Cooperative learning is an educational approach that organizes classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. Students work in groups to complete tasks collectively toward academic goals, unlike individual learning which can be competitive. Key aspects of cooperative learning include individual accountability, promotive interaction between group members, teaching interpersonal skills, and group processing. The document then describes a case study where a teacher divides students into groups to plan a hypothetical trip to Paris, with each group researching different trip components like transportation, accommodations, and attractions. The groups then combine their findings to create a comprehensive 5-day itinerary for the trip.

1. Cooperative learning is an educational approach which aims to organize classroom
activities into academic and social learning experiences. There is much more to
cooperative learning than merely arranging students into groups, and it has been
described as "structuring positive interdependence. Students must work in groups to
complete tasks collectively toward academic goals. Unlike individual learning, which
can be competitive in nature, students learning cooperatively can capitalize on one
another's resources and skills (asking one another for information, evaluating one
another's ideas, monitoring one another's work, etc.). Furthermore, the teacher's role
changes from giving information to facilitating students' learning. Everyone succeeds
when the group succeeds. Ross and Smyth (1995) describe successful cooperative
learning tasks as intellectually demanding, creative, open-ended, and involve higher
order thinking tasks. Cooperative learning has also been linked to increased levels of
student satisfaction.
Five essential elements are identified for the successful incorporation of cooperative
learning in the classroom.
● individual and group accountability
● promotive interaction (face to face)
● teaching the students the required interpersonal and small group skills
● group processing.
In our first case study, we have a Vocational English Class of 18 Secondary
Education students specializing in the Tourism Sector. The aim of the exercise is to
organise a trip to Paris, for a young average budget couple for 5 days, including
everything from the journey, the accommodation, the public transport they’ll need,
the sightseeing and entertainment, down to where they’re going to sample local
cuisine and what clothes to bring.
This requires much prior organisation from the part of the teacher. It is a common
knowledge among educators that the less a teacher participates in the process in the
classroom, the more organizing and preparation work they have to do at home.
The steps go as follows:
❖ Dividing groups: This can be tricky. In our case it was 6 groups, five students
each. The first step was to ”break” any existing preferences and friendships,
for the simple reason of trying to bring together pupils who had no previous
social encounter apart from being in the same class. This can only have
benefits, as young people got to be re-introduced to classmates they didn’t
know much about previously, got to work with, and see things from their point
of view. This, of course could not have been done haphazardly. I tried in every
group, where it was possible, to have a student who was more academically
speaking “good” for the linguistic part, an extrovert, for the social, presentation
part, and a “quiet” kid, to be given the chance to mingle, feel part of a group

2. having a very specific task (most important) and, hopefully, show their hidden
abilities.
❖ Appointing homework: After having formed the groups, each was appointed
with a specific task to do some preliminary search at home. I didn’t specify if
that research was to be done individually or if the members of each group had
to get together and do it. I did that on purpose so as to allow for some
freedom of choice and not impose interaction. I was very interested to see in
that point what the outcome of that free choice would be. Amazingly in the
next session, the members of all groups without exceptions had been together
the previous day, in front of someone’s computer, or in a public place using a
smartphone and had done their research. I believe that this is the part I am
most excited and proud of my students and myself, in the whole project. In our
case the group topics where the following:
1. Air Tickets
2. Accommodation
3. Sightseeing/Atractions
4. Trasportation: to/from the airport, around the city, to several attractions, night
outings, restaurants.
5. Entertainment/Restaurants/Local Food
6. Weather/Clothes to bring/Shopping
As it is apparent, not all topics required the same amount of skill. Some
needed apart from more elaborate linguistic and computer skills than others, different
preferences, it was the job of the teacher to match topics to students’ interests.
❖ In our next class, each group was allocated a computer terminal, and asked to
display their proposals on their computer screen. They were allowed some
time to prepare their presentations and then, each group was asked to come
up to the computer connected with a projector, to show the rest of the class
their findings.
❖ When all students had all the information collected by every group then the
co-ordination process began. That was the real professional part, as the times
of the flight had to be co-ordinated with the transportation options to and from
the airport, to the specific place where the hotel would be. The opening times
of the attractions had to be co-ordinated with the entertainment venues, the
metro and RER timetables, and the proximity of each venue to the other, so
that a logistically reasonable schedule could be produced that permitted the
“clients” to make the most of the time and money they had at their disposal,
without wasting any of the two.
Finally, the end product was to everyone’s agreement and satisfaction and in my
personal opinion it presented a level of professionalism matched only to that of very
experienced and skilled “real” professionals in tourism.
Here is out end product.
DAY ONE
Notre-Dame

3. The cathedral is open every day of the year from 8:00 am to 6:45 pm. Free of
charge. Les Bookinistes (Wednesdays are best).
Blv.St.Germain-des-PresLes Deux Magots, 6, Place St.Germain des Pres/
Cafe de Flore/DaRosa, 62, rue de Seine
Jardin du Luxembourg
Quartier Latin Caveau des Oubliettes, Rue Galande, Paris 5th/ Caveau de la
Huchette, 5, Rue de la Huchette
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DAY TWO
Musée du Louvre
- Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Wednesday, Friday: from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
€9.5 (€6: on Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.)
Jardin des Tuileries (out at alle du Castillione) Angelina’s, 226 rue de Rivoli
Place de la Concorde
Arc de Triomphe-Champs Elysees
1er avril au 30 septembre, 10hà 23h. Plein tarif : 9 €
Sacré-Coeur-Montmartre
Métro : Anvers. 6 :45am-11pm. Le Café des Deux Moulins (15 rue Lepic)/
Espace Montmartre Salvador Dali (11 rue Poulbot) -----------------
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DAY THREE
Eiffel Tower
13 euros. From June 18 to August 28; 9:00am to 00:45am(final lift up at
midnight, 11:00 for top floor). Metro:Trocadero.
Musée d'Orsay
open from 9.30am to 6pm daily, except Mondays late night on Thursdays until
9.45pm last tickets sold at 5pm (9pm Thursdays) full rate 8 euros
5,5 euros for everyone from 4.15pm/12 euros avec Rodin meme jour.
Invalides-Musee Rodin
BateauxMouches
Pont de l’Alma. 1h10mins10:15am-11pm every 20 mins. 11euros
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DAY FOUR
La Defence
Cost:Grande Arche EUR 10
Open: Apr.-Aug., daily 10-8; Métro or RER: Grande Arche de La Défense
Opéra Garnier
Le grand escalier, les foyers, le musée, l'espace d'exposition temporaire et la
salle de spectacle (lorsqu’elle n’est pas fermée pour des raisons artistiques ou

4. techniques) se visitent juillet/aout tous les jours de 11:30 et 14:30 en anglais
12,5 euros duree 1h30
Madeleine
Opening hours:Mon-Sat 7:30am-7pm, Sun 8am-7pm/LaDuree, rue Royal
Place Vendome
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DAY FIVE
Centre Pompidou
Musée et Expositions : sauf Mardi 11h à 21h (fermeture des caisses à 20h). Des
nocturnes sont organisées dans les grandes expositions (voir agenda).12 euros.
Metro: Rambuteau
Marais
Rue de Rosiers, north of rue de Rivoli. Rue Pavee. Rue Vielle du Temple. Place
des Vosges. Metro“St Paul”. Musee Picasso, musee Carnavalet.
Forum les Halles.
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Try Out
Croque Monsieur//Pommes Frittes/Crepes//Onion Soup//Boeuf
Bourguignon/Coq au Vin/Cassoulet/Confit du Canard//Iles Flottantes (dessert)
……………………………………………………………………………….
HOTEL
www.booking.com
www.agoda.com
www.trivago.com
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FLIGHTS
www.airtickets.com
www.skyscanner.com
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WHAT TO BUY AND WEAR
https://www.parisinsidersguide.com/what-to-wear-in-paris-spring.html
https://www.outfitsfortravel.com/what-to-wear-to-paris-in-the-spring/
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k1400589-
Best_Things_to_buy_in_Paris-Paris_Ile_de_France.html
http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/france/paris/14-things-to-buy-in-paris