Cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each student member is responsible for not only what is taught but also helping their teammates learn.
What is in it for the students? - Students work together on common tasks or learning activities through group work - Students work in a group of 2-5 team members - Students use cooperative, pro-social behavior to accomplish their work or learning activity - Students are positively interdependent. Activities are structured so that students need each other to accomplish their task or learning activity. - Students are individually accountable for their work.
Why should teachers use this? Cooperative learning has proved to improve the students academic achievement, behavior and attendance, increase the students self-confidence and motivation, liking of school and classmates.
Students learning is enhanced by:
Providing a shared cognitive set of information between students and motivating students to learn the material.
Ensuring that students construct their own knowledge, providing formative feedback.
Developing social and group skills necessary for success outside the classroom.
Promote positive interaction between members of different cultural and socio-economic groups.
Ways to incorporate cooperative learning in the classroom
Three-Step Interview Each member of a team chooses another
member to be a partner. The students will
interview their partner by asking them questions.
After a few minures the students will switch roles
and ask their partner the same questions. After
the interview the students will share what they
learned about their partner to the entire class.
Think-pair-share This involves three steps that involves the students to think silently about a particular subject the teacher gives. Students will then pair up and exchange their thoughts and then share their thoughts with the entire class.
3 Minute review
During a lesson, the teacher will stop and give
the teams three minutes to review what has
been said, then ask some questions. The students
will then answer them per group.
Numbered heads together
The teacher splits the class in groups of 4.
Each student is given a number of 1,2,3,4.
The teacher asks questions to the groups. Each
group works together to answer the question
so that all students can verbally answer, The
teacher will call out a number, for example the
number 3, and all the 3's have to answer the
that question.
Comments: Cooperative learning is one of the key points in learning and you have a wonderful presentation explaining it:) Great Job! Comments: Your work is always perfect. Very clear details and easy to understand. Excellent.
What is cooperative learning?
What is in it for the students?
- Students work together on common tasks or learning activities through group work
- Students work in a group of 2-5 team members
- Students use cooperative, pro-social behavior to accomplish their work or learning activity
- Students are positively interdependent. Activities are structured so that students need each other to accomplish their task or learning activity.
- Students are individually accountable for their work.
Why should teachers use this?
Cooperative learning has proved to improve the students academic achievement, behavior and attendance, increase the students self-confidence and motivation, liking of school and classmates.
Students learning is enhanced by:
Ways to incorporate cooperative learning in the classroom
Each member of a team chooses another
member to be a partner. The students will
interview their partner by asking them questions.
After a few minures the students will switch roles
and ask their partner the same questions. After
the interview the students will share what they
learned about their partner to the entire class.
This involves three steps that involves the
students to think silently about a particular
subject the teacher gives. Students will then
pair up and exchange their thoughts and then
share their thoughts with the entire class.
During a lesson, the teacher will stop and give
the teams three minutes to review what has
been said, then ask some questions. The students
will then answer them per group.
The teacher splits the class in groups of 4.
Each student is given a number of 1,2,3,4.
The teacher asks questions to the groups. Each
group works together to answer the question
so that all students can verbally answer, The
teacher will call out a number, for example the
number 3, and all the 3's have to answer the
that question.
Comments: Your work is always perfect. Very clear details and easy to understand. Excellent.