COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative learning is a set of instructional models used to help students meet specific learning and interpersonal groups.

According to Slavin (1995) and Johnson and Johnson (1999), most of the cooperative learning instructional models have common set of purposes founded on the following assumptions and beliefs.

Purposes of Cooperative Learning:

1. Cooperative learning is designed to encourage students to help and support their peers in a group rather than compete against them.

2. To boost the achievement of students in all ability levels.

3. Cooperative terms are believed to be more motivating for majority of the students.

According to Cruickshank, Jenkins, and Metcalf (1999), cooperative learning can be categorized into four.

Attributes of Cooperative Learning:

1. Groups/Teams are formed. Groups must be heterogeneous in terms of gender, academic ability, race, and other traits.

2. Kinds of tasks. This refers to the units of tasks teachers assign to the teams.

3. Groups’ rules of behavior. This refers to the rules of behavior required for team members:

-individual responsibility -tutoring

-accountability to oneself -cooperation

4. Motivation and reward system. Cooperative learning is characterized by a unique system of rewards.

Arends (2004) elucidated that cooperative learning has three instructional goals.

Social SkillsAcademic

Achievement

Tolerance and Acceptance of

Diversity

Cooperative Learning

Outcomes of Cooperative Learning

1. Academic achievement

Cooperative learning aims to improve student performance on important academic tasks.

Higher achievers tutor the lower achievers, thus providing special help from peers who have the same youth-oriented interests and language.

2. Tolerance and acceptance of diversity

Cooperative learning presents opportunities for students of varying backgrounds and conditions to learn to appreciate one another by working interdependently on common tasks and using cooperative reward structures.

3. Social skills

Through cooperative learning, students develop cooperation and collaboration skills.

To guide teachers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of cooperative learning lessons, Johnson and Johnson (1984) came out with the description of what cooperative learning is not.

What Cooperative Learning is Not1. Cooperation is not having students sit side

by side to just talk with one another as they do their individual assignments.

2. Cooperation is not having students do a task with instructions that whoever finishes first must help the slower students.

3. Cooperation is not assigning a report to a group of students, wherein one student does all the work, and others just put their names on the finished product.

Arends (2004), in his studies, arrived at six major phases in the conduct of cooperative learning when carried out in the classroom.

Six Major Phases in Cooperative LearningPhase 1: The lesson begins with the teacher

going over the goals of the lecture and motivating students to learn.

Phase 2: Presentation of information is in the form of a text rather than a lecture.

Phase 3: Students are organized into study teams.

Phase 4: Students, with the assistance of the teacher, work together to accomplish interdependent tasks.

Phase 5: The group’s end product or testing on what students have learned is presented.

Phase 6: Group and individual efforts are recognized.

Cooperative Learning Models

Formal Cooperative Learning

Three formal cooperative learning instructional models have been developed over the years:

1. Group investigation (GI)

2. Jigsaw II

3. Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD)

1. Group Investigation

This model is based o John Dewey’s educational philosophy, which contended that students can only learn to live in a democratic society if their education provides them with actual experience of democratic decision making and problem solving.

Six steps in implementing GI:

a. Topic selection

b. Cooperative learning

c. Implementation

d. Analysis and synthesis

e. Presentation of final product

f. Evaluation

2. JIGSAW II

Based on the work of Aronson and Patnoe (1997).

Requires students to learn working together to enhance their total understanding of a topic.

Steps to follow:

a. Inform students that they will be working in their Jigsaw groups to achieve the lesson’s goals.

b. Create heterogeneous groups.

c. Present rules to govern group behavior.

d. Present content material to the whole class.

e. Develop expert groups.

f. Organize expert groups.

g. Return to study teams to teach

expert-knowledge.

h. Evaluate students’ knowledge.

i. Provide team recognition.

3. STUDENT TEAMS ACHIEVEMENT DIVISION

This model developed by Slavin (1995), is a form of cooperative learning that uses a multi-ability team to teach facts concepts, and skills.

Implementing using STAD

STADS lessons focus on concept or skills. The lesson is introduced, the content is explained, and students are involved in guided practice.

PHASES IN IMPLEMENTING LESSONS USING STAD

Phase 1 : InstructionPhase 11: Transition to teamsPhase 111: Team study and monitoringPhase 1V: AssessmentPhase V: Recognizing achievements.

Informal Cooperative Learning Models

Three informal cooperative learning models:

1. Jigsaw I

2. Think-Pair-Share

3. Role Playing

1. Jigsaw 1

Developed by Aronson and Patnoe (1997) to increase student interdependence. It is cooperative learning plan in which six-member teams work to investigate a common topic.

Syntax for Jigsaw 1

(Gunter, Estes, & Schwab, 2003 )

Introduce Jigsaw 1Assign heterogeneously grouped students to

study teamsAssemble expert groups to study materials.Experts teach their study teams.Evaluate and provide team recognition

2. Think-Pair-Share

- by Frank Lyman et al. (1981)

- This model changes the assumption that all recitations or discussions need to be held in whole-group settings.

Think-Pair-Share Strategy(Lyman, 1989)

Step 1: Thinking

Step2 : Pairing

Step 3: Sharing

Think-Pair-Share Model(Gunter, Estes, & Schwab)

Step 1: Teacher poses a question

Step 2: Students think individually

Step 3: Each student discusses his/her answer with a fellow student.

Step 4: Student share their answers with the whole class

Think-Pair-Share

created by Kagan (1990)students are required to use academic skills

such as hypothesizing, inductive reasoning, and application

enable students to develop concepts and critical thinking skills (Lasley II, Matczynski, & Rowley, 2002)

Think–Pair-Share(Lasley II, Matczynski, & Rowley, 2002)

a. Provide students with a topic or ideas.

b. Let students reflect independently about the meaning of the topic.

c. Allow students to pair up with other students to discuss the topic and share respective thoughts.

d. Instruct the students to share their thoughts with the class.

3. Role Playing

This strategy gives the students an opportunity to work with others in determining how an individual or group might behave in response to a particular situation.

Steps in Role Playing

(Gunter, Estes, & Schwab, 2003)

Choose an interesting situation.Select the teams.Assign the problem and explain the task.Teams prepare the role play and select the

players.

Assign task to the observers.Teams present the role play.Teams return to their groups to discuss the

role playing experience.Class discussion.Evaluate.

Johnson and Johnson (1999), in their investigation, identified five elements that should be included in any investigative learning activity.

Elements of Cooperative Learning

1. Positive Interdependence

It can be structured through mutual goals (goal interdependence); division of labor (task interdependence); division of materials, resources, or information among group members (resource interdependence);

casting unique roles to students (role interdependence); or giving group rewards(reward interdependence).

2. Face-to Face Interaction Among Students

Tasks that call for significant interaction among group members are preferred over tasks that can be accomplished by having group members work on their own.

3. Individual Accountability

Each member should receive any needed assessment, feedback, or instructional assistance.

4. Instructing Students in Appropriate Interpersonal and Small-Group Skills

Students need instruction in skills, such as asking and answering questions; ensures that everyone participates actively and is treated with respect; assigning tasks; and organizing cooperative efforts.

5. Group Processing

Students must have the time to assess how well the group is performing and to discuss the group members’ actions that are helpful or unhelpful.

According to Arends (2004), cooperative learning lessons can be characterized by the following features:

Features of Cooperative Learning

1. Students work in teams to master learning goals.

2. Teams are made up of high, average, and low achieving students.

3. Whenever possible, teams should include different races, culture, and genders.

4. Reward systems should be oriented to the group as well as to the individual.

Cooperative learning entails good leaders. For Cruickshank, Jenkins, and Metcalf (1999), the qualities of good leaders are as follows:

1. They believe in the importance of getting learners to work together for the individual and common good.

2. They are able to get diverse learners to work cooperatively.

3. They are competent presenters and use independent study assignments effectively.

Qualities of Good Leaders of Cooperative Learning

4. They are effective organizers and coordinators of work.

5. They are effective diagnosticians and clinicians (e.g. able to identify and help students and teams who are having difficulties).

Guidelines for Using Cooperative Learning Teams

(Gunter, Estes, & Schwab, 2003)

Study teams should be changed at the beginning of a new unit or study or every few weeks.

Encouraging students to become independent learners.

References other than textbooks may be incorporated.

Guidelines in Conducting Cooperative Learning Lessons

(Arends, 2004)

They must learn to help each other

and respect individual differences.

Make available more visual presentations and explanations for students with disabilities.

Prepare for giving assistance and feedback.

Help them understand how their peers

with disabilities differ and what they

can expect from them.

Help other students understand cultural norms of various ethnic groups.

Help all students become familiar with aids.

Guidelines in Implementing STAD(Slavin, 1995)

Conduct a pretest.

Rank students in descending order.

Divide students.

Present the lesson as normally as possible.

Let the students study worksheets that

focus on the goals covered by the teacher.

Monitor groups.

Administer individual quizzes to students.

Assign team scores based on individual

score points.

Guidelines in Encouraging Project-Centered Learning

(Kellough & Kellough, 2003)

Develop individual skills in cooperation and social interaction.

Develop students’ skills in writing, communication, and higher level thinking and actions.

Foster student engagement, independent learning, and thinking skills.

Optimize personal meaning of the learning to each student.

Provide the opportunity for each student to become knowledgeable and experienced in one area of subject content.

Provide opportunity for students to become intrinsically motivated to learn.

Provide and opportunity for students to make decisions about their own learning.

Provide an opportunity for students to make some sort of contribution.

Guidelines in Teaching and Evaluating the Collaborative Process

(Johnson & Johnson, 1999)

Teaching how to communicate one’s own ideas and feelings.

Make the messages complete and specific.

Make verbal and non-verbal messages congruent.

Convey an atmosphere of respect and support.

Demonstrate how to assess whether the message was properly received.

Teach how to paraphrase another’s point of view.

Demonstrate how to negotiate meanings and understandings.

Teach participation and leadership.