EEX 3257

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Academic Benefits

Increased achievement and increased retention of knowledge

Improved critical reasoning skills Greater use of higher level thinking skills Improves attitudes toward learning, subject

area knowledge and school Increased on-task behavior Stronger intrinsic motivation to learn

AFFECTIVE  BENEFITS

More positive attitudes toward teachers and other school personnel

Higher self esteem Less disruptive behavior Improves social interaction with peers Greater collaboration skills Increased ability to view things from another’s

perspective

•Positive Interdependence•Individual Accountability•Face to Face interaction•Group Processing•Interpersonal and small group skills

KEY ELEMENTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARN

POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE

Students NEED each other to complete the task. This can be accomplished

through: Mutual goals (each person must succeed to be

successful) Joint rewards (rewarded for performance of

EACH group member) Shared Materials and information Assigned roles

Face to Face Interaction

Key is careful structuring so that verbal interaction is essential.

Individual Accountability

Success means EVERY member learns the material

Individual learning MUST be assessed Example--individual exams OR select one exam to

count as grade for the group OR select one member to answer a question for entire group

Interpersonal and Small Group Skills

Teachers must teach interpersonal skills such as: Communication Leadership Trust Decision Making Conflict

Group Processing

Teach strategies and give groups time to analyze the functioning of their groups.

Feedback from the teacher. Student observers use observation

instruments and give feedback to the group.