CO OPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

 

CO OPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative Learning involves structuring classes around small groups that work together in such a way that each group member's success is dependent on the group's success. There are different kinds of groups for different situations, but they all balance some key elements that distinguish cooperative learning from competitive or individualistic learning

TYPES OF CO OPERATIVE LEARNING

1. Formal cooperative learning

Formal cooperative learning is structured, facilitated, and monitored by the educator over time and is used to achieve group goals in task work (e.g. completing a unit). Any course material or assignment can be adapted to this type of learning, and groups can vary from 2-6 people with discussions lasting from a few minutes up to an entire period. Types of formal cooperative learning strategies include:

                   · The jigsaw technique

                    · Assignments that involve group problem solvingand decision making.

                  · Laboratory or experiment assignments

                  · Peer review work (e.g. editing writing assignments).

2. Informal cooperative learning

Informal cooperative learning incorporates group learning with passive teaching by drawing attention to material through small groups throughout the lesson or by discussion at the end of a lesson, and typically involves groups of two (e.g. turn-to-your-partner discussions). These groups are often temporary and can change from lesson to lesson (very much unlike formal learning where 2 students may be lab partners throughout the entire semester contributing to one another’s knowledge of science

ELEMENTS

Brown& Ciuffetelli Parker (2009) and Siltala (2010) discuss the 5 basic and essential elements to cooperative learning.

1. Positive interdependence

1. Students must fully participate and put forth effort within their group

2. Each group member has a task/role/responsibility therefore must believe that they are responsible for their learning and that of their group

2. Face-to-face promotive interaction

1. Members promote each other's success

2. Students explain to one another what they have or are learning and assist one another with understanding and completion of assignments

3. Individual and group accountability

1. Each student must demonstrate mastery of the content being studied

2. Each student is accountable for their learning and work, therefore eliminating “social loafing”

4. Social skills

1. Social skills that must be taught in order for successful cooperative learning to occur

2. Skills include effective communication, interpersonal and group skills

1. Leadership

2. Decision-making

3. Trust-building

4. Communication

5. Conflict-management skills

5. Group processing

1. Every so often groups must assess their effectiveness and decide how it can be improved.

In order for student achievement to improve considerably, two characteristics must be present.

1. When designing cooperative learning tasks and reward structures, individual responsibility and accountability must be identified. Individuals must know exactly what their responsibilities are and that they are accountable to the group in order to reach their goal.

2. All group members must be involved in order for the group to complete the task. In order for this to occur each member must have a task that they are responsible for which cannot be completed by any other group member.

ADVANTAGES OF CO OPERATIVE LEARNING

1. Leadership Skills

In order for a group to truly succeed, individuals within the group need to show leadership abilities. Skills such as dividing out the tasks involved, providing support, and ensuring that individuals are meeting their goals are all leadership skills that can be taught and practiced through cooperative learning.

 

2. Communication Skills

Effective teamwork is all about good communication and a commitment to the product or activity. All members in the group need to practice communicating in a positive manner. These skills should be directly modelled by the teacher and reinforced throughout the activity.

3. Conflict Management Skills

Conflicts arise in all group settings. Sometimes these conflicts are minor and easily handled. Other times, though, they can rip a team apart if left unchecked. In most cases, you should allow your students to try and work out their issues before you step in and get involved. Keep an eye on the situation but see if they can come to a resolution on their own. If you do have to be involved, attempt to get all individuals of the team talking together and model effective conflict resolution for them.

4. Decision Making Skills

Many decisions will need attention while working in a cooperative environment. A good way to get students to start thinking as a team and make joint decisions is to have them come up with a team name. From there, the next decisions that need to be made are which students will perform what tasks. Additionally, even though students are working in a group, they will also have their own responsibilities. This will require them to make many decisions that could affect their entire team. As the teacher and facilitator, you should stress that if a particular decision will affect other members of the group then these needs to be discussed together.  

 COLLABORATIVE LEARNING

Collaborative learning is a situation in which two or more people learn or attempt to learn something together.^] Unlike individual learning, people engaged in collaborative learning capitalize on one another’s resources and skills (asking one another for information, evaluating one another’s ideas, monitoring one another’s work, etc.) More specifically, collaborative learning is based on the model that knowledge can be created within a population where members actively interact by sharing experiences.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES

1. THINK-PAIR-SHARE:

The instructor poses a question, preferable one demanding analysis, evaluation, or synthesis, and gives students about a minute to think through an appropriate response. This "think-time" can be spent writing, also. Students then turn to a partner and share their responses. During the third step, student responses can be shared within a four-person learning team, within a larger group, or with an entire class during a follow-up discussion. The caliber of discussion is enhanced by this technique, and all students have an opportunity to learn by reflection and by verbalization.

2. THREE-STEP INTERVIEW:

Common as an ice-breaker or a team-building exercise, this structure can also be used also to share information such as hypotheses or reactions to a film or article. Students form dyads; one student interviews the other. Students switch roles. The dyad links with a second dyad. This four-member learning team then discusses the information or insights gleaned from the initial paired interviews.

3. SIMPLE JIGSAW

          The faculty member divides an assignment or topic into four parts with all students from each learning team volunteering to become "experts" on one of the parts. Expert teams then work together to master their fourth of the material and also to discover the best way to help others learn it. All experts then reassemble in their home learning teams where they teach the other group members.

4. NUMBERED HEADS TOGETHER

Members of learning teams usually composed of four individuals, count off: 1, 2, 3, or 4. The instructor poses a question, usually factual in nature, but requiring some higher order thinking skills. Students discuss the question, making certain that every group member knows the agreed upon answer. The instructor calls a specific number and the team members originally designated that number during the count off respond as group spokespersons. Because no one knows which number the teacher will call, all team members have a vested interest in understanding the appropriate response. Again, students benefit from the verbalization, and the peer coaching helps both the high and the low achievers. Class time is usually better spent because less time is wasted on inappropriate responses and because all students become actively involved with the material.

Advantages of Collaborative learning

· Promotes student-faculty interaction and familiarity .

· Increases student retention .

· Builds self esteem in students .

· Enhances student satisfaction with the learning experience .

· Promotes a positive attitude toward the subject matter .

· Develops oral communication skills .

· Develops social interaction skills .

· Promotes positive race relations .

· Creates an environment of active, involved, exploratory learning.