Cooperative learning: Educational Technology

Cooperative learning: Educational Technology

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  Presented By Dr. RajashekharShirvalkar
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  COOPERATIVE LEARNING Cooperative learningis an educational approach which aims to organize classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. There is much more to cooperative learning than merely arranging students into groups, and it has been described as "structuring positive interdependence."
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  The five basicelements/Characteristics of cooperative learning are: 1. Positive interdependence. 2. Individual and group accountability. 3. Interpersonal and small group skills. 4. Face-to-face promotive interaction. 5. Group processing.
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  Importance of CooperativeLearning 1. Raise achievement of students. 2. Build positive relationships among students - important for creating a learning community that values diversity. 3. Provide experiences that develop both good learning skills and social skills.
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  Types of CooperativeLearning There are three main types of cooperative learning groups: 1. informal learning groups, 2. formal cooperative groups and 3. cooperative base groups.
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  Informal Learning Groups 1.These groups are short term and not very structured. 2. They typically involve activities where classmates turn to a neighbour to discuss a problem or concept for a few minutes. 3. Informal groups are generally small, usually two but no more than three people. 4. It’s most convenient to use informal learning groups for quick activities such as checking for understanding, brainstorming, quick problem solving, summarising, or review. 5. These groups are a great way to change up a lecture format by giving students a few minutes to discuss a concept with a peer.
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  Formal Learning Groups Formallearning groups are assigned a task or project and stay together until it is complete. There is a clear structure to these groups set by the teacher that includes task and behaviour expectations. Formal learning groups can be heterogenous or homogeneous, depending on the assignment. Most groups perform well with three to four people, any more than five can become unproductive. Doing a project, solving a series of problems, reviewing for a test, or writing a report are all examples of how formal learning groups can be used in a classroom.
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  Cooperative Base Groups Thesegroups are different from the previous two in that they are long term support groups. Base groups should last for a minimum of a semester but can be anywhere up to several years. Since they are long term commitments, typically these groups become more than just academic problem solving groups. Members in base groups often become a personal support system for each other, building relationships and trust during the duration of their cooperative learning process. The goal of cooperative base groups is that the members develop peer accountability and support each other while learning together.
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  Advantages of cooperativeLearning 1. It has been shown to have a positive effect on student learning when compared to individual or competitive conditions 2. It has the potential to produce a level of engagement that other forms of learning cannot 3. Students may explain things better to another student than a teacher to a class. Students learn how to teach one another and explain material in their own words 4. Questions are more likely to be asked and answered in a group setting 5. Positive interdependency is achieved as individuals feel that they cannot succeed unless everyone in their group succeeds 6. Interpersonal and collaboration skills can be learned in a cooperative learning activity 7. Cooperative learning has the potential to meet more learning style needs more of the time than individualized direct instruction 8. Sends the symbolic message that the class is egalitarian and classless 9. Higher ability students are in a position to be experts, leaders, models and teachers; lower ability students get the benefits of having higher ability students in their group.
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  Disdvantages of cooperativeLearning 1. A burden is making the students responsible for each other’s learning apart from themselves 2. One study showed that in groups of mixed ability, low-achieving students become passive and do not focus on the task 3. Depending on an individual’s motivation and interest on a particular subject that will determine how well they would learn 4. The goal of scaffolding is for students to become independent and able to think by themselves, without the help of others 5. High stakes create increased chances for conflict and therefore need for conflict resolution skills 6. It is difficult for the teacher to be sure that the groups are discussing the academic content rather than something else. 7. Higher ability students may not experience the stimulation or challenge that they would with other higher ability students. 8. Lower ability students may feel perpetually in need of help rather than experiencing the role of leader or expert relative to the others in their group