Cooperative Learning

Even though the learning of concepts is

cooperative, the summative assessment
is generally individual, in order to see
whether students have effectively learned
from their work and can apply that
knowledge on their own.
Cooperative learning rests on the assumption
that students learn best in groups, able to work
with the material themselves, but have peers to
help as they get stuck. Regardless of discipline,
there are five major components of cooperative
learning:
1) Students understand (and teachers
enforce) the idea that they sink or
swim together
2) Face-to-face interaction to promote
progress toward group goals.
3) Individual accountability to achieve
group goals.
4) Using interpersonal skills often.
5) Regular group processing to improve
effectiveness.
How does it work? The most common and well-
researched cooperative learning method is
STAD (Student Teams-Achievement Division)
1) Teacher introduces subject/concept
and why it is important. If the
problem(s) need more background
information, they present that as well.
2) Students work in heterogeneous (in
terms of cognitive ability, linguistic
background, funds of knowledge,
cultural understandings, etc.) groups
with worksheets/answer sheets
provided by the teacher.
3) Students individually take a test or
assessment applying the concept/skill.
4) Teams are recognized for their
contribution to the improvement of
members.
Cooperative learning is thought to work
because of three effects of productive group
work. In order for these three effects to occur,
though, teachers need to help students learn
how to work in a group.
Motivation: because the groups success and
their peers success depends on each individual,
students are more likely to care about and
come to school.
Cognitive development: Each individual is at a
different cognitive stage. So, students can help
others expand their thinking, and, in turn,
expand theirs by teaching.
Cognitive Elaboration: Collaborative learning
asks students to connect their previous
knowledge in order to explain and explore the
new skill/concept, which helps their brain make
connections to remember.
References
Felder, Richard M. and Rebecca Brent. Effective Strategies
for Cooperative Learning. Cooperation and
Collaboration in College Teaching 10.2 (2001): 69-75.
Gillies, Robyn M. The Effects of Cooperative Learning on
Junior High School Students during Small Group
Learning. Learning and Instruction 14 (2004): 197-
213.
Kramarski, Bracha and Zemira R. Mevarech. Enhancing
Mathematical Reasoning in the Classroom: The
Effects of Cooperative Learning and Metacognitive
Training. American Educational Research Journal
40.1 (2003): 281-310.
Slavin, Robert E., Hurley, Eric A., & Chamberlain, Anne.
Cooperative Learning and Achievement: Theory and
Research Educational Psychology 7.0 (2003): 177-
198.
Staples, Megan. Supporting Whole-Class Collaborative
Inquiry in a Secondary Mathematics Classroom. (To
appear in) Cognition & Instruction 25.2 (2007)
Whicker, Kristina M., Linda Bol, and John A. Nunnery.
"Cooperative learning in the secondary mathematics
classroom." The Journal of Educational Research91.1
(1997): 42-48.

Cooperative Learning

In practice possibilities (Mathematics)
When learning a concept that involves
recognizing patterns, ask the group to
work on finding and explaining that
pattern. For example, when learning to
sketch a polynomial graph from its
function, ask students to explore with
their group a series of different, yet
related, functions and note the
similarities and differences. Ask them to
find patterns that may help them sketch
a graph from an equation or function.
o Exponents and logarithms
o Algebraic representations of
geometry
Students work together to learn how
percentages function based on different
coupons, advertisements, and store
signs (provided by the teacher).
Students have to agree on which
scenario is most cost effective.
Groups work to find ways of solving
word problems (based in the current
unit), and which ways are most
effective/efficient.









In practice possibilities (English)
To learn the importance and intricacies
of punctuation, have groups discuss
different ways of punctuating a
paragraph to change the meaning of
the text. (One example is this letter).
This involves some explanation at the
beginning of the lesson about the
meanings and uses of different
punctuation marks.
When writing papers or projects, peer
editing processes could be done in
these groups.
When learning about poetry, have
groups analyze differences and
similarities between popular songs and
classic poetry and come to a conclusion
how to tell the difference (or why they
cant).
Ask each group to come up with a topic
theyre curious about, and then ask
them to determine ways to learn more
about that topic (introducing
research).



Lessons to bridge math and English
Ask students to analyze graffiti art in their community (record types, pictures, language,
etc.). Have groups to create a map of the city that shows concentrations/ratios of graffiti in
their community, and compare to demographic information of the community. In English
class, ask groups to create their own graffiti (in the classroom), responding to the graffiti
they found in their community, and addressing demographic information. (e.g. they could
decide to put the graffiti in a different area, or use different kinds of language, etc.) Then,
students decide how graffiti should/could be used in the community.
Prompt students to come up with criteria to decide if informational texts are reliable,
focusing on texts that use probabilities and/or percentages. Each student brings in a text
that uses a probability, percent, or statistic. Students analyze what the statistic actually says,
as well as what the audience is most likely to think it means. Does the common
interpretation match the mathematical? Does it match the tone of the piece? What else
might readers need to know about the numbers to understand them? Using criteria, decide
if the text is reliable. Then, analyze what attitudes these statistics engender. Is this attitude
helpful or harmful toward the group/person these statistics are describing? What can they
tell us about society in general?