

Formal Cooperative Groups last from one class period to several weeks.

Informal Cooperative Groups may last a few minutes to one class period.

Cooperative Base Groups are long term and last at least a year.

What type of groups in the classroom? Pseudo-Learning Groups: students work together but have no interest in doing so. They believe they will be graded or ranked on individual performance. They see each other as rivals.

Pseudo-Learning Groups: students work together but have no interest in doing so. They believe they will be graded or ranked on individual performance. They see each other as rivals.

What type of groups in the classroom? Traditional Classroom Learning Groups: students are assigned to work together but assignments are structured so that very little joint work is required. They interact primarily to see how assignments are to be done.

Traditional Classroom Learning Groups: students are assigned to work together but assignments are structured so that very little joint work is required. They interact primarily to see how assignments are to be done.

What type of groups in the classroom? The Cooperative Learning Group: students are happy to work together. They know their success depends on the efforts of all group members.

The Cooperative Learning Group: students are happy to work together. They know their success depends on the efforts of all group members.

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics: 1- Members strive to accomplish something beyond their individual abilities. Members think they sink or swim together, and if one fails they all fail

1- Members strive to accomplish something beyond their individual abilities. Members think they sink or swim together, and if one fails they all fail

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics 2- Group members hold themselves and each other accountable for doing high quality work to achieve their mutual goals.

2- Group members hold themselves and each other accountable for doing high quality work to achieve their mutual goals.

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics 3- Group members work face to face to produce joint projects. They do real work together and promote each other’s success through helping, sharing, assisting, explaining, and encouraging. They provide both academic and personal support based on a commitment to and a concern for each other.

3- Group members work face to face to produce joint projects. They do real work together and promote each other’s success through helping, sharing, assisting, explaining, and encouraging. They provide both academic and personal support based on a commitment to and a concern for each other.

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics 4- Group members are taught social skills and are expected to use them to coordinate their efforts and achieve their goals. Taskwork and teamwork skills are emphasized and all members accept responsibility for providing leadership.

4- Group members are taught social skills and are expected to use them to coordinate their efforts and achieve their goals. Taskwork and teamwork skills are emphasized and all members accept responsibility for providing leadership.

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics 5- Groups analyze how effectively they are achieving their goals and how well members are working together to ensure continuous improvement of the quality of their learning and teamwork process.

5- Groups analyze how effectively they are achieving their goals and how well members are working together to ensure continuous improvement of the quality of their learning and teamwork process.

Cooperative Learning Groups Have 5 Defining Characteristics 5 (continued) As a result the group is more than the sum of its parts and all students perform better than they would if the worked alone.

5 (continued)

As a result the group is more than the sum of its parts and all students perform better than they would if the worked alone.

What type of groups in the classroom? The High Performance Cooperative Group: This group outperforms all reasonable expectations. What differentiates this group from other cooperative learning groups is the level of commitment members have to each other and the group’s success.

The High Performance Cooperative Group:

This group outperforms all reasonable expectations.

What differentiates this group from other cooperative learning groups is the level of commitment members have to each other and the group’s success.

How can you make cooperation work? Take your existing lessons and curriculums, and structure them cooperatively. Tailor cooperative learning lessons to your unique instructional needs. Diagnose the problems some students may have in working together and intervene to increase the learning groups’ effectiveness.

Take your existing lessons and curriculums, and structure them cooperatively.

Tailor cooperative learning lessons to your unique instructional needs.

Diagnose the problems some students may have in working together and intervene to increase the learning groups’ effectiveness.

How can you make cooperation work? For cooperation to work you must structure 5 essential elements into each lesson. 1- Positive Interdependence: provide a clear task and group goal so students know they must sink or swim together.

For cooperation to work you must structure 5 essential elements into each lesson.

1- Positive Interdependence: provide a clear task and group goal so students know they must sink or swim together.

5 Essential Elements in Every Lesson 2- Individual and Group Accountability: The group must be accountable for achieving its goal and each member must be accountable for contributing a fair share of the work.

2- Individual and Group Accountability:

The group must be accountable for achieving its goal and each member must be accountable for contributing a fair share of the work.

5 Essential Elements in Every Lesson 3- Promotive Interaction: Students need to do real work together in which they promote each other’s success by sharing resources and by helping, supporting, encouraging, and praising each other’s efforts to learn. Must be both an academic and personal support system.

3- Promotive Interaction:

Students need to do real work together in which they promote each other’s success by sharing resources and by helping, supporting, encouraging, and praising each other’s efforts to learn.

Must be both an academic and personal support system.

5 Essential Elements in Every Lesson 4- Teaching Skills: Cooperative Learning must teach some necessary interpersonal and small group skills. It requires students to learn both academic subject matter and the elements of teamwork.

4- Teaching Skills:

Cooperative Learning must teach some necessary interpersonal and small group skills. It requires students to learn both academic subject matter and the elements of teamwork.

5 Essential Elements in Every Lesson 5- Group Processing: Exists when group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships. Groups decide what member actions were helpful or not helpful and make decisions about what behaviors continue or change.

5- Group Processing:

Exists when group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships. Groups decide what member actions were helpful or not helpful and make decisions about what behaviors continue or change.

Why Use Cooperative Learning? Greater efforts to achieve. More positive relationships among students. Greater psychological health. Self-esteem Self-identity Social development Ability to cope with adversity and stress

Greater efforts to achieve.

More positive relationships among students.

Greater psychological health.

Self-esteem

Self-identity

Social development

Ability to cope with adversity and stress