Cooperative Learning: Cooperative Learning: The Benefits for Content-Area The Benefits for Content-Area

TeachingTeaching

Mary McGroarty Mary McGroarty Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University

José Ramón Prieto RodríguezJosé Ramón Prieto Rodríguez

Judit Santiuste HernandoJudit Santiuste Hernando

IntroductionIntroduction

• Competitive classroom environments Competitive classroom environments do do not promotenot promote learning for all students learning for all students equally.equally.

• Scholars have developed theoretical Scholars have developed theoretical foundations and practical strategies for foundations and practical strategies for encouraging the encouraging the use of cooperative use of cooperative learning groupslearning groups..

AcademicAcademic outcomesoutcomes::• Relevant to Relevant to language learning language learning

developmentdevelopment::

• more complex more complex language inputlanguage input

• more opportunities to refine communication more opportunities to refine communication through natural talk or production of through natural talk or production of ““comprehensible outputcomprehensible output” (Swain,1985)” (Swain,1985)

Academic outcomesAcademic outcomes• Relevant to Relevant to all academic skillsall academic skills::

• Increased frequencyIncreased frequency and type of practice and type of practice

• Better Better differenciation of the learning taskdifferenciation of the learning task

• Evaluation structure that Evaluation structure that rewards improvementrewards improvement

Social outcomes:Social outcomes:

• Provision of a Provision of a more democraticmore democratic, , less less competitivecompetitive classroom environment. classroom environment.

• Improved Improved race relationsrace relations

• Development of the Development of the prosocial skillsprosocial skills

5 Models:5 Models:

1. 1. Peer tutoringPeer tutoring: Mutual assistance in the : Mutual assistance in the mastering of predetermined consent.mastering of predetermined consent.

2.2. Jigsaw Jigsaw:: students divided into teams with students divided into teams with each member having responsibilities for a each member having responsibilities for a single part of the learning task.single part of the learning task.

3.3.Cooperative ProjectsCooperative Projects:: require groups to require groups to work together to produce a final collective work together to produce a final collective project.project.

4.4.Cooperative/Individualized MethodsCooperative/Individualized Methods::

student’s individual progress contributes to student’s individual progress contributes to a team grade.a team grade.

  

5.5.Cooperative InteractionCooperative Interaction:: students work on students work on individual assignments requiring interaction individual assignments requiring interaction although no group grade is given.although no group grade is given.

  

‘‘Norm of cooperation’Norm of cooperation’

• Students must:Students must:

• identify the skillsidentify the skills of group members of group members

• assume responsibilitiesassume responsibilities for asking questions for asking questions

• explain things to each otherexplain things to each other

Benefit 1:Benefit 1:

In multicultural classrooms cooperative In multicultural classrooms cooperative learning as exemplified in learning as exemplified in small-group small-group workwork provides frequent opportunity for provides frequent opportunity for natural L2 practice and natural L2 practice and negotiation of negotiation of meaningmeaning through talk. through talk.

• Possibilities for Possibilities for practice in both practice in both comprehension and productioncomprehension and production of the of the L2 increase, even if language is not L2 increase, even if language is not always grammatically well formed.always grammatically well formed.

• ScaffoldingScaffolding: : adjust communication adjust communication strategies to interlocutor competence strategies to interlocutor competence through frequent self- and other-correction through frequent self- and other-correction regardless of proficiency level, regardless of proficiency level, modelling modelling and supporting target language useand supporting target language use

Benefit 2:Benefit 2:

In multicultural classrooms, cooperative In multicultural classrooms, cooperative learning can help students draw on learning can help students draw on primary language resourcesprimary language resources as they as they develop second language skillsdevelop second language skills..

  

• Bilingual studentsBilingual students as as intermediariesintermediaries encouraging the encouraging the peer interactionpeer interaction

• Primary languagePrimary language as a as a bridge rather bridge rather than a barrierthan a barrier

Benefit 3:Benefit 3:

In multicultural settings, cooperative In multicultural settings, cooperative learning offers additional ways to learning offers additional ways to incorporate content areasincorporate content areas into language into language instruction.instruction.

• Principal curricular benefitPrincipal curricular benefit of of cooperative learning approachescooperative learning approaches

• Ways to help students Ways to help students master academic master academic contentcontent while they improve language while they improve language skillsskills

• Successful topics are those within Successful topics are those within intrinsic interestintrinsic interest and no single right and no single right answeranswer

Benefit 4:Benefit 4:

Cooperative learning tasks require a Cooperative learning tasks require a variety of variety of group activities and materials group activities and materials to support instructionto support instruction; this whole array ; this whole array of changes in traditional classroom of changes in traditional classroom technology creates a technology creates a favourable context favourable context for language development.for language development.

Activities and Materials must tap:Activities and Materials must tap:

SpatialSpatial VisualVisual ManualManual

AbilitiesAbilities

to facilitate the to facilitate the

Verbal abilitiesVerbal abilities

Benefit 5:Benefit 5:

Cooperative learning models require Cooperative learning models require redefinition of the role of the teacherredefinition of the role of the teacher in in ways that allow teachers to expand ways that allow teachers to expand general pedagogical skills and emphasize general pedagogical skills and emphasize meaning as well as form in meaning as well as form in communication.communication.

• Teacher as a Teacher as a facilitatorfacilitator rather than rather than supervisorsupervisor

• Teacher trainingTeacher training in practical and in practical and philosophical foundationsphilosophical foundations

• Chance to deal with the meanings as well Chance to deal with the meanings as well as the forms through as the forms through natural exchange of natural exchange of informationinformation

Benefit 6:Benefit 6:

Cooperative learning approaches Cooperative learning approaches encourage students to take an encourage students to take an active roleactive role in acquisition of knowledge and language in acquisition of knowledge and language skills and to encourage each other as they skills and to encourage each other as they work on problems of mutual interestwork on problems of mutual interest..

• Pretraining studentsPretraining students is vital is vital

• Students must develop the Students must develop the norm of norm of cooperationcooperation and the understanding of and the understanding of such roles as leader, facilititor and such roles as leader, facilititor and recorderrecorder

• Emphasis on Emphasis on meaningmeaning and and selective selective tolerancetolerance for grammatical and lexical for grammatical and lexical errorserrors

• From a psychological standpoint: a way to From a psychological standpoint: a way to empower language minorityempower language minority students students

• Interaction and student control have Interaction and student control have positive positive individualindividual as well as as well as social social consequencesconsequences