EEX 3257 COOPERATIVE LEARNING

1. EEX 3257 COOPERATIVE LEARNING

2. BENEFITS OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING Academic Benefits • Increased achievement and increased retention of knowledge • Improved critical reasoning skills • Greater use of higher level thinking skills • Improves attitudes toward learning, subject area knowledge and school • Increased on-task behavior • Stronger intrinsic motivation to learn

3. AFFECTIVE  BENEFITS • More positive attitudes toward teachers and other school personnel • Higher self esteem • Less disruptive behavior • Improves social interaction with peers • Greater collaboration skills • Increased ability to view things from another’s perspective

4. KEY ELEMENTS OF COOPERATIVE LEARN • Positive Interdependence • Individual Accountability • Face to Face interaction • Group Processing • Interpersonal and small group skills

5. POSITIVE INTERDEPENDENCE • Students NEED each other to complete the task. This can be accomplished through: • Mutual goals (each person must succeed to be successful) • Joint rewards (rewarded for performance of EACH group member) • Shared Materials and information • Assigned roles

6. Face to Face Interaction • Key is careful structuring so that verbal interaction is essential.

7. Individual Accountability • Success means EVERY member learns the material • Individual learning MUST be assessed • Example--individual exams OR select one exam to count as grade for the group OR select one member to answer a question for entire group

8. Interpersonal and Small Group Skills • Teachers must teach interpersonal skills such as: • Communication • Leadership • Trust • Decision Making • Conflict

9. Group Processing • Teach strategies and give groups time to analyze the functioning of their groups. • Feedback from the teacher. • Student observers use observation instruments and give feedback to the group.