Strategy: Cooperative Learning

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Use this strategy to improve these areas:

Connection to the Curriculum

Authentic Relationships

Sensitivity to Students’ Culture

Student Engagement

Strategy Overview

How To

Strategy Tool

Reflection

Goal Setting

Overview

The classroom is a place where students come together to not only learn academics, but also to socially interact with others. Learning is not done independently and alone. It is the result of the multiple interactions that students have with teachers and other students. Some of the most meaningful learning comes when the teacher facilitates the process of students acquiring knowledge and allows opportunities for students to work together (Brame, 2015). Working together encourages students to be flexible in adapting to new group members and to work through challenges in a productive way.

Purpose

Group work can help build a sense of community in the classroom by reinforcing the interdependence and collaboration of class members. Even when there are challenges between students in a cooperative group, those challenges can provide opportunities for students to navigate the process of overcoming obstacles. Furthermore, having cooperative groups of students compete against each other can actually be more rewarding for students, rather than isolating. The introduction of competition can be used to promote deeper collaboration within the small groups and provide students with the platform to showcase their strengths (Emdin, 2016).

How Cooperative Learning Connects to CARES

If cooperative learning groups are well thought out by the teacher and used on a regular basis, students will be given the chance to work with classmates that they might have otherwise not sought out for any type of social interaction. People tend to be “pulled” toward others that look like them or that are perceived to share similar cultural backgrounds. While it’s important to allow students to work with others that they perceive as similar, there is great benefit for students socially and cognitively when they are encouraged to work with diverse classmates (Williams, 2018). Part of the process of maturing and developing is being able to identify oneself. Western cultures, like that in America, tend to value independence and uniqueness. In contrast, non-Western cultures value group interdependence and social relationships (Markus, 1991). Keeping this in mind, teachers should examine the cultural makeup of their classroom and provide opportunities that allow independence and group interdependence.

Some key elements to effectively supporting cooperative learning:

There are several considerations to take into account when having students work together.

1) Choosing groups.

Assign students to groups yourself rather than letting them do so. Students tend to choose to work with the same people if left to decide on their own. And all too often, the same student or students get left out from self-selected groups. This does not mean that you can never allow students to choose their own groups, but be purposeful about when you allow that to happen and take notice of which students tend to work together and which ones might not be asked to join any groups. Personalities should be considered as well as the skills and abilities of each student. Also consider the makeup of the groups you create and don’t always put the same students together in groups.

2) Group size.

Groups can be as small as two students or as large as six. Creating groups larger than six can cause more management problems and be difficult to regulate and assist. Think about the activity you are asking the students to complete as well as the amount of time for completion and the overall goal when choosing group size.

3) Provide clear expectations.

Make the directions for the project or assignment clear and direct as well as the expectations for the behaviors you want to see from your students. Be explicit and connect your academic and behavioral expectations to your regular classroom norms to allow for an easy transition between activities. Provide time for students to ask for clarity when needed and readdress your expectations as necessary.

4) Set time parameters.

Be sure to include the amount of time students will have to complete the task. It is better to give less time than what you think students will need to complete a task and to have to give them more, than it is to give them too much time and have to take time away.

5) Assign roles.

Prior to forming groups, decide what roles will be needed so that each group member has a specific responsibility. Roles will vary based on the size of the group and the activity. Some roles to consider would be group leader, note taker or recorder, timekeeper, materials manager, and presenter. More important than assigning the role, be sure to provide specific expectations for the student in each of the roles. This may change depending on the activity or assignment given, but for the most part, you should be able to re-use roles relatively easily among a variety of assignments. Think about which students have had a chance to try out each role as well. Giving students the chance to try out each role may help to build their confidence and may show students some strengths they didn’t know they had. Be mindful though of students who may have severe anxiety about some roles and prepare for this ahead of time. This is when you as the teacher may need to make a judgment call based on how well you know each of your students.

How To

How to Create Cooperative Learning Groups

Not all classroom activities or assignments are optimal for cooperative groups. However, different types of activities can allow for different types of groups. In planning for incorporating groups into your classroom, consider what parts of your lesson will provide optimal opportunities for groups. Think about the activity and the objective you are trying to convey with the group work you have chosen. Consider what size groups would be best and also consider which students you will group together. Think about how to change the way you format and organize groups of students in order to ensure that all students have a chance to work with each other at some point.

There are several types of cooperative learning strategies that can be employed in the classroom. Below are just a few examples. Choose one of these strategies or use another one that you have found.

Numbered Heads Together: Ask students to number off in their teams from one to four. Announce a question and a time limit. Students put their heads together to come up with an answer. Call a number and ask all students with that number to stand and answer the question. Recognize correct responses and elaborate through rich discussions (Kagan, 2009).
Jigsaw: Students are placed into “home groups” and “expert groups” and are each assigned a different topic within the same general topic. Students work on researching their topics with others who have the same topic (their expert group) and then return back to their home group to teach them about their topic. Together, all the pieces come together to form a complete product (Reading Rockets, 2015).
Turn & Talk: Sometimes called Think-Pair-Share. Students are put into pairs and provided with a question. Partners share their individual answers with each other. When time is up, the teacher calls on a student to share their partner’s response with the entire class.
Gallery Walk: This strategy can be used to allow students movement and the ability to collaborate about ideas and discussion topics. The teacher puts a different question or topic on a large poster paper. The poster papers are placed around the room either hanging on the wall or sitting on various tables. Each group of students starts at one of the poster papers and works together to answer the question or to brainstorm about the topic. After a predetermined amount of time, students rotate around to the next poster and add to what the other groups have put on the poster. This continues until all groups have made it around to each poster. Once they return to their original poster paper, groups can then choose the best response and prepare to share with the class.

Strategy Tool

Use the Creating Cooperative Learning Groups strategy tool to help you determine the appropriate makeup of groups for classroom activities.

View Tool Example

Reflection

Take a moment to make sure your plan is going to work.

Goal Setting

Set a goal for implementing cooperative learning groups into your regular classroom instruction.

References to Other Relevant Resources:

Brame, C.J. and Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Retrieved from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/

Curwin, R. L., Mendler, A. N., & Mendler, B. D. (2009). Discipline with dignity: New challenges, new solutions. Moorabbin, Vic.: Hawker Brownlow Education.

Emdin, C. (2016). Seven Cs for effective teaching. Educational Leadership, 74(1). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept16/vol74/num01/Seven-Cs-for-Effective-Teaching.aspx

Kagan, S. & Kagan, M. Kagan Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing, 2009.

Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224-253.

Reading Rockets. (2015). Jigsaw. Retrieved from: http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw

Williams, J. L., & Hamm, J. V. (2018). Peer group ethnic diversity and social competencies in youth attending rural middle schools. Journal of Early Adolescence, 38(6), 795-823.