Introduction to Cooperative Learning and Foundations of Design of High

Performance Learning Environments

Karl A. SmithSTEM Education Center / Technological Leadership Institute /

Civil Engineering – University of Minnesota &Engineering Education – Purdue University

ksmith@umn.edu - http://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith

King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals

Design and Implementation of Cooperative Learning

August 19-21, 2013

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Session 1 Layout• Welcome & Overview• Cooperative Learning Basics• Course Design Foundations• Design and Implementation

Overall Goal

• Build your repertoire of cooperative learning strategies as well as skills and confidence for implementing them

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Workshop Objectives• Participants will be able to :

– Describe key features of cooperative learning and effective, interactive strategies for facilitating learning

– Summarize research on How People Learn (HPL)– Describe key features of the Understanding by Design

(UbD) process – Content (outcomes) – Assessment – Pedagogy

– Explain key features of and rationale for Cooperative Learning

– Identify connections between cooperative learning and desired outcomes of courses and programs

• Participants will begin applying key elements to the design on a course, class session or learning module

Reflection and Dialogue

• Individually reflect on Effective, Interactive Strategies for Facilitating Learning. Write for about 1 minute– Context? Subject, Year, School/Department– Structure/Procedure? – Outcome? Evidence of Success

• Discuss with your neighbor for about 3 minutes– Select Story, Comment, Question, etc. that you would

like to present to the whole group if you are randomly selected

Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

• Good practice in undergraduate education:– Encourages student-faculty contact– Encourages cooperation among students– Encourages active learning– Gives prompt feedback– Emphasizes time on task– Communicates high expectations– Respects diverse talents and ways of learning

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Chickering & Gamson, June, 1987http://learningcommons.evergreen.edu/pdf/fall1987.pdf

Clicker Usage

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Never Frequently Considering

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1. Never (A)2. Occasionally (B)3. Frequently (C)4. Always (D)5. Considering it (E)

Process Metallurgy

• Dissolution Kinetics – liquid-solid interface

• Iron Ore Desliming – solid-solid interface

• Metal-oxide reduction roasting – gas-solid interface

Dissolution Kinetics

• Theory – Governing Equation for Mass Transport

• Research – rotating disk

• Practice – leaching of silver bearing metallic copper

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First Teaching Experience

• Practice – Third-year course in metallurgical reactions – thermodynamics and kinetics

Lila M. Smith

Engineering Education• Practice – Third-year course in

metallurgical reactions – thermodynamics and kinetics

• Research – ? • Theory – ?

Theory

ResearchEvidence

Practice

University of Minnesota College of EducationSocial, Psychological and Philosophical

Foundations of Education• Statistics, Measurement, Research Methodology• Assessment and Evaluation• Learning and Cognitive Psychology• Knowledge Acquisition, Artificial Intelligence,

Expert Systems• Development Theories• Motivation Theories• Social psychology of learning – student –

student interaction

Lila M. Smith

Cooperative Learning• Theory – Social Interdependence –

Lewin – Deutsch – Johnson & Johnson• Research – Randomized Design Field

Experiments• Practice – Formal Teams/Professor’s

Role Theory

ResearchEvidence

Practice

Lewin’s Contributions

• Founded field of social psychology• Action Research• Force-Field analysis• B = f(P,E)• Social Interdependence Theory• “There is nothing so practical as a good

theory”

Cooperative Learning•Positive Interdependence•Individual and Group Accountability•Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction•Teamwork Skills•Group Processing

[*First edition 1991]

Cooperative Learning Research Support Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., & Smith, K.A. 1998. Cooperative learning returns to

college: What evidence is there that it works? Change, 30 (4), 26-35.

• Over 300 Experimental Studies• First study conducted in 1924• High Generalizability• Multiple Outcomes

Outcomes

1. Achievement and retention2. Critical thinking and higher-level

reasoning3. Differentiated views of others4. Accurate understanding of others'

perspectives5. Liking for classmates and teacher6. Liking for subject areas7. Teamwork skills

January 2005 March 2007

Cooperative Learning is instruction that involves people working in teams to accomplish a common goal, under conditions that involve both positive interdependence (all members must cooperate to complete the task) and individual and group accountability (each member is accountable for the complete final outcome).

Key Concepts•Positive Interdependence•Individual and Group Accountability•Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction•Teamwork Skills•Group Processing

http://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith/docs/Smith-CL%20Handout%2008.pdf

What is your experience with cooperative learning?

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1. Little 1 (A)2. Between 1&3 (B)3. Moderate 3 (C)4. Between 3&5 (D)5. Extensive 5 (E)

“It could well be that faculty members of the twenty-first century college or university will find it necessary to set aside their roles as teachers and instead become designers of learning experiences, processes, and environments.”

James Duderstadt, 1999 Nuclear Engineering Professor; Former Dean, Provost and President of the University of Michigan

What is your experience with course (re)design?

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• What do you feel are important considerations about course (re) design?

• What are challenges you have faced with course (re) design?

What do you already know about course design? [Background Knowledge Survey]

Short Answer Questions

No Yes

Yes Good Theory/ Poor Practice

Good Theory & Good Practice

No

Good Practice/ Poor Theory

Sources: Bransford, Brown & Cocking. 1999. How people learn. National Academy Press.Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. 2005. Understanding by design, 2ed. ASCD.

Science of Instruction (UbD)

Science of Learning

(HPL)

Design Foundations

What is your level familiarity with learning theories (e.g.,HPL) &

instruction (e.g., UbD) theories?

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Part I – Introduction1 Learning: From Speculation to Science 3

Part II – Learners and Learning2 How Experts Differ from Novices 313 Learning and Transfer 514 How Children Learn 795 Mind and Brain 114

Part III – Teachers and Teaching6 The Design of Learning Environments 1317 Effective Teaching: Examples in History, Mathematics, and Science 1558 Teacher Learning 1909 Technology to Support Learning 206

Part IV – Future Directions for the Science of Learning10 Conclusions 23311 Next Steps for Research 248

26http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6160

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How People Learn (HPL)• Expertise Implies (Ch. 2):

– a set of cognitive and metacognitive skills

– an organized body of knowledge that is deep and contextualized

– an ability to notice patterns of information in a new situation

– flexibility in retrieving and applying that knowledge to a new problem

Bransford, Brown & Cocking. 1999. How people learn. National Academy Press.

HPL Framework

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Key Resource

http://books.google.com/books?id=N2EfKlyUN4QC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

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Understanding by Design Wiggins & McTighe (1997, 2005)

Stage 1. Identify Desired Results

Stage 2. Determine Acceptable Evidence

Stage 3. Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Overall: Are the desired results, assessments, and learning activities ALIGNED?

From: Wiggins, Grant and McTighe, Jay. 1997. Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD

Back

war

d D

esig

n

Context

Content

Assessment

Pedagogy

C & A & PAlignment?

End

Start

Yes

No

Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005)

Content-Assessment-Pedagogy (CAP) Design Process Flowchart

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Streveler, Smith & Pilotte (2012)

Understanding by Design vs. Engineering Design

Identify the Desired Results

Determine Acceptable Evidence

Plan Learning Experiences

Are the desired results, assessments, and learning activities ALIGNED?

Develop or use established metrics to measure against outcomes

Determine requirements/specifications

Plan and develop process, system, etc. to implement

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•Bransford, Vye and Bateman – Creating High Quality Learning Environments

1. Students prior knowledge can help or hinder learning

2. How student organize knowledge influences how they learn and apply what they know

3. Students’ motivation determines, directs, and sustains what they do to learn

4. To develop mastery, students must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned

5. Goal-directed practice coupled with targeted feedback enhances the quality of students’ learning

6. Students’ current level of development interacts with the social, emotional, and intellectual climate of the course to impact learning

7. To become self-directed learners, students must learn to monitor and adjust their approach to learning

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Related Integrated Course Design Model

• Fink, L.D. 2003. Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to designing college courses. Jossey-Bass

• Fink, L.D. 2003. A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning. http://www.deefinkandassociates.com/GuidetoCourseDesignAug05.pdf

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Model 1

The Key Components Of INTEGRATED COURSE DESIGN

One of the benefits of this model is that it allows us to see the importance S i t u a t i o n a l F a c t o r s

Teaching and

Learning Activities

Feedback & Assessment

Learning Goals

A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant LearningL. Dee Fink. 2003. Creating significant learning experiences. Jossey-Bass.

Your turn

Review your course syllabusand

Select a topic, class session or learning module you would like to

(re)design especially by incorporating cooperative learning

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Session Summary(Minute Paper)

Reflect on the session:

1. Most interesting, valuable, useful thing you learned.

2. Things that helped you learn.3. Question, comments, suggestions.

4. Pace: Too slow 1 . . . . 5 Too fast5. Relevance: Little 1 . . . 5 Lots6. Instructional Format: Ugh 1 . . . 5 Ah

Q4 – Pace: Too slow 1 . . . . 5 Too fast (2.8)Q5 – Relevance: Little 1 . . . 5 Lots (3.6)Q6 – Format: Ugh 1 . . . 5 Ah (3.9)

Q4 Q5 Q6024

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Clarkson University – Session 1 (6/3/13)

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