2.9 Cooperative Learning Types There are three ways in which cooperative learning may be structured in the university classroom (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 2006). Instructors may use formal cooperative learning, informal cooperative learning, or cooperative base groups.
2.9.1 Formal Cooperative learning
Formal cooperative learning triggers students to work together, for one class period to several weeks. The aim is to achieve shared learning goals, and complete jointly specific tasks and assignments (such as decision making or problem solving, completing a curriculum unit, writing a report, conducting a survey or experiment, or reading a chapter or reference book, learning vocabulary, or answering questions at the end of the chapter) (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 2006). Instructors in this type of CL specify the objectives for the lesson and decide on the size of groups and the way the classroom will be arranged in, the method followed and the materials needed to conduct the lesson.
2.9.2 Informal Cooperative Learning
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It typically involves groups of two (e.g. turn-to-your-partner discussions). These groups are often temporary and can change from lesson to lesson. The Discussions in this type of CL have four components that include formulating a response to questions asked by the instructor, sharing responses to the questions asked with a partner, listening to a partner's responses to the same question, and creating a new well-developed answer. This type of learning enables the student to process, consolidate, and retain more
To make learning collaborative, students must take responsibility for their learning. Therefore, students must watch assigned videos or do assigned readings on a topic before class to maximize time for discussion or collaborative work. In class, the first thirty minutes will be a mini-lecture on the concept they learned and a classroom discussion. This will also be time for the students to ask questions and discuss the material with other students in a constructive manner.
Cooperative learning, sometimes called small-group learning, is an instructional strategy in which small groups of students work together on a common task (TeacherVision, 2017). According to the Education Consumer Guide, Cooperative learning is successful because students of different levels of ability have the opportunity to use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement.
Cooperative learning should be considered the natural progression of the American education system. Traditional education techniques place students in a competitive atmosphere. Cooperative learning requires students to work together to achieve success. A democratic method for a democratic society. Cooperative learning does not allow for a single winner, instead through group efforts, each student’s strengths help the collective achieve success. This paper will address the history of cooperative learning, along with its social, academic, and teacher benefits. Most importantly, it will highlight the positive effects of cooperative learning techniques upon students of all abilities.
This research identified the application of collaborative learning strategies as well as highlighted the area of the application of collaborative learning. Collaborative learning is a process in which two or more students work together. Collaborative strategies can be used in planning, translating and reviewing the distance education process to have a better product. This source will be useful in my research to help explain how collaborative learning strategies in the classroom will help students in the learning process improve by interaction, how positive interdependence of collaborative learning leads to common responsibility, how collaborative learning builds students’ self-esteem and confidence in students.
Collaborative learning refers to ‘a variety of instructional practices that encourage students to work together as they apply course material to answer questions, solve problems, or create a project’ (Colbeck et al. 2000, p.60). Collaborative learning is a form of group work and recognised among educators, it has been a successful learning strategy from an educational point of view. This student-centered learning strategy is implemented in the learning process and generally seem to have brought many benefits to students. Thus, Arnold and Boggs (2011) defined that group is ‘a gathering of two or more individuals, who share a common purpose, meet over substantial period of time, in face to face interaction, to achieve an identifiable goal’.
According to Barbara et al. (1992) “Collaborative learning” is an umbrella term for a variety of educational approaches involving joint intellectual effort by students, or students and teachers together. Usually, students are working in groups of two or more, mutually searching for understanding, solutions, or meanings, or creating a product. Collaborative learning activities vary widely, but most center on students’ exploration or application of the course material, not simply the teacher’s presentation or explication of it.
The terms cooperative and collaborative teaching sometimes are used correspondingly. In the context of education, collaborative and cooperative teaching refers to the strategies and instructional methods of teaching where the teacher guides the students in groups of various abilities, working together and helping each of them to complete a course or project work provided.
For the purpose of this inquiry, collaborative learning is defined as: An instructional approach in which a small number of learners interact together and share their knowledge and skills in order to reach a specific learning goal (So & Brush, 2008).
When people think of collaborative learning, they think of students being forced to work together in order to complete a task. These all too common groups normally consist of one student that does all the work; while the other members of the group are copying down all of the answers. Everyone loses in this scenario. The teacher loses because they cannot assess student learning. And the students lose because they are not doing the work and learning collectively. This is why many first year teachers shy away from assigning instructional activities that involve collaborative learning. Instead, first year teachers implement strategies that encourages a more traditional mode of teaching called individualistic learning. Individualistic learning happens when the teacher assigns work and each student in the class is responsible for completing their work independently. This an ineffective mode of teaching because it creates an environment of competition. Also, it does not encourage students to learn from each other. Students who are subjected to individualized learning focus more on achieving the right answer than learning. This can cause students to become disengaged, discouraged or feel inadequate if they cannot keep up with their peers. While both cooperative and individualized learning have faults, cooperative learning is more effective because it promotes accountability, motivation, and interpersonal skills
The main aim of this essay is to analyse the different aspects of incorporation of cooperative learning (CL) or group work (GW) in an academic environment, specifically within an economic classroom. Furthermore, the contextualisation and definition of cooperative learning will be evaluated in order to speculate whether cooperative learning in a tertiary education institution’s economic department is beneficial or detrimental to the working, personal and studying ability of students. Included in this evaluation will be notable examples of CL or GW conducted by university students and the effects thereof. However, due to logical reasoning in which more can be achieved if people work towards a common goal, one could deduce that CL will have a beneficial effect on the working and studying ability of students, including within in economic context.
An important skill for students to develop in school is collaboration. During this course, I learned more in-depth knowledge about students working with others within a concept called cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is one of three goal structures associated with motivation. The three structures are cooperative, competitive, and individualistic. Though all three are used to motivate students to achieve goals, I believe cooperative is the most ideal goal structure for student development. Cooperative learning involves putting student in groups for a lesson and requiring all students to succeed in order for any one individual to earn rewards. This strategy enforces individual accountability for each child to complete their share
Instructional collaborative activities allow teachers to align teaching objectives, materials, learning strategies, and assessment so that students can be supported academically in a cohesive manner.
Collaborative learning is founded on the idea that the learning process is a naturally social act which requires the participants to talk among themselves. Collaborative learning involves small groups of students who act on a structured learning activity to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. In simpler terms, the students work in groups to learn or understand a new concept they are studying. In this learning approach, it is important to understand that the students are accountable for individual work as well as the group work they do as a group in collaborative learning
After the majority of the class shares a good amount of answers to the questions, Ms. Bannon notices that a lot of their answers are becoming repetitive. She decides to move on and read a story to her class. Then asked her class to turn and talk to your partner to come up with the main idea in one sentence. Ms. Bannon walked around to groups to join their conversation using scaffolding questions to redirect some students who were not grasping the concept. After discussing each group's ideas as a class, they get into their reading groups. In their groups, they must read the story provided and come up with the main idea in one sentence. After all groups finished, Ms. Bannon brought the class together and went over each
Some people prefer to the learning atmosphere where they can discuss the problem with some people. This type of learning is called cooperative learning. Cooperative learning not only avoids the learners’ unilateral acceptance of knowledge, but also promotes them positive thought on problem. It requires that the learner discuss with others at a humble and sincere attitude, or it isn’t so successful and effective that the learners will feel a waste of time. So it can build them good characters, such as respectful, helpful and receptive