cooperative learning: a teacher’s guide. what it is… when to use it…how to use it…why to use...

Cooperative Learning: A Teacher’s Guide.What it is…

When to use it…

How to use it…

Why to use it…

What is…Cooperative Learning?

• Cooperative learning is working together to accomplish shared goals;

• Cooperative Learning is more then just working in groups -it requires teachers to structure cooperative interdependence among the students and follow the five key elements;

• It allows students to develop and use critical thinking skills;

• Promotes teamwork and positive relationships within the group.

The Five Key Elements of Cooperative Learning Are: According to David Johnson and Roger Johnson (1999)

• Positive Interdependence: The group is working together and each member of the group has a role;

• Individual Accountability: Everyone is responsible for their own learning;

• Face-to-Face Interaction: Students help to promote each other’s learning;

• Interpersonal and Small Group Social Skills: Groups learn how to be effective leaders, how to communicate and how to build trust;

• Group Processing: After working together the group analyzes the good and challenging parts of working together.

How Does…Cooperative Learning Work?

According to Dr. Roger and Dr. David Johnson, Cooperative Learning is to have teachers structure each group so they will:• Make each group member a stronger student and be able to perform

alone and in the group;

• Sink or swim together;

• Assist and encourage others to achieve;

• Are individually accountable for doing their part of the group's work;

• Have to master the required interpersonal and small group skills to be an effective group member; and…

• Should discuss how well the group is working and what could be done to improve the group work.

A Few Examples of… Cooperative Learning:

• Jigsaws: The class or group is divided into several teams, then rearranged into different groups to share their learning;

• Think-Pair-Share: Students confer with a partner before sharing with the whole group;

• Round Table: Students pass around a paper with each student contributing until time is up or they run out of answers;

• Three-Minute Review: The teacher stops and allows teams three minutes to review what has been said with their group;

• Numbered Heads: Each student is given a number then is responsible for learning the material associated with that number, they then share with the rest of the group;

• PMI : A PMI (Plus, Minus, Intriguing) is used for effective processing to talk about the pluses, minuses and intriguing points felt about a lesson, concept or issue.

Can Cooperative Learning Be… Successful?

For Cooperative Learning to be successful in the classroom, three factors must be included:

1. Group Goals: each group works together and improves together;

2. Individual accountability: all members are assessed individually;

3. Equal Opportunities for success: each student is considered important and valued to the team.

The most important principle of Cooperative Learning is that students are taught how to participate in a group situation and how to succeed to the best of their ability.

Cooperative Learning…Teaching Strategies

• Strategies for using Cooperative Learning in your classroom are many. In this section of the presentation, we offer a few ideas to engage students in their learning.

Cooperative Learning:Teaching Strategies…

• Cooperative Learning strategies work to engage group activity where every student is responsible for learning all aspects of the project.

• The goal is to shift away from Teamwork – where each member is responsible for a single aspect of the project – to a unified approach, where every member develops and contributes to all parts of the activity.

Examples of Cooperative Learning – Teaching Strategies

Jigsaw: 1. Each student on the team becomes an “expert” on one topic by working and sharing with members from other teams assigned the corresponding expert topic.

2. Upon returning to their teams, each one in turn teaches the group about his/her expert topic. Works well for acquisition and presentation of new material and review.

Examples of Cooperative Learning – Teaching StrategiesNumbered Heads:

• Students count off numbers in their groups.

• Teacher poses a problem and gives wait time (Example: “Everyone think about how rainbows are formed. [Pause] Now make sure everyone in your team knows how rainbows are formed.”)

• Students lift up from their chairs to put their heads together, discuss and teach.

• Students sit down when everyone knows the answer or has something to share or when time is up.

• Teacher calls a number. The student with that number from each team answers question individually, using:

a. Response cards

b. Chalkboard response

c. Manipulatives

d. Slate share


Think-Pair-Share

1. Students think to themselves or write on a topic or question, preferably one demanding analysis, evaluation, or synthesis, provided by the teacher.

2. After 30 seconds, students turn to partners and share their responses, thus allowing time for both rehearsal and immediate feedback on their ideas.

3. Then they share their thoughts with the class. Through this structure, all students have an opportunity to learn by reflection and by verbalization. This works well for generating and revising hypotheses, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, application.


Blind sequencing

Brainstorming

Carousel Feedback

Corners

Fan-N-Pick

Find My Rule

Find the Fiction

Formations

Inside-Outside Circle

Jigsaw

Line-ups

Mixed Freeze Group

Numbered Heads Together

Pairs Check

Pairs Compare

People Hunt

Rally Table

Rally Robin

Round Table

Showdown

Similarity Groups

Simultaneous Round Table

Snowball

Spend-A-Buck

Spin-N-Review

Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up

Stir-The –Class

Talking Chips

Team Chants

Telephone

Think-Pair-Share

Three-Step Interview

Who Am I

**These Kagan Strategies are explained and were found at the following website:

http://www.aucegypt.edu/llt/clt/Workshops/Documents/Spring%202013/kagan_strats-1-sp46vb.pdf

Here is a more complete list of strategies that can be used:

Using Cooperative Learning to Help Students with Exceptionalities.

• In this section, we will look at a variety of strategies and methods that teachers can use to help students with :

• Low Vision;

• ADHD;

• Giftedness;

• Anxiety, and…

• Behavioural Management Issues.

The Case… Applying Cooperative Learning to Exceptionalities…

Mrs. Brooks has been teaching grade 8 for several years. She tries to adapt her instructional strategies as much as possible to her students but this year is overwhelming, as she has many students with exceptionalities. There's Rebecca who has low vision. She has difficulty seeing any normal print. On her own, she can make out the news paper titles and that's it. Adam is diagnosed with ADHD is an outgoing boy. He's very good in sports and has lots of friends. At times, he has trouble concentrating on one task. Gabrielle is a gifted child. She's been assessed as precocious. She is very quiet and the rest of the students seem to like her and try interacting with her but for some reason Gabrielle doesn't really engage with them.Then there's Xavier who has severe anxiety. He has crying meltdowns, especially in math class, after recess, or if the schedule of the day changes. Victoria struggles with a Behaviour Disorder. She can be extremely happy and outgoing but difficulties with projects cause her to become quickly frustrated, resulting in violent outbursts, often accompanied by hitting her desk with her fists, and a complete withdrawal from the social world.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Low Vision

The impact of low vision on school:

• Accommodations are not quick and easy and the student needs time to assimilate them into daily use;

• Each low vision student is unique in their sighted ability;

• Fatigue: eyes tire more easily than compared to sighted students, stamina becomes an obstacle;

• Low self-esteem: studies show that students with low vision generally have lower self-esteem compared to normal sighted students.


Studies have shown that only 25% of students with visual impairments participated in social after-school activities. Although, students with low vision were even less likely to participate in social activities.

In another study done in a smaller group with students between grade 7 and 10, 7 out of 9 students who had visual impairments improved their social skills after working in cooperative learning environment.


Ideas for helping a student such as Rebecca:

Students with low vision have difficulty observing non-verbal communication;

They have difficulty forming friendships; Their eyes may fatigue; Keep in mind the amount of reading that is given for

the group project; Glare and unwanted lighting could be detrimental.


• Low vision students are not isolated in heterogeneous groups;

• Question/Answer techniques (Blooms Taxonomy) can be transferred to other situations;

• Sighted students have a greater understanding and empathy for low vision students.

• Group dynamics give low vision students practice with purpose;

• Creates a bridge between low vision students and sighted students;

• Peers share perspectives garnered from visual cues;

• Personal value raised from group activities;

• Increases academic achievement.

Benefits of Cooperative Learning for Rebecca:

How Cooperative Learning Aids Students with Low Vision:


• Sit her in the front corner of the room to allow access to her CCTV (closed circuit TV used to enlarge objects) as well as her computer that may have dictionaries, Dragon Speak - a word reader program – as well as various other listening software;

• Utilize a semi-permanent setup for safety and, because it is a lot of equipment, allows other students to rotate through the space so she is not isolated.

A classroom setup for Rebecca might:


Cooperative Learning allows for OT (Occupational Therapy) Lessons: • Learning to scan items to read in a left to right and

up and down fashion so that they see more; • Learning to use a cane (e.g. sweeping); • Learning to walk across the street and other practical

lessons;• Work with the class to introduce games that sight is

not required (in the gym playing with a ball that rings).

Other Ideas to help a student…


Here are a few specific tips for Rebecca:

Allow Rebecca to take breaks when needed; Placing Rebecca in a team of two, at first, will

help her form a relationship with a student, as a larger group might overwhelm her at first;

Rebecca's team would need more 'initial' support to ensure that communication is well established;

Give the opportunity to Rebecca to choose to 'listen' to her reading assignments.


Also:

Any handouts should be in larger print for Rebecca and try to keep it to essentials only;

Instead of having Rebecca and her team complete a written project, they could do an oral presentation;

Maintain high expectations and provide extra time.

Some studies have found that Cooperative Learning is seen as a difficult task when it involves students with ADHD mainly because students with this exceptionality tend to go ‘off-topic.’

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – ADHD

In this same study there has been no sign of improvement of their behaviours. Although, they did notice that the groups who had a member that had ADHD had an 88% success rate in solving the problems vs 17% with the other groups.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students - ADHD

Here are a few tips for a student such as Adam:

• Break down the group assignment into smaller steps;

• Let Adam choose 'jobs' that play into his strengths;

• Praise ALL accomplishments big and small;

• Limit 'external' distractions. For example, the team should not be placed in proximity to doors;

• Provide Regular Scheduled breaks;

• Maintain high expectations.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – ADHD

Here are a few more tips:

• If possible, the group should be able to go somewhere else to do their work, or in a quieter part of the classroom;

• Adam should ideally be grouped with somebody that can be a good role model;

• Extra time should be provided instead of lowering expectations of the project.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Gifted

• Can offer leadership opportunities for gifted students;

• Can result in cooperation between gifted and regular students;

• Can encourage different learning styles;

• Develops communication skills;

• Helps develop reflective skills in gifted students;

• Develops decision making skills;

• Develops flexibility and creativity in final product.

The benefits of Cooperative Learning for a Gifted student include:

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Gifted

Research shows that Cooperative Learning can have a negative effect on gifted students if the groups are not carefully thought out.

For example, gifted students can show a lack of trust in other students (either stemming from a belief that other students will not complete work, or have a lack of knowledge, or based on research that suggests that gifted students tend to be emotionally immature.)

Six Ways to Make Cooperative Learning More Effective - Gifted

• Design cooperative projects so that all students can interact and contribute equally;

• Use new curricular materials that involve collaborative practices—projects in which students share creative ideas, build on one another's knowledge, and draw on diverse skills;

• Encourage successful group functioning by including five conditions: positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, social skills, and group processing;

• Set authentic group goals that are important to group members;• Teach students how successful groups work and how to apply this

information to their own groups. Roleplay and model these skills with students;

• Group students in flexible ways.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Anxiety

Approximately 1 in 5 (20%) of children and youth suffer from mental health problems;

Mental health problems can seriously impair children’s ability to be successful at school and in their relationships with their peers;

Anxiety Disorder is the most common mental health issue for children in Canada (6.5%).

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional students – Anxiety

Here are a few tips for helping a student with anxiety:

Create an environment in which students feel welcome to speak up and socialize;

Provide a learning environment where mistakes are viewed as a part of the learning process;

Work to develop a natural atmosphere of acceptance throughout the classroom;

Provide opportunities for students to work, socialize, and speak in small groups.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students - Anxiety

• Break down the group assignment into smaller steps and allow more time;

• Let Xavier to choose 'jobs' that play to his strengths;

• Praise ALL accomplishments big and small;

Here are a few tips to help Xavier, our case study student:

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students - Anxiety

Here are a few more tips for helping a student such as Xavier:

• Select students who are open and welcoming - who will help support Xavier to feel comfortable during group activities;

• Have a quiet place where Xavier can go for a few minutes if he is feeling overwhelmed to practice breathing techniques or do calming activities;

• Assign group members specific roles or material to cover so Xavier know exactly what is expected of him to reduce anxiety.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Anxiety

Cooperative Learning strategies would be effective to use with students who suffer from anxiety by:

Allowing the student to work cooperatively on a much smaller scale with peers which would reduce anxious feelings compared with presenting to the whole class;

Increasing self-confidence and allowing the student to feel in control of his/her learning and mastery of subjects;

Allowing a student who is socially isolated to connect with peers and create similar interests.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Behavioural Disorders

• Behavioral Disorders can include aggressive, violent, disruptive, disrespectful, and anti-social tendencies. Students are often impulsive, ill-tempered, and immature;

• Aggressive behaviour is a sign that the demands of the environment have exceeded the student’s capacity to adapt, and that rational thought has diminished, or is no longer possible;

• The solution is to provide a flexible environment that allows the student multiple ways to adapt ;

• Cooperative Learning provides that flexible environment that can benefit students with Behavioural Disorders.


Cooperative Learning offers lessons in social skill development:

• Students-helping-students is the fundamental principle behind Cooperative Learning, and it is shown that students with Behavioral Disorders are not “left behind,” but rather develop high self-esteem and positive interdependence;

• Social skills are reinforced through Cooperative Learning – respectful behaviour and positive attitudes are rewarded quickly as the peer group monitors and micromanages its own behaviour;

• Succeeding as a group is a powerful message to students with Behavioural Disorders: the satisfaction of having multiple ways to succeed, in combination with a non-authoritarian structure, has positive effects on these students.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Behavioural DisordersStrategies for Helping Students…

• Students with Behavioural Disorders benefit from Active Listening (employing eye contact, facing the student speaking), a strategy that can be taught and used by the entire class during Cooperative Learning activities;

• The teacher can closely monitor each group for progress, and prompt students for which social skills they have used, and ask open-ended questions for the group to query. This allows for all group members to be engaged and active in the learning process;

• Remember that although Cooperative Learning primarily promotes group work, there are times when students still need time & space to be alone.

Cooperative Learning with Exceptional Students – Behavioural DisordersIn terms of our case study, Cooperative Learning…

• Provides Victoria with a flexible environment that reduces stress by providing a non-authoritarian structure and has a variety of options for learning;

• Offers Victoria social skill development where mistakes can be recognized as opportunities for learning. As a result, the fear of making mistakes diminishes, which improves self-esteem. A high self-esteem is key to developing the skills necessary to overcoming Behavioural Disorders;

• Provides Victoria with Behavioural Disorders role models to emulate, peers to provide positive reinforcement & approval as well as removing the teacher from being the authority figure, placing emphasis on student input and student led discussion.


The importance of Cooperative Education as a strategy to help students with Behavioural Disorders cannot be underestimated:

The ability of all students to work cooperatively with others is the keystone to building and maintaining stable marriages, families, careers, and friendships. Being able to perform technical skills, such as reading, speaking, listening, writing, computing, and problem solving are valuable but of little use if the person cannot apply those skills in cooperative interaction with other people in career, family, and community environments.

Johnson & Johnson, (1994.)

In Conclusion, Cooperative Learning is Useful for Our Students…

• Cooperative Learning is an important and relevant part of teaching and learning. Students need to be given opportunities for Cooperative Learning to enhance their own learning and to help master group skills. Studies have shown that students who have opportunities to work collaboratively will learn faster, have greater retention and feel more positive about their learning experiences;

• Cooperative Learning is being used in classrooms from kindergarten to university all over the world. It can be used by students with different abilities in every subject area, and with every age student;

• Cooperative Learning is a useful tool for all teachers and educators.

Cooperative Learning - References

For a complete list of all references used in the making of this presentation, please consult the reference page of our web site.

Cooperative Learning - Presentation Authors

This presentation was created by Geraldine Piraine, Michele Brand, Cheryl Smith, Rochelle Gibbings, Amanda Bri Stover,

and Scott Farlinger as an element of Special Education Part 2 (EDAQ 5776 900 EW14) through Continuing Education at the University of Western Ontario.

March, 2014