Cooperative Learning Structures PDF

# III. Understanding Cooperative Learning Structure ## What is Cooperative Learning? - Cooperative learning is defined as "small groups of learners working together as a team to solve a problem, complete a task, or accomplish a common goal" (Artz & Newman 1990) - An instructional strategy where sm...

# III. Understanding Cooperative Learning Structure ## What is Cooperative Learning? - Cooperative learning is defined as "small groups of learners working together as a team to solve a problem, complete a task, or accomplish a common goal" (Artz & Newman 1990) - An instructional strategy where small teams of students, usually two to six members, work together to maximize their individual and collective learning. - It also designed to promote productive and mutual learning among a group of students. ## 5 Elements of Cooperative Learning: 1. **Positive Interdependence (We instead of Me):** * A sense of working together for a common goal. Each member is affected by the actions of other group members. 2. **Face-to-Face Interaction:** * Where learners explain, argue, elaborate and link current material with they have learned previously. 3. **Individual & Group Accountability:** * Whereby every team member feels in charge of their own and their teammates' learning and makes an active contribution to the group. Everyone's effort counts. 4. **Interpersonal and Small Group Accountability:** * Social skills, involving explicit teaching of appropriate leadership, communication, trust and conflict resolution skills so that the team can function effectively. 5. **Group Self-Evaluation:** * Team reflection wherein the teams periodically assess what they have learned, how well they are working together and how they might do better as a learning team. ## KAGAN COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRUCTURE: 1. Team Line Up 2. Round Robin 3. Circle the Sage 4. Group Discussion 5. Three Step Interview 6. Think-Pair-Share 7. Jigsaw 8. Corners 9. Guess-the-Fib 10. Inside-Outside Circle 11. Spend-A-Buck ## 1. Team Line Up: - Participants line up according to some pre-established criteria. - For example, by birth date (month and year). - Line ups can be used to make small groups and can be used to promote communication and develop concepts. ## 2. Round Robin: - This structure is designed to give everyone in the group an equal chance at participation. - Starting with one participant, each person gets 1-3 minutes going clockwise or counterclockwise, to present their point of view. - This structure can be used as a warm-up, evaluation, or to share something learned or a point of view. ## 3. Circle the Sage: - A great way to address group questions. - The steps are: * A question is posed by facilitator or participants. * The facilitator asks for 3-4 sages who feel they could answer the question. They do not need to be experts, just have information to share. * The sages move to different locations in the room. Participants divide themselves equally around different sages * Sages answer the questions * Participants thank sage for sharing knowledge and return to teams. * Participants share learning with team. ## 4. Group Discussion: - The simplest of all cooperative learning structures. - At various times during a presentation, ask the participants to discuss the topic with someone sitting near them. - It's a two step process: talk it over and share your ideas. ## 5. Three Step Interview: - A simple concept development structure. - It works best in groups of four but can be adapted for larger groups. - The steps are: * Participants pair up. * One interviews the other with a question. * They reverse roles. * All four group members share what they have learned. ## 6. Think-Pair-Share: - Designed to encourage student involvement. - The steps are: * Participants listen to the teacher's question. * They think of a response. * They pair up with someone and discuss their responses. * They are asked to share their responses with the whole group. * Usually a time limit is set for each step. ## 7. Jigsaw: - Can be used in a variety of ways. - The simplest form, Within Team Jigsaw, has three basic steps: * Each participant from a team works alone, mastering a bit of information. * Participants do a round robin within teams to share their knowledge with teammates. * There is an assessment of all students on all material. ## 8. Corners: - Designed to allow participants to get to know themselves and each other better. - It can be used as a content-related class builder or used after a lesson as a review. - The steps are: * The facilitator announces the corners. * Participants think about their choices * Participants write their choices down on a piece of paper. * Participants go to the corner of their choice. * Participants talk with others in the corner about why they chose it. * A spokesperson from the corner shares with the whole group why they chose it. * Participants can then change corners. * Participants return to their tables and review their reasons. ## 9. Guess-the-Fib: - Can be played either within teams or within the class. - When played within teams, participants try to fool their teammates; when played within the class, teams try to fool other teams. - Students state two rather unbelievable facts and one believable fib. - They announce all three as facts, and it is the job of the teammates to guess which one is the fib. - Finger responses can be used. Students simply hold up one, two, or three fingers, depending on which statement they believe is the fib. ## 10. Inside-Outside Circle: - Participants stand in two concentric circles, with the inside circle facing out and the outside circle facing in. - They make a quarter right turn. - The facilitator tells them how many to rotate, they face a partner and share information, such as name, where born, favorite book. - An excellent activity for sharing information in pairs. - A nice closing activity to share one highlight and one thing they will do as a result of the workshop. ## 11. Spend-A-Buck: - When students must reach a decision quickly. - Each student is given four quarters to spend any way they wish on the choice alternatives. - Each student must spend his/her quarters on more than one item. - The team then tallies the results to determine the team decision. - Spend-A-Buck, unlike voting, does not produce clear winners and losers. - To make the decision even less polarized, have the teams spend ten dimes. - With this version each member is obliged to spend something on at least three items. --- # Teaching Strategies in Mathematics: ## Strategies to be discussed are: - Lecture-Discussion Method - Cooperative and Collaborative Learning - Jigsaw Method - Think-Pair-Share ## Lecture - Discussion Method - Based on three sources which makes it an effective tool to teaching * **Schemata Theory:** It uses what students already know by building on their existing background. * **Meaningful Verbal Learning:** Presents information in a systematic way. * **Active Learner Involvement:** Uses teacher questioning to involve students actively in learning process ## Cooperative and Collaborative Learning - **Collaborative learning** is a method of teaching and learning in which students team together to explore a significant question or create a meaningful knowledge. - **Cooperative learning** is a specific kind of collaborative learning where students work together in a small accountable for their work, and the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. - Cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team. ## Why cooperative and collaborative learning? - Paradigm shift of education CALLS for the departure from traditional teaching methods which are primarily Teacher Centered into Student-Centered Learning Environment. ## Jigsaw Method - A cooperative learning technique in which students work in small groups. - Can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of goals, but it is primarily used for the acquisition and presentation of new material, review, or informed debate. - In this method each group member is assigned to become an "expert" on some aspect of a unit of study. - After reading about their area of expertise, the experts from the different groups meet to discuss their topic. - They then return to their groups and take turns teaching their topics to their group mates. ## Think - Pair - Share - A cooperative discussion strategy developed by Frank Lyman and his colleagues in Maryland. - It gets its name from the three stages of student action, with emphasis on what students are to be Doing at each of those stages. - The steps are: * **Think:** The teacher provokes students' thinking with a question or prompt or observation. The students should take a few moments just to THINK about the question. * **Pair:** Using designated partners, nearby neighbors, or a desk mate, students PAIR up to talk about the answer each came up with. They compare their mental or written notes and identify the answers they think are best, most convincing or most unique. * **Share:** After students talk in pairs for a few moments, the teacher calls for pairs to SHARE their thinking with the rest of the class. They can do this by going around in round-robin fashion, calling on each pair; or they can take answers as they are called out (or as hands are raised). Often, the teacher or a designated helper will record these response on the board or on the overhead. ## Steps for setting up group learning experiences: ### Before Implementation 1. Develop a positive classroom environment. 2. Previous to organizing collaborative groups and assigning academic tasks, develop a cooperative climate and esprit de corp in the classroom. 3. Consider upcoming academic tasks and determine the number of students who will be assigned to each group. 4. Decide how long the groups will work together. 5. Determine the academic and behavioral/interpersonal objectives for the task. 6. Plan the arrangement of the room for the upcoming group-oriented tasks 7. Prepare materials for distribution to the group. 8. Determine roles for group members. ### Implementation 9. Explain what will occur. 10. Present and clearly explain the assignment that will probably take several class periods to complete. 11. Avoid the temptation to "lead" the groups. 12. Monitor and assist as needed. 13. Evaluate each group's performance/product. ### After Implementation 14. Have the learning groups assess how well they worked together and discuss how they can improve their functioning and performance.