Chances are good that you’ve heard the term “cooperative learning” used by your child’s teacher to describe some aspect of the way she teaches. If you haven’t heard it this year, you likely will in the future. Cooperative learning is one of the most commonly used teaching strategies in classrooms today – and with good reason. With careful planning and implementation, cooperative learning can increase student achievement while fostering a sense of community in the classroom.
Cooperative learning is a well-planned method of placing students into groups so that they can work together to learn the material at hand. The teacher keeps several factors in mind when grouping her students:
- Ability level – Research has shown that the best groups are those that include a mix of ability levels (for example, one high, one low, and two average).
- Social skills – Just as academic skills vary, so do social skills. Each group should consist of a diversity of these skills.
- Size – Four students per group is ideal, as it allows each child to participate fully while maintaining maximum diversity within the group.
- Rotation – Students should have the opportunity to work with many different peers, rather than sticking to the same group week after week. Some teachers regroup their students monthly or quarterly, while others group them only for specific projects.
A key part of the learning process in cooperative learning is helping one another in the group to master the material. Not only do children enjoy success with the topic at hand, but they also feel a sense of accomplishment in helping their peers learn. This makes cooperative learning valuable for all students, including those who are gifted, those with learning disabilities, and those who are learning English as a second language.
Within the team, each student has a unique role. The teacher may assign these roles, or the students may decide who does what during their first group activity. While it’s not critical that every group has every role covered, it’s important that each child is responsible for one or more duties. Responsibilities can be combined into a single job, and each job may be given a title that suits the class’s purposes or fits the theme of the unit being studied.
Team Member Responsibilities
Team member responsibilities can include:
- Monitor/Facilitator – Keep the group on track.
- Time Keeper – Ensure the task is completed within the time allotted.
- Cheerleader/Encourager – Ensure all comments and criticisms within the team are positive and purposeful.
- Materials Manager – Retrieve and return supplies needed for the project.
- Recorder – Take notes.
- Checker/Verifier – Check notes for accuracy and consult reference materials as needed.
- Reporter – Share the team’s findings with the rest of the class when appropriate.
There has been a great deal of research on cooperative learning, some of which has turned into big business for education-focused consultants and materials producers. There are books, seminars, and conferences to help teachers learn how to use cooperative learning in their classrooms, as well as a plethora of teaching aids to assist once the structure has been implemented.
While the specific methodology and terms may vary among commercial programs, there are some essential elements that must be present in any successful cooperative learning model. Without these basics, cooperative learning is little more than a way to group children:
- Positive interdependence – The activity should be designed so that success can only be achieved if every team member does their part. Cooperative learning expert Spencer Kagan refers to this component as “sink or swim together.”
- Individual accountability – Each student should be clear on their role in the project and must be held accountable for doing their part. The group should be small enough to prevent any one member from “hitchhiking” or fading into anonymity.
- Interpersonal skills – Teachers cannot assume that children come to a team with skills such as leadership, decision-making, communication, and conflict resolution. These skills must be taught, and the cooperative learning activity provides plenty of opportunities for practice.
- Reflection – Through honest appraisal of how the group and individual team members worked on a project, students learn from their experience.
Cooperative learning is not always advisable for every subject or assignment. However, it is flexible and adaptable, making it quite usable for most classroom projects. Many teachers in the elementary grades use cooperative learning as the foundation for all classroom activities and provide opportunities for independent work when the cooperative structure isn’t appropriate.
Although cooperative learning can be an ideal approach for many classroom tasks, its success depends largely on how well the teacher implements it. Some areas that may present challenges include:
- Behavior – Not all children work well with others. For that matter, the same can be said for adults! Just because a child has not typically done well working with others does not mean they should be excluded from a cooperative learning group. To the contrary, this is an excellent opportunity for them to practice skills they will need in future collaborative efforts, especially in the workforce.
- Grading – It’s crucial that the teacher does not give a grade to the whole group. While she may develop a points system where teams can compete for points (which can motivate children to practice effective teamwork skills), grades should only be given to each student based on their own participation or achievement.
- Management – It takes a lot of planning, organization, and monitoring to implement cooperative learning effectively. Most teachers who use it agree that the effort is well worth it.
The advantages of cooperative learning have been well-documented in the classroom and are backed up by research:
- Cost-Effective – Cooperative learning doesn’t require additional resources. In fact, it allows for sharing materials.
- Optimized learning – Current brain research indicates that children who teach a concept or skill to others reinforce their own understanding of that concept or skill.
- Tolerance – Students learn to appreciate one another for their unique contributions to the group. While they may not like every team member, they do learn to work together despite differences.
- Intellectual Atmosphere – By working together to master academic content, students discuss curriculum topics as scholars. While normal “kid banter” will not be eliminated – nor should it be – the cooperative learning classroom sees an increase in discussions focused on the concepts and skills being taught.
- Achievement – There’s a positive correlation between cooperative learning (done properly) and higher test scores for all students, regardless of ability level, socio-economic background, or subject matter.
With so many academic benefits inherent in effectively implemented cooperative learning, perhaps its most attractive feature is that it makes learning fun. It’s no wonder that it has become one of the most frequently employed educational strategies for students of all ages.
