Cooperative learning involves intentionally structuring positive interdependence and interaction among students. It is based on social psychology and the work of Johnson and Johnson. When implemented effectively with the five key elements - positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, teaching social skills, and group processing - it can lead to greater achievement, critical thinking, social skills development, and psychological well-being compared to competitive or individualistic learning. Teachers must carefully plan lessons to incorporate these elements through objectives, tasks, roles, materials, and processing activities.

1. Cooperative Learning
An Overview

2. Definition
 What it IS
 What it IS NOT
 Based on theory and work of Johnson and
Johnson

3. Cooperative Learning is…
 Applied Social Psychology
 Intentional structuring of learning goals
– to promote Positive Interdependence
– Intentional structuring of learning goals so that students
are encouraged to engage in Promotive Interaction
 Promotive Interaction is more likely to occur when
there are 5 key elements intentionally structured
and monitored throughout the lesson.

4. Learning Goals can be structured 3
different ways:
 Cooperatively
 Competitively
 Individualistically

5. Competitive Learning Goals
 One person can obtain her
goal if and only if the other
fail to obtain theirs
 Negative Correlation
Among Goal Attainments
 Negative Interdependence
 “If I swim, you sink; If you
swim I sink.”
 Individual Goals
 Comparative (Norm
referenced) evaluation
 Winners are rewarded

6. Individualistic Learning goals
 Each person’s goal attainment
is unrelated to the goal
attainments of others
 No correlation among goal
attainments
 No Interdependence
 “We are each in this alone.”
 Individual Goals
 Evaluation is criterion
referenced and may be limiting.
 Rewarded for own product.

7. Cooperative Learning
 When one person achieves his
goal, ALL others achieve their
goals
 Positive correlation among goal
attainments
 Positive Interdependence
 “We sink or swim together.”
 Group Goal
 Evaluation is criterion
referenced and encouraging.
 Rewarded for group product.

8. Interaction Patterns
OPPOSITIONAL:
PROMOTIVE: Encouraging Discouraging and obstructing
and facilitating each other’s each other’s efforts to
efforts to achieve achieve.
NO INTERACTION.

9. Research Findings
1. Achievement and retention
2. Critical thinking and higher-level reasoning
3. Differentiated views of others
4. Accurate understanding of others’
perspectives
5. Liking for classmates

10. Research Findings, cont.
6. Liking for teacher
7. Positive expectations toward future
interactions
8. Liking for subject areas
9. Social Skills
10. Psychological health
11. Self-esteem

11. 5 Key Elements
of
Effective Cooperative Learning
Groups
 Positive Interdependence
 Individual Accountability
 Face-To-Face Interaction
 Direct Instruction of Social Skills
 Processing

12. Positive Interdependence
 Message from teacher
 Fates are tied together
 In your interest to help / be helped  One set of answers from
 Encourages helping each other the group
 One worksheet
 Jigsaw materials
(information)
 One set of materials / tools
to share
 Bonus points
 Same grade for everyone
 Different colored pens
Without Positive Interdependence there may be no motivation to cooperate.

13. Individual Accountability
 The message the teacher  Using signatures
gives to the students that  Individual Tests
tells them:  Different Colored Pens
1. You must do your fair  Spot Checking as
share of the work. Students Work
2. You must master the  Randomly Calling on
material being learned. Students
3. You will be held
accountable for your
share of the work and
mastering the learning.

14. Face-To-Face Interaction
 The message that  Sit at round tables so
students: they can easily see
 have a group, and hear one another.
 need to work with their  Designated areas on
group, the floor (islands)
 need to stay with their  Space between the
group, groups so the teacher
 Work synchronously can move between
groups.
 “Stay with your group.”

15. Direct Instruction of Social Skills
 Intentionally teaching
social skills like any other
skill.  T-chart (looks like / sounds like)
 Structure regular  Role Play what “listening” is and
is not.
opportunities for students
 Discuss how it feels to be
to learn, practice and be listened to / ignored.
evaluated on social skills  Ask students to think of a time
until they become when they were listened to.
automatic. How did it feel?
 Establishing a need for the
social skill
 Positively framing rules as
skills
 Include Social Skills in
each lesson

16. Processing
 Thumbs up or Thumbs down
 Rate yourself
 Intentionally structured  What did someone in your
time group do / say that let you
 Reflect on how well we know you were being listened
worked together / used our to?
social skills (social skills)  Observer gives data
 Reflect on how well we (feedback); Discuss
completed our work  Write an goal for improving /
(academic) maintaining the high quality of
 Review data, listening for tomorrow’s work.
 Make a goal for next time  Name 3 things your group did
well in working together.
 Name 1 thing your group
could do even better next
time.

18. Cooperative Learning
Lesson Plan Components
 Lesson Objective  Statement of Task
 Group Size (positive
interdependence)
 Seating Arrangement
(face-to-face)  Evaluation (individual
 Assignment of Roles accountability; include
social skills)
 Materials
 Processing (reflection,
 Social Skills (directly how well we worked
taught) together, how well we
mastered learning)

19. Formulating Objectives &
Making Decisions
 Specify Instructional
Objectives
 Decide on Size of Group
 Assign Students to Groups
 Arrange the Room
 Plan Instructional Materials
to Promote
Interdependence
 Assign Roles to Ensure
Interdependence / Support
Learning Social Skills

20. Structuring Task & Interdependence
 Explain the Academic
Task
 Structure Positive Goal
Interdependence
 Structure Individual
Accountability
 Structure Inter-group
Cooperation
 Explain Criteria for
Success
 Specify Desired Behaviors

21. Monitoring & Processing
 Monitor Students’ Behavior
 Provide Task Assistance
 Intervene to Teach
Collaborative Skills
 Provide Closure to Lesson
 Evaluate Quality and
Quantity of Student’s
Learning
 Assess How Well The
Group Functioned
 Set Goals

22.  WHAT
CHILDREN CAN
DO TOGETHER
TODAY, THEY
CAN DO ALONE
TOMORROW.
– Vygotsky,
1965