Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning

               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."

History of cooperative learning

                             Prior to World War II, social theorists such as Allport, Watson, Shaw, and Mead began establishing cooperative learning theory after finding that group work was more effective and efficient in quantity, quality, and overall productivity when compared to working alone. However, it wasn’t until 1937 when researchers May and Doob found that people who cooperate and work together to achieve shared goals, were more successful in attaining outcomes, than those who strived independently to complete the same goals. Furthermore, they found that independent achievers had a greater likelihood of displaying competitive behaviours.

In 1975, they identified that cooperative learning promoted mutual liking, better communication, high acceptance and support, as well as demonstrated an increase in a variety of thinking strategies among individuals in the group. Students who showed to be more competitive lacked in their interaction and trust with others, as well as in their emotional involvement with other students. In 1994 Johnson and Johnson published the 5 elements (positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction, social skills, and processing) essential for effective group learning, achievement, and higher-order social, personal and cognitive skills (e.g., problem solving, reasoning, decision-making, planning, organizing, and reflecting).

Why use Cooperative Learning? 

• promote student learning and academic achievement
• enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience
• help students develop skills in oral communication 
• develop social skills & promote student self-esteem
• help to promote positive race relations 
• can lead to a gain as high as 28 percentiles in measured student achievement

The Five Basic Elements Needed to Make Cooperative Learning Work 

1. Positive Interdependence 
2. Social Skills 
3. Individual Accountability
4. Group Evaluation 
5. Face-to-Face Interaction

                      

Advantages to Cooperative Learning

• Students actively participate in their education by exploring and learning from each other. They are able to experience a wide range of thoughts and opinions on a subject from working with their peers. More importantly, they arrive at their own conclusions after having done research or exploring a topic thoroughly.

• Students are able to practice and hone social skills such as working in a group, resolving conflict, problem solving, and taking directions from a peer leader to name a few. These important, life long skills are needed in the workplace but are rarely practiced in a typical lecture style classroom.

• Cooperative learning is a teaching model that is heavily supported by research as being very effective. It can be used along with a variety of other teaching strategies, which we’ll address in a later post.

• The teacher becomes a facilitator instead of a lecturer. They can work with the small groups individually, assisting and intervening when needed.

• A deeper level of understanding can take place within groups as students delve into subjects they are interested in.

• Groups can be assigned topics based on skill level or difficulty. This form of differentiation enables students of all abilities to be successful, even if their subjects or products may be different from their peers’.

Disadvantages to Cooperative Learning

• Not all students work well with others, and may cause conflict within a group. This can potentially sabotage a cooperative learning environment.

• Not all lessons are ideal for group work. Easy or straightforward concepts may not be as interesting or successful in a cooperative learning assignment.

• Groups will finish at different times. This can add a layer of classroom management complexity for the instructor.

• Cooperative learning groups can create a level of noise within the classroom that the teacher might not be comfortable with, or know how to manage well.

• Some students may not do their fair share of work, or certain students may monopolize the task. This can lead to challenging grading situations for the teacher.