Cooperative Learning

Franklin De Flor

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Cooperative Learning

• It is where the students work in group or team to help each other learn.

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Characteristic Features

• It has two important components–Cooperative incentive structure–Cooperative task structure

• Students work in team to tackle academic task

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• Reward system are group-oriented rather than individually-oriented.

• The interactions within the group is controlled by the members themselves

• Teams are made up of mixed abilities. High, average, and low achievers.

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• Each individual learner is accountable for his/her learning.

• The group reflects on and evaluates the group process they underwent

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Guidelines for its Effective use

• Heterogeneous grouping where in high, average and low.

• Make sure that the students exhibits the necessary social skills to work cooperatively in group situation.

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• Arrange the furniture so that the groups of students can sit facing each other during session.

• Provide adequate learning tools so as not to make others wait at a time that are needed.

• Make sure each group understands the goals, procedures, task and methods of evaluation.

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Overview of selected structures in cooperative

learningTeambuilding• Roundrobin

• Each students in turn share something with his/her teammates.

• Expressing ideas and opinions.

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Class building

• Corners• Each students moves to a corner

of the room representing a teacher-determined alternative.

• Seeing alternative hypotheses, values, problemsolving, approaches.

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Communication Building• Match Mine• Students attempt to match the

arrangement of object on a grid of another student using oral communication only

• Vocabulary development, communication skills, role taking ability.

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Mastery• Numbered Heads Together• The teacher ask a question,

students consult to make sure everyone knows the answer, then one student is called upon to answer.

• Review, checking for knowledge, comprehension. Tutoring.

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Mastery• Color-coded co-op cards• Students memorize facts using a

flash card game. The game is structured so that there is a maximum probability of success at each step, moving from short term to long term memory. Scoring is based on improvement.

• Memorizing facts, helping, praising.

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Mastery• Praise Check• Students work in pairs within the

groups of four. Within pairs students alternate – one solves a problem while the other coaches. After every two problems the pair checks to see if they have the same answer as the other pair.

• Practicing skills, helping, praising

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Concept development• Three step interview• Students interview each other in pair,

first one way, then the other. Students each share with the group information they learned in the interview

• Sharing personal information such as hypothesis, reactions to a poem, conclusion from a unit. Participation, listening.

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Concept development• Think-pair share• Students think to them selves on a

topic provided by the teacher; they pair up with another student to discuss it; they then share their thoughts with the class.

• Generating and revising hypothesis, inductive reasoning, application. Participation, involvement.

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Concept Development• Team Word-Webbing• Students write simultaneously on a

piece of chart paper, drawing main concepts, supporting elements, and bridges representing the relation of ideas in a concept.

• Analysis of concepts into components, understanding multiple relations among ideas.

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Multifunctional• Roundtable• Each student in turn writes one

answer as a paper and a pencil are passed around the group. With simultaneous roundtable more than one pencil and paper are used at once.

• Assessing prior knowledge, practising skills, recalling information, creating cooperative art.

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Multifunctional• Inside-outside circle• Students stands in pairs in two

concentric circles. The inside circle faces out; the outside circle faces in. students use flash cards or respond to the teacher questions as they rotate to each new partner.

• Checking for understanding, review, processing, helping. Tutoring, sharing, meeting classmates.

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Multifunctional• Partners• Students work in pairs to create or

master content. They consult with partners from other teams. Then they share their products or understanding with the other partner in their team.

• Mastery and presentation of new material, concept development. Presentation and comm. Skills.

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Multifunctional• Jigsaw• Each student on the team becomes

an “expert” on the topic by working with members from other teams assigned the corresponding expert topic. Upon returning to their teams, each one in turn teaches the group; and students are all assessed on all aspects of the topic.

• Acquisition and presentation of new material,

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Multifunctional• Co-op Co-op• Students work in groups to produce a

particular group product to share with the whole class; each student makes a particular contribution to the group.

• Learning and sharing complex material, often with multiple sources; evaluation; application; analysis; synthesis. Conflict resolution; presentation skills.

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Advantage of Cooperative Learning• Interdependent relationship is

strengthened and reinforced when group cooperation is rewarded.

• Group work develops friendliness, willingness to assist and more worthwhile value of caring and sharing.

• Cooperation in groups promotes maximum generations and exchange of ideas, tolerance and respect for other people’s points of view.

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• Cooperative learning groups exhibits less competitive behavior compared to whole-class teaching classroom

• The group members gain skills of cooperation and collaboration through experience.

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Disadvantage Cooperative Learning

• People need to go at different speeds.

• Some people need to go at different speeds while doing the lab to fully understand and absorb the information. It seems that while working in a group, someone is either slowed down or forced to catch up faster then they would like to.

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Someone may try to take over the group.

• I think that one of the biggest problems of a group situation is the balance of power. Not all people are given an equal voice in a group. Usually there is one group leader that everyone defers to. Another person takes care of the data. Some people end up feeling overlooked or unappreciated.

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Quiet people may not feel comfortable.

• Some students are shy or reserved and feel awkward when working with others.

•  Often when I hear that we have to work in groups I get very uneasy. I do not always like to meet new people. I do not know how they will take my beliefs and values.

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Sometimes people just don't get along.

• Sometimes people just don't get along no matter how hard they try, their personalities clash. In these cases long time lab partners would be horrible, you spend more time over coming your differences than actually doing the work.

•  There could be arguing with group members. When you put a group of people that have never worked together . . . personalities might lead to arguments, this would waste time and lead to an unproductive group.

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People may not pull their weight.

• I get very angry when we all work so hard and then one person who did nothing all lab asks to get the answers. I realize that there could be multiple reasons for why this person did not pull their weight, other then that they might be lazy. However, it is a very frustrating situation.

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It is not fair!• Often times group members will

not equally contribute to a task in which the whole group receives one grade. So if a member does not fully participate they may be given a grade that they do not deserve. 

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A concept may not be understood as well if a person doesn't have to figure it out.

• At times you miss things that you would learn by doing the project on your own.

• Sometimes peer groups get lazy and just give group members answers to a certain problem without explaining how they arrived at their conclusions. Because of this, no real knowledge has been gained.

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The time spent talking about irrelevant topics is

unbelievable.• One last problem of group

work is that sometimes nothing gets done because everyone is talking about everything but what they are supposed to be doing! 

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Sample Lesson

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Constructive Communication Strategies

• Purpose: To practice positive (as opposed to negative) communication skills.

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TimeInstructor Activities

Learner Activities

Techniques /

Equipment

10 min

Provide information on constructive communication Guide activity

Identify and give the context for constructive communication strategies

Base group, flipchart, pens

10 min

Collect communications strategies Debrief activity

Share effective communication strategies Discuss aids to process

Whole group

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• Organizer: Constructive communication helps to get the job done.

• Objective: Identify and give the context for constructive communication strategies to accomplish as particular task {for instance: to complete a project that culminates in a presentation by the group}.

• Time: 20 minutes

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• Techniques / Equipment: Discussion, information and personal experiences.

• Process: In base groups: –Discuss and give examples of ways

to encourage constructive communication.

–Experiment with positive communication methods and their effectiveness in the individual groups.

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• Group Success: Everyone in the group can identify the communication methods.

• Accountability: Share effective communication strategies with the whole group.

• Debrief: Identify how constructive communication assists in completing tasks.

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Thank You