CTE Home >> Resources >> Online Resources >> New Faculty Resource Guide >> Cooperative Learning
Cooperative Learning
Cooperative learning is the use of small student groups in the classroom; students work together in a variety of ways to increase their learning.
Cooperative learning can be used:
- As a stand-alone activity to improve understanding of specific content and improve critical thinking skills
- During lecture to improve critical thinking and understanding of content
- As generalized support during the university experience.
Has cooperative learning been shown to be effective?
Yes. Multiple research studies show cooperative learning helps students both understand disciplinary content and form higher-level thinking skills.
Before the class starts, the instructor should:
- Determine the course objectives
- Determine student assessment techniques
- Consider group assessments versus individual assessments
- Decide if cooperative learning can be used to meet course objectives and if so:
- How it can be used
- How often it can be used
- Supports the students will need to maximize their learning
- Peer reviews
- Formation of group rules and roles
- Amount and detail of instruction
- Formal versus informal discussion of progress with the instructor
- Amount of reflection on metacognitive strategies
- Types of activities for the students to perform as part of cooperative learning
- Problems to solve
- Questions to answer
- Experiences and information to share
- Projects or papers to create
- Decide group size and formation
During the first class the instructor should:
- Arrange the room as needed
- Review the course syllabus (or use the syllabus review as an icebreaker)
- Thoroughly explain the reason for cooperative learning
- Thoroughly explain the procedure for cooperative learning
- Make a good first impression on the students
During the first meeting of the student groups, the instructor should:
- Thoroughly explain the reason for cooperative learning
- Thoroughly explain the procedure for cooperative learning
- Perform an icebreaker, if not done previously
- Have the students create group rules
- Assign roles, if the instructor decides to use roles
- Monitor the groups for success, intervening only when necessary. Intervene by asking leading questions.
During subsequent classes the instructor should:
- Thoroughly explain the reason for cooperative learning
- Monitor groups to insure cooperative effort, understanding of roles and task, and understanding of disciplinary content
- Intervene if necessary, first by asking leading questions
- Praise good work
During the final group meeting, the instructor should:
- Provide closure by having students report or summarize their findings
- Debrief with each group individually to monitor group process
See these website pages:
The type of activity chosen depends on:
- Students: number, year of study
- Purpose of the class
- Purpose of the unit of study
- Learning objectives
- Your skill as a group facilitator
Types of activities:
- Questions that require higher-level thinking, such as comprehension and application
- Case studies
- Problem-based learning
- Think-pair-share activities
- Pairs of students reviewing each other’s notes
- The University of Wisconsin Collaborative Learning website:
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/archive/cl1/CL/default.asp
- Changing a course from lecture to cooperative learning (McManus)
http://depts.washington.edu/cidrweb/resources/CooperativeLearning.html
- Effective Strategies for Cooperative Learning (Felder and Brent)
http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/Papers/CLStrategies(JCCCT).pdf
- Working in Groups (Harvard University)
http://bokcenter.harvard.edu/docs/wigintro.html
