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Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning, also called collaborative learning, occurs whenever students interact in pairs or groups to share knowledge and experiences. All activities in which students work together towards a common goal, from interacting with daily partners to completing long term projects with learning communities, are cooperative learning activities.
Student-Centered: Cooperative activities pair students together or place them within groups, allowing each individual student more time and opportunities to participate in the classroom discourse. Thematic Instruction: Students’ interests are addressed through thematic planning, especially if they have a voice in deciding the theme, and further participate in the design of cooperative activities around the theme that allow them to co-construct knowledge in a social environment. Active Learning: Cooperative activities naturally get students up and interacting with their environment. Cognitive Apprenticeship: Paired and group activities offer excellent opportunities for teachers to model specific methods or behaviors for their students. Authentic Learning: Students who engage in cooperative learning practice social skills that will help them to succeed in real-life situations that require group collaboration.
Students who have mastered some aspect of cooperative learning and are comfortable working with their peers experience the following benefits:
Furthermore, cooperative activities place students in roles where they must learn effective communication strategies to succeed as a group. Such roles include: Gatekeeper / Monitor - Cheerleader / Encourager - Taskmaster / Supervisor - Secretary / Recorder - Checker / Explainer - Quiet Captain / Group Control Students in cooperative learning groups acquire the skills necessary to interact successfully with peers in an environment that rewards respectful collaboration among students of all ability levels.
Teachers should be address the following issues when designing an activity:
See example cooperative learning lesson plan!
Think-pair-share: The teacher poses a question • Students take time to think of a response • Students share responses with a peer • Students share responses as a whole group Jigsaw: Separate groups of students learn various concepts, and then groups are reassembled so each new member is an "expert" of a different concept Information-gap activities: One student has information the other does not but needs - they swap what they know
Sharing opinions, debating, narrating, describing, and explaining: As students become more comfortable with cooperative activities and grow in their ability to use the target language, they will gradually transition into a social atmosphere where everyday conversations in the target language are common! Read about the 3 other approaches:
Brown, J., Collins, A., Duguid, P. (1989). Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning. Educational Researcher. College Level One — Collaborative Learning Page.
On the web at: Kohn, A. (1996). What to Look for in a Classroom. Educational Leadership. Panitz, T. (1996). A Definition of Collaborative
vs Cooperative Learning. On the web at: Resnick, L. (1987). Education and Learning to Think. National Academy Press. Washington, D.C. Secules, Cottom, Bray, Miller. (1997). Creating Schools for Thought. Educational Leadership. Shrum, J., Eileen, G. (2000). Teacher’s Handbook: Contextualized Language Instruction. Heinle & Heinle. United States of America.
Wang, Haertel, Walberg. (1998). Models of Reform: A Comparative Guide. Educational Leadership. |
What is cooperative learning?
How does cooperative learning fit in with other elements of an effective
classroom?
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How are cooperative activities designed?
What are some examples of cooperative learning activities?
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