Cooperative Learning !

 

 Cooperative Learning!

Cooperative learning is the process of breaking a classroom of students into small groups so they can discover a new concept together and help each other learn. The idea of cooperative learning has been around for decades, but it never got to the same prominence as blended learning or differentiated instruction.

Cooperative learning is based on group work, but it’s also so much more than that.The core element of cooperative learning is to showcase the positive effects of interdependence while underlining the importance of personal responsibility.

This happens naturally in cooperative learning since students work with one another, but they all have a different task to accomplish or concept to explain.As a bonus, your students are being social while they’re working in cooperative learning. That could be an advantage or disadvantage for you, depending on the class.

According to David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999), there are five basic elements that allow successful small-group learning:

·         Positive interdependence: Students feel responsible for their own and the group's effort.

·         Face-to-face interaction: Students encourage and support one another; the environment encourages discussion and eye contact.

·         Individual and group accountability: Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group is accountable for meeting its goal.

·         Group behaviors: Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal, social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others occurs.

·         Group processing: Group members analyze their own and the group's ability to work together.

Cooperative learning changes students' and teachers' roles in classrooms. The ownership of teaching and learning is shared by groups of students, and is no longer the sole responsibility of the teacher. The authority of setting goals, assessing learning, and facilitating learning is shared by all. Students have more opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and internalize their learning. Along with improving academic learning, cooperative learning helps students engage in thoughtful discourse and examine different perspectives, and it has been proven to increase students' self-esteem, motivation,and empathy.

Some challenges of using cooperative learning include releasing the control of learning, managing noise levels, resolving conflicts, and assessing student learning. Carefully structured activities can help students learn the skills to work together successfully, and structured discussion and reflection on group process can help avoid some problems.