1. Active and cooperative learning provides opportunities for higher-order thinking and greater interaction among students and faculty. It allows students to discuss and process information in small groups. 2. This interaction reinforces listening skills, provides immediate feedback, and allows students to help each other understand course material. It also gives professors a chance to assist students individually. 3. Specific techniques described for active learning include think-pair-share, where students work individually, then discuss in pairs before sharing with the class; jigsaw, where students divide content and become "experts" to teach peers; and pairs checking, where students take turns solving problems and explaining their reasoning to each other.

1. BENEFITS OF ACTIVE AND COOPERATIVE LEARNING
1. Provides opportunities for higher order thinking as opposed to passive listening.
Reinforces listening to others and gives opportunity for immediate feedback and
adjustment of thought.
Students talking together provide for input and listening. Students often
have to assess the thoughts/ideas of peers, determine whether they “fit”
their own, whether they disagree, or partially agree. Students have an
opportunity to speak their ideas/thoughts for better formulation. Some
often say, “I didn’t think of that” or “That’s a different slant.”
2. Promotes greater student-faculty and student-student interaction.
Students assist each other in understanding material/content. This may
even help students broaden their perspectives on issues or
problems. Professors have an opportunity to move from group to
group, listen and if appropriate add comments. For some students this
is the only personalization with a professor that ever occurs.
Professors may answer questions that might never be asked without
the closer interaction. Problems or misunderstandings can
quickly and quietly be handled.
3. Increases student retention and limits anxiety. Students are not overloaded with
information. Students actually get time to think about, to talk about, and process
information.
Improves interaction and “talk” (Vygotskian Constructivism) and provides
opportunities for students to think about and process the information.
Time for “talking” and/or “writing” is needed to help students make sense
of what they hear before attempting to “take in” even more information.
4. Permits opportunities to connect the content to real life.
Students are often hesitant to speak up and offer opinions, especially in
very large classes. Students can provide real life examples of the
content
being discussed, thus increasing the relevancy of the learning.
5. Builds self-esteem in students.
Students help each other as discussion occurs. Students are more likely to
respond to the whole class after discussing thoughts with a partner
or small group. Responses may be more carefully conceived as they
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2. try responses with each other. Students may even discover that they
understand the information because they must articulate the
content to another. Greater satisfaction with the learning experience
occurs. Students make personal connections to the content.
Enjoyment of learning often leads to greater retention. Interaction often
promotes a more positive attitude toward the subject matter or course.
7. Provides for improvement of social interaction skills, greater acceptance of others,
and a greater sense of “community” in the class - in part by addressing learning
style differences.
Students may even begin to create study groups for greater learning.
Students who teach or tutor each other learn more about each other
and how to better communicate information to others. Students benefit
from building group skills by working together. Not everyone will
agree; students may learn to cope with those who have differing
viewpoints, OR recognize that some problems can be very complex
and not easily solved with simple responses.
8. Encourages alternative forms of assessment.
Professors have greater opportunities to observe actual processing of
information, seeing the results of group projects or field
experiences. The applied projects indicate true knowledge.
9. Promotes higher levels of achievement, greater depth of thought and improved
attendance.
Enjoyment of interaction and relevancy of content tend to encourage
students to master the content. When students are responsible for
reading a chapter, then use or discuss the content to create a product
find that retention is greater. This often leads to improved
attendance.
10. Encourages innovation in both teaching and student involvement.
Technology is easily incorporated by students and/or professors. Students
may e- mail each other, join chat rooms, and collaborate on group
projects effectively using the technology, rather than
meeting face-to-face.
Students may present projects, activities, etc. using a variety of approaches
rather than the typical paper. They have more freedom to use their own
strengths in the final product. Students may determine the form of projects
and often work well beyond initial expectations.
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3. JIGSAW
Each member of the jigsaw assumes responsibility for learning a specific part
of the content. Each person must master the content to teach that content to
others in his/her group. The steps are as follows:
a. Task Division – A task or passage or set amount of content is divided
into its requisite parts. (Best done by the professor)
b. Home Groups– Each team sends one member to a group to learn and
master material on a part of the content. That individual works with
members of other home groups to gain expertise.
c. Expert or Focus Groups – Students having the same topic meet in the
Expert Group to discuss information, master the topic and plan how to
teach the information to his/her Home Group.
d. Home Groups – Students return to their original Home Group and
teach what has been mastered to their own group members.
e. Summary Activity – All of the parts must be put together in the form
of a report, a quiz, presentation, or completion of questions.
Comments: This could be done with an entire class that has small groups
teaching content to the rest of the class. Math teachers might use groups to
sketch graphs using different types of polynomials; team members might
analyze material for in-depth understanding – decisions of leaders, character
analysis in a novel, etc. or students may learn various types and procedures for
types of writing, (i.e. editorials, sales pitches, thesis statements, outlining, or
forms of citation of sources.)
1. ROUNDTABLE
This technique requires each student in a group to have input. Each student
has a copy of the questions, etc., but mark only on a “master” response sheet
that includes a space for an individual response and space for a group
response. The master sheet is passed from one student to another with each
person reading a question and responding to the problem, question or
situation. The responder reads his/her answer to the group and gives an
explanation for the response. The student then writes his/her name next to the
response. After this is done, students discuss the answer and write a group
response, if the group answer is different from the first answer. If a student
does not have the answer to the situation, problem, or question, no response is
written, but the student writes his/her name in the space. The group can then
write its response in the group response section.
Comments: Good technique for reviewing material or to create simple
applications to a concept. This does not work well with complex information.
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4. THINK-PAIR-SHARE
This is a small group or partner strategy in which students respond to a problem
or situation individually, then compare and discuss their responses with another.
This method works best with teacher-led instruction. All students are required to
make an individual response in writing that is shared with one or two others. The
professor may check the work OR students may check their work against a
MASTER prepared by the professor.
Why Use Think-Pair-Share?
1. The strategy moves the students away from a guessing mode or that of trial
and error and permits individual students to:
a) think through a problem on their own,
b) try their ideas on someone else, and
c) revise their ideas with additional input.
2. Students are able to work from a conceptual base and justify their thinking.
This use of “talking out” requires additional thinking and clarification. As a result,
students often catch their own errors in the explanation.
How Can The Professor Structure Think-Pair-Share?
Ask each student to complete the problem or task on his/her own, in his or her
own way. When the task is completed, paired students compare and/or contrast
their responses with each other. Students explain what they did and why they
responded the way they did. Students then have an opportunity to revise their
initial responses before the response is shared with an entire class.
2. PAIRS CHECKING
This strategy requires students in pairs to practice solving problems that have
been taught. The students divide the problems in half and take turns working the
problems. The checking occurs as each one describes how to work the problem or
handle the situation. When disagreement occurs students can ask for help from
the teacher. Clarification and “talking out” helps both understand the problem/s.
Why Use Pairs Checking?
1. Adds a sense of security to one’s ability to actually do the problems.
2. Students have an opportunity to DISCUSS their thought processes; this may
lead to automatic correction and clarity.
3. The discussion actually increases understanding and retention of the process.
4. Simulates “real life” situations, where help from another is available.
(Gives structure on how to work with another person).
How To Structure Pairs Checking
One person in the pair attempts to solve a problem or situation as the second one
serves as a coach by giving hints, asking questions, pointing out possible errors,
or recommending another way of processing. The “solver” actually works
through the problem and explains “out loud” what s/he or he is doing to the others
in the group. The “coach” or “checker” listens and tries to connect what is being
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5. said to the teaching example. The “coach” must give the “solver” a chance to
solve the problem, but may ask:
a.) What are you trying to find?
b.) How will you do that?
c.) Why did you…?
The partners switch and the coach becomes the solver for the next
problem.
3. COMBINING PAIRS
Combining pairs is much like Pair Checking, but requires the pair to think, talk
and work out problems or situations together that will be checked by a second
pair. This approach uses the benefit of “more heads than one” when working
through a problem. Students actually have to talk to each other and explain the
process. Uses higher order thinking as they analyze the work of others.
Why Use Combining Pairs?
Can use learning pairs at the instructional level OR at the practice level and helps
students understand a problem or situation by talking out the possibilities.
How to Structure Combining Pairs
The group is divided into pairs and each pair works a problem together, once
again talking about the problem together. When the problem is completed,another
pair checks their work; they, in turn, check the work of the pair with whom they
have been combined.
4. TURN TO YOUR PARTNER
Similar to the Combining Pairs, students have the benefit of “talking out” their
solutions and “why” they completed the problem or task in the m.Students must
talk through the problem explaining each of the steps and justify thinking to a
partner or two partners.
Why Use Turn To Your Partner/s?
1. Talking through one’s approach gets the students “thinking out loud.”
2. Thinking out loud helps the analytical process and students often catch their
own errors before partners point them out.
3. Works very well when steps have been skipped or thinking is faulty.
Partners can explain correct process or steps.
How to Structure Turn to Your Partner
1. Have problems or tasks that students must work together.
2. Each student talks through the steps of the problem or task while the partner
listens, asks questions, or disagrees.
3. A check on the correct answer may reinforce the work, but “solver” must
justify why a problem was solved in a particular way.
5. CREATING QUESTIONS
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6. This technique is a variation of a study skills approach referred to as the
“reciprocal approach” where students help each other by beginning with what
they know, what they want to know (or need to know), and move to summarizing
what they have learned. The technique helps students move to higher order
thinking and to connect learning to their “real world.”
Why Use Creating Questions?
1. Students connect problems to what they already know; this helps students
realize that problems are connected to life, and that they do have a base of
knowledge.
2. Students create questions or problems that they must solve using higher order
thinking and connecting their learning to real life experiences.
How to Structure Creating Questions
1. Students begin a problem by asking what the structure looks like - if they have
seen similar problems - how the problem differs from other problems they
know how to solve.
2. Once they recognize similarities and differences, students question each other
on ways to solve the problem.
3. Students check their work against a “master.”
4. Students then create their own similar problem and challenge their partner to
solve the problem.
5. Students create a word problem related to what they have just learned and ask
partner to solve the problem.
6. HOMEWORK CHECKERS
Students work completely on their own, while a partner does the same.
Students are responsible for their own progress, but have access to a partner or
partners with whom they can talk over their work.
Why Use Homework Checkers?
1. Students must take responsibility for their own work, but still have the benefit
of a support system or assistance if deemed needed.
2. Work is checked against a “Master” list and help is available where students
have not found the correct answers/solutions.
How to Structure Homework Checkers
1. Students work on their own solving problems or situations, but have a partner
that serves as the “checker.”
2. When work is complete, or students need to see if they are progressing
correctly, the checker compares answers against a Master giving the correct
answers.
3. Any problems incorrectly completed can then be “discussed” with the
“checker.”
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7. 7. TEST REVIEWERS
Students use this simple technique to quiz each other on problems they have
previously been taught. Pairs/triads pose problems they anticipate will be on the
test and help each other work through those problems
Why Use Test Reviewers?
1. Students anticipate and study problems likely to be on a test.
2. Students help each other anticipate problems.
3. Students get practice with problems.
4. Students verbally explain how problems were solved.
5. Students get feedback immediately from partner/s.
6. Prepares students on a study technique to be used for other subjects as well.
How to Structure Test Reviewers
1. Students are assigned or get into pairs or groups of no more than three.
2. Students ask what type/s of problems they believe will be on the test and find
or create problems that fit those types.
3. Students give those problems to their partner/s to solve.
4. Student giving the problem checks the work and asks the solver to explain
how s/he solved the problem.
5. Students are able to discuss how problems were solved.
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