Cooperative Learning

Cooperative LearningBy:ESTANDARTE, DIANE MarieeSCala, STEPHANIE JOYGerali, mARY Kristin

Cooperative Learning

(Lindauer & Petrie, 1997) based on the principle that learners work with each other and are responsible for not only their own knowledge but as well as their group members.

Types of Cooperative LearningFormal Cooperative learning group- Are more useful in academic setting rather in service or patient education situation (e.g., assigning groups of students to develop a proposal for a clinical research study)

Informal Cooperative learning group- Can be used in any setting (e.g., teaching about the childbirth experience to a group of parents-to-be)Types of Cooperative LearningBase Cooperative learning group- could be applied easily to new staff orientation or teacher-ship programs (e.g., new registered nurses being oriented to a new health care facility.)Types of Cooperative Learning GroupsFormal GroupsInformal GroupsBase GroupsPurposeTo complete a specific learning task consisting of concepts or skillsTo enhance understanding of a specific unit of information; to make connection to prior learning To provide encouragement and to monitor progress throughout the learning experienceLength of ExistenceOne class to many weeksNo more than one class, and perhaps for only a few minutes during a classThe length of the learning experience, usually long termAdvantages of Cooperative LearningGroup members learn to function as a part of a team.Working in a group for any length of time can teach or enhance social skillsCooperative learning groups can help to address individual learning needs and learning style (Huff,1997)Critical thinking is promoted (Zafuto,1997)Disadvantages of Cooperative LearningThere are no significant disadvantages to cooperative learning except:1. If you use class time in cooperative learning, you wont be able to cover all the content.2. Some learners would much prefer working individually rather than in groups.Grading in Cooperative LearningProvide opportunities for self and peer evaluations. Students can be given rating forms for themselves and their peers. Each students effort and performance can be rated and then averagedContract with each group as to which portions of the work will be done by each individual. An individual grade can then be assigned to each portion of the project.Grading in Cooperative Learning3. Assign a group grade for the project. The amount of weigh give to the group grade can vary depending on the other grade components.4. Give bonus points to each group member if each persons individual grade surpasses their grades on previous projects or exams.Research on Cooperative LearningCooperative learning produces higher achievement levels than do individualistic or competitive learning approaches.Outcome measures of achievement are knowledge gain, retention of knowledge, problem-solving, reading, mathematics and procedural tasks, all of which show increases with CL.Other outcomes found are increased self-esteem, improved attitude toward learning, social competence, and decreased anxiety in learningResearch on Cooperative LearningCooperative learning has been found to be a cost-effective strategy.Effectiveness of cooperative learning has been found in all age groups and levels of education, both sexes, all nationalities studied, and all economic groups.Effects have been equally good for learners at all ability levels.CL has a level of validity and generalizability beyond that seen in most educational research.

Why is Cooperative Learning effective? Natasi and Clements (1991) suggests 3 reasons:To learn something is to try to teach it to someone else.As learners listen to each other, they work to make sense of what each is saying and then they build on these ideas, thus adding to their cognitive schemata.As learners within a group disagree with each other, they seek to reduce cognitive dissonance and, therefore, end up synthesizing divergent ideas.