Cooperative Learning, also known as small-group learning, is a teaching approach where small groups of students work together to perform a common task. When executed correctly, cooperative learning stimulates student discussion, active learning, student confidence, and motivation. The skills students acquire while teaming with others are different from the skills students learn while working independently.
Preparation:
Room arrangement:
When arranging cooperative learning groups, the classroom set-up needs to fulfil the needs of the groups. Sitting in secluded desks won't benefit anyone learn to work together. There are various ways to arrange a classroom, but the classroom will have to be set up before students come to class, or at the very beginning of the class to help keep hindrance, such as moving furniture, to a minimum.
Teams:
Students should be teamed in a way that maximises opportunities to learn, and the category of teaming can generate different results depending on the circumstances. Form groups using different standards based on social skills, academic skills, student interests, and objectives.
Instruction:
Once teams have been formed instruction and objectives of the assignment or task should be given. Students should understand the objectives, responsibility, and standard for successful completion. Analyse and allocate student roles in order to stimulate and facilitate the process to cooperative learning groups.
Assessment:
In cooperative learning groups, it is often hard to grade individually. Some teachers give "group" grades that each student achieves, but this can be complicated if a few students do the majority of the work within a team.
Grading each student in a team both individually and in a group is another option. Each student can receive a grade for the group task and can be accountable for a sub task, which is graded as well. A suitable solution is to have students finish an individual task after the cooperative learning activity, such as writing an essay about what they learnt and how their team worked together to complete the task. This may be a better way to evaluate students because it can be used as an assessment of student learning.
Effective Group-Work Skills for Cooperative Learning:
Social skills:
Social skills involve many skills such as active listening, summarising, and combining ideas into a discussion. Students also need to share materials and take turn for successful group cooperation. Teachers can teach students the skills they need to effectively work in groups by teaching them social skills that are required of group work.
Explaining skills:
As a teacher, you can spot good signals of student’s explanation skills through student comments, the potential to describe a problem, assignment or goal. Explaining skills are also seen in the groups by the ability of students to ask other students for an explanation. The interaction between students is crucial since it promotes learning and in-depth understanding. As a teacher, you should inspire students to participate in the process of explanations.
Leadership Skills:
Good social skills are crucial in developing good leadership skills. As a teacher, you can develop leadership skills in students by assigning roles to students in cooperative learning groups. For example, assigning the role of Team Facilitator to a student who is responsible for moderating discussions, keeps the team on schedule, ensures that work is completed by all, and makes sure that all have the opportunity to participate and learn and represents the group and presents group work to rest of the class.
Cooperative learning helps students have more chances to take part in their learning, critical thinking, share and explore their ideas, and incorporate their learning. Implementing cooperative groups to fulfil academic tasks not only provides opportunities for students to enhance interpersonal skills, but also provides them experiences that will help them be successful in their future careers.
Happy Teaching!!