5 Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning

8/13/2019 5 Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning

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Explanataion of the 5 Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning

"Just because you put students in groups doesn't mean they'll work as a team."

The first and most important element in structuring cooperative learning is positive

interdependence.

Positive interdependence is successfully structured when group members perceive that they

are linked with each other in a way that one cannot succeed unless everyone succeeds. Group goals

and tasks, therefore, must be designed and communicated to students in ways that make them believe

they sink or swim together. When positive interdependence is solidly structured, it highlights that a!

each group member's efforts are reuired and indispensable for group success and b! each group

member has a uniue contribution to make to the #oint effort because of his or her resources and$or

role and task responsibilities. %oing so creates a commitment to the success of group members as

well as one's own and is the heart of cooperative learning. &f there is no positive interdependence,there is no cooperation.

he nine ways in which positive interdependence can be structured are as follows(

Goal interdependence)he group has a common goal and every member of the team is

e*pected to achieve it.

&ncentive interdependence)+veryone receives the same reward but only if every member of

the team succeeds.

esource interdependence)esources, information, and material are limited so that studentsare obliged to work together and cooperate in sharing available resources.

-euence interdependence)he overall task is divided into a seuence of subtasks. &ndividual

group members perform their particular tasks as part of a predetermined order.

ole interdependence)+ach group member is assigned a role with specific responsibilities.

+ach role contributes to and supports the task's completion.

&dentity interdependence)he group establishes a mutual identity through a name, flag, logo,

or symbol. hese can be augmented by a group song or cheer.

utside force interdependence)he group, as a whole, competes against other groups.

-imulation interdependence)he group members imagine that they are in a situation or role

where they must collaborate to be successful.

+nvironmental interdependence)he group members work together within a specified

physical space, such as a section of the classroom.


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&nstructor's /ctions

-et up tasks which cannot be completed without input from each team member

eflect on the 0 positive interdependencies and how they can be incorporated into the lesson

/void(

/llowing one student to be carried by the others

/llowing one student to do the work for the group

1olding up one person or group as "best"

The second basic element of cooperative learning is promotive interaction, preferably face-to-

face.

-tudents need to do real work together in which they promote each other's success by sharing

resources and helping, supporting, encouraging, and applauding each other's efforts to achieve. here

are important cognitive activities and interpersonal dynamics that can only occur when students

promote each other's learning. his includes orally e*plaining how to solve problems, teaching one's

knowledge to others, checking for understanding, discussing concepts being learned, and connecting

present with past learning. +ach of those activities can be structured into group task directions and

procedures. %oing so helps ensure that cooperative learning groups are both an academic support

system every student has someone who is committed to helping him or her learn! and a personal

support system every student has someone who is committed to him or her as a person!. &t is throughpromoting each other's learning face)to)face that members become personally committed to each

other as well as to their mutual goals.

eacher /ctions(

Present instructions in visual and auditory ways in language student can understand!

2heck for understanding

%iscuss concepts being learned

2onnect present with past learning

The third basic element of cooperative learning is individual and group accountability.

wo levels of accountability must be structured into cooperative lessons. he group must be

accountable for achieving its goals and each member must be accountable for contributing his or her


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share of the work. &ndividual accountability e*ists when the performance of each individual is

assessed and the results are given back to the group and the individual in order to ascertain who

needs more assistance, support, and encouragement in learning. he purpose of cooperative learning

groups is to make each member a stronger individual in his or her right. -tudents learn together so

that they subseuently can gain greater individual competency.

eacher /ctions(

3eep the si4e of the group small. he smaller the si4e of the group, the greater the individual

accountability may be

Give an individual test to each student

andomly e*amine students orally by calling on one student to present his or her group's

work to the teacher in the presence of the group! or to the entire class

bserve each group and record the freuency with which each member contributes to thegroup's work

2olor code contributions

Process individual contributions

&ndividuals initial team decisions

/ssign one student in each group the role of checker. he checker asks other group members

to e*plain the reasoning and rationale underlying group answers

1ave students teach what they learned to someone else

/ssign roles, especially gatekeeper

5se structures like Jigsaw, 6umbered 1eads, oundtable, 2olor)2oded 2ards

7ase team scores on individual achievement

/void(

&ncluding group products, tests, discussions and decisions in which individual contributions

are not differentiated

The fourth basic element of cooperative learning is teaching students the reuired

interpersonal and small group s!ills.


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2ooperative learning is inherently more comple* than competitive or individualistic learning

because students have to engage simultaneously in task work learning academic sub#ect matter! and

teamwork functioning effectively as a group!. -ocial skills for effective cooperative work do not

magically appear when cooperative lessons are employed. &nstead, social skills must be taught to

students #ust as purposefully and precisely as academic skills. 8eadership, decision)making, trust)

building, communication, and conflict)management skills empower students to manage bothteamwork and task work successfully. -ince cooperation and conflict are inherently related see

Johnson 9 Johnson, :00;!, the procedures and skills for managing conflicts constructively are

especially important for the long)term success of learning groups. Procedures and strategies for

teaching students social skills may be found in Johnson :00:, :00

:00>!.

eacher =ocus(

1elp students develop social skills naturally or by specific teaching of the reuired skills in

the following areas(

8eadership, %ecision)making, rust)building, 2ommunication, 2onflict)management skills

Provide opportunities for students to ?naturally? use social skills in fun or high interest topics

each, model, chart, process provide feedback!, role play, and reinforce social skills,

/ssign roles and skills and teach associated response modes and gambits.

/void(

Placing students in situations before they have appropriate skills, e.g., placing them inconflict before they have conflict resolution skills

The fifth basic element of cooperative learning is group processing.

Group processing e*ists when group members discuss how well hey are achieving their goals

and maintaining effective working relationships. Groups need to describe what member actions are

helpful and unhelpful and make decisions about what behaviors to continue or change. 2ontinuous

improvement of the processes of learning results from the careful analysis of how members are

working together and determining how group effectiveness can be enhanced.

eacher /ctions(

1ave group members discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining

effective working relationships

%escribe what member actions are helpful and not helpful


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@ake decisions about what behaviors to continue or change

/void(

elling students to discuss, cooperate, practice, or produce a product without providing

structures, models, and norms to reflect on

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5 Basic Elements of Cooperative Learning