Enacting Cooperative Learning Theory in the EFL

ClassroomDr. April Salerno,

Fulbright Scholar, USA

Introductions

• April Salerno

• Fulbright Scholar: University of Virginia, USA / Ion Creanga State Pedagogical University, Moldova

• Places I’ve lived: Virginia, New Mexico, Moldova, North Carolina, South Carolina

Introductions

Tell us:

• Your name

•Where you teach

•What kinds of things do you learn better (or worse) in groups?

• Sentence Frame examples:

• Working in a group helps me learn …

• I prefer working alone when I’m …

Agenda

•About Cooperative Learning Theory

•CLT activity ideas

Brainstorm

•Think about everyday tasks you do that require collaboration.

•Type them into your chat box.

•Let’s make a list together.

Collaborative Tasks

• Type here.

Relationship to Cognitive Theory

Cooperative Learning Theory

Activity is center of

human learning

Peer interaction

leads to cognitive

development

Higher-level mental

processes are social

Groups change, dynamic

opportunity for learning

In SLA theory, CLT also facilitates interaction!

Cooperative Learning Theory

Spencer Kagan

3 Common Challenges to Cooperative Learning in Practice

1. Takes too much time

What can we do to make it more efficient?

Making group work efficient

• Teach students how to do it

• Teach students how to move back and forth easily from groups to listening (signals)

• Use time limits

• Help students get started quickly

• Jigsaw = students divide up work and share with each other

2. Some students do all the work.

What can we do to get students to share the work?

Division of Labor / Roles

Each team might have a:

• Leader

• Materials Monitor

• Reporter

• Time keeper

• Questioner

• Chief Researcher

• Critic / Evaluator

Ideas for sharing the work load

•Call randomly on students to respond afterwards

•All members must share their findings with others

•Students rate/grade their own contributions

3. Students don’t like each other

• How can we motivate students to work with anyonein the class?

Motivating students to work with others

•Sometimes teacher chooses, sometimes students choose groups

•Groups aren’t forever, changing quickly

•Multiple groupings for different purposes

•Building community in classroom

•Conflict mediation system

•Teaching students “I” statements

Benefits of Cooperative Learning

Social skills

Ethnic relations

Time on task

Self-direction

Repeated practice

Sequential vs. Simultaneous StructureTask Sequential Simultaneous

Distribute materials

Teacher or student walks around and hands out materials one at a time

“Materials Monitor” gets supplies for each team

Discuss topic

One student at a time states opinion

All students discuss at once in pairs

Form teams

Teacher reads names; students listen

Students find their names at tables

Share answers

Teacher calls on students one at a time

Students engage in choral response (or answer in pairs)

Receive help

Students raise hands and wait for teacher

Students ask a partner and receive immediate response

Ask 3, then me!

Positive Interdependence

•The success of every team member is not possible without success / contribution of each

•The success of a team is not possible without success or contribution of each member

Steps in Cooperative Learning Models

1. Develop clear instructional goals

2.Explain the task

3. Explain needed social skills

4.Monitor & provide feedback

5.Ask each group to summarize

6.Evaluate

7. Assess group progress

Some models of cooperative learning

Jigsaw

• Students work first in “expert groups.” Each “expert group” studies a different topic.

• Each member of each expert group goes to a different new “learner group.” In the learner groups, each person shares the info from the first groups.

Graffiti Activity• Questions are posted on large sheets of paper.

• One group answers the question on each paper, for a set period of time.

• After the time limit, groups exchange papers (or move to the next paper)

• Rotating continues until all groups answer all questions.

• Groups return to their original question, categorize responses, and share the categories

Academic Controversy

• The teacher assigns a debate topic to 4 students (2 pro; 2 con)

• Pairs develop their argument and then present to the other pair

• The 4 students discuss both sides and list pros and cons

• The pairs reverse sides and argue for the opposite opinion

• The 4 students synthesizes all ideas and create their actual joint opinion

• All groups of 4 present these actual joint opinions to the class

Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD)

• Students work in heterogenous teams (4 or 5 members)

• Their task is to study and learn factual material

• They use whatever methods they choose for learning (e.g., quizzing each other, reading articles, doing practice exercises, etc.)

• Individuals are tested on their knowledge

• Possible recognition of winning teams with highest scores

Case study

You are a middle school English teacher. Your students work often in groups, and you’ve seen their English improve as a result. The teacher in the room next to you, however, complains that your groupworktime is too noisy. She even talked to your school director about it.

What do you do?

Questions

What questions do you have?