Cooperative learning

Cooperative learning is an approach to organizing classroom activities into academic and social learning experiences. Students must work in groups to complete tasks collectively. Unlike individual learning, students learning cooperatively capitalize on one another’s resources and skills (asking one another for information, evaluating one another’s ideas, monitoring one another’s work, etc.).^[1][2] Furthermore, the teacher's role changes from giving information to facilitating students' learning. ^[3][4]Everyone succeeds when the group succeeds.

5 basic and essential elements to cooperative learning:^{[11] [12]}
1. Positive interdependence

• Students must fully participate and put forth effort within their group

• Each group member has a task/role/responsibility therefore must believe that they are responsible for their learning and that of their group

2. Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction

• Member promote each others success

• Students explain to one another what they have or are learning and assist one another with understanding and completion of assignments

3. Individual Accountability

• Each student must demonstrate master of the content being studied

• Each student is accountable for their learning and work, therefore eliminating “social loafing”

4. Social Skills

• Social skills that must be taught in order for successful cooperative learning to occur

• Skills include effective communication, interpersonal and group skills

i. Leadership

ii. Decision-making

iii. Trust-building

iv. Communication

v. Conflict-management skills

5. Group Processing

• Every so often groups must assess their effectiveness and decide how it can be improved

In order for student achievement to improve considerably, two characteristics must be present a) Students are working towards a group goal or recognition and b) success is reliant on each individual’s learning^[13]

a. When designing cooperative learning tasks and reward structures, individual responsibility and accountability must be identified. Individuals must know exactly what their responsibilities are and that they are accountable to the group in order to reach their goal.

b. Positive Interdependence among students in the task. All group members must be involved in order for the group to complete the task. In order for this to occur each member must have a task that they are responsible for which cannot be completed by any other group member.

[edit] Research supporting cooperative learning

Research on cooperative learning demonstrated “overwhelmingly positive” results and confirmed that cooperative modes are cross-curricular.^[14] Cooperative learning requires students to engage in group activities that increase learning and adds other important dimensions.^[11] The positive outcomes include: academic gains, improved race relations and increased personal and social development.^[11] Brady & Tsay (2010) report that students who fully participated in group activities, exhibited collaborative behaviours, provided constructive feedback and cooperated with their group had a higher likelihood of receiving higher test scores and course grades at the end of the semester. Results from Brady & Tsay’s (2010) study support the notion that cooperative learning is an active pedagogy that fosters higher academic achievement (p. 85).
Slavin states the following regarding research on cooperative learning which corresponds with Brady & Tsay’s (2010) findings.^[13]

• Students demonstrate academic achievement
• Cooperative learning methods are usually equally effective for all ability levels.
• Cooperative learning is affective for all ethnic groups
• Student perceptions of one another are enhanced when given the opportunity to work with one another
• Cooperative learning increases self esteem and self concept
• Ethnic and physically/mentally handicapped barriers are broken down allowing for positive interactions and friendships to occur

According to Siltala cooperative learning is significant in business field. ^[15]

• Cooperative learning can be seen as characteristic for innovation businesses.
• The five stage division on cooperative learning creates a useful method of analysing learning in innovation businesses.
• Innovativity connected to cooperative learning seems to make the creation of innovations possible.

[edit] Limitations

Cooperative Learning has many limitations that could cause the process to be more complicated then first perceived. Sharan (2010) discusses the issue regarding the constant evolution of cooperative learning is discussed as a threat. Due to the fact that cooperative learning is constantly changing, there is the possibility that teachers may become confused and lack complete understanding of the method. Teachers implementing cooperative learning may also be challenged with resistance and hostility from students who believe that they are being held back by their slower teammates or by students who are less confident and feel that they are being ignored or demeaned by their team.^[7]

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