Social Learning Theories promotes “students actively engaged in constructing artifacts and conversing with others” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). Cooperative Learning is an instructional strategy in which students are actively engaged, working together to accomplish a group goal. Students learn through social conversation, dialog and interaction with each other.
There are three phases in implementing Cooperative Learning (Palmer, Peters, & Streetman, 2003, p. 4). Pre-Implementation is the initial stage in which the teacher must decide on the objectives, groups, tasks, and rubrics. There are strategies such as Jigsaw, Pair-Share, and Numbered Heads that help in forming groups (Palmer, Peters, & Streetman, 2003, p.9-10). The second phase is implementation. Students are the center of this phase as they begin working together, learning towards the goal of completing a task. During the second phase, the teacher is a facilitator offering support, assistance, and praise while monitoring the groups. Lastly, post-implementation is where that teacher provides closure, students reflect, and the teacher evaluates the students learning.
Some of the benefits of cooperative learning are:
- social interaction
- support system (group members)
- safe learning environment (safety in numbers)
- teaches 21st century skills (team building, trust, time management, etc.)
- provides authentic assessment (peer reviews, observation, reflections)
However, I also see some challenges. One challenge is time. As a teacher, I struggle to find time to complete all that is required already. Time is needed to develop, create, and organize cooperative learning activities. A second challenge for me is the issue of management. In my little experience of trying cooperative/group work, it seems that one or maybe two people in a team do all that work. There needs to be a way to hold each team member responsible for learning and not just the group as a whole.
The benefits outweigh the challenges in my mind. I look forward to trying such strategies as Structure Problem-Solving, Send-a-Problem, and Drill Review Pairs (Palmer, Peters, & Streetman, 2003, p. 10). Cooperative Learning is a valid and useful instructional method. Social Learning Theory is a way that people construct meaning but not the only way.
References
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Social Learning Theories[Motion Picture]. In Walden University: Bridging Learning, Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Los Angeles: Author.
Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from http://projects.coe.ugs.edu/epltt//
Anna -
ReplyDeleteThere could never be enough time in the day to fulfill our duties of implementing a quality education. I agree that time is not on our side and it would take a big social change for administrators and leaders to support us with time issues. However, I think that only at first, upon the first year or so of group work implementation, is where we will have to make the biggest time sacrifices. After that, I think practice will make us more effecient and comfortable with cooperative work. I agree with you that the benefits outweigh the challenges! I will also try the strategies you mentioned. I think making mini-lessons out of potential problems like behavior will really help us deliver a good cooperative lesson.
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI, too, find that some of my cooperative learning opportunities are not successful due to weak management on my part. I was encouraged and motivated by the article on Cooperative Learning that detailed the important steps in each phase of implementation of a CL activity. That list will prove very helpful to me. In addition, I also realize the need for making each group member more responsible for equal effort and input, so that the success of the project rests on all members and is not determined by the work of only a few. I think the jigsaw strategy is one way to ensure each group member has shared responsibility and an assigned role for task completion. Having a rubric which details what is required of each assigned role will keep each individual member responsible. I think assessing both group work and individual contributions is important in social learning experiences.
Cristina,
ReplyDeleteI agree that only the first year or so of implementing cooperative projects will time be a big sacrifice. My hope is to introduce about maybe 4 projects this year, then gradually add more. I also hope to collaborate with colleagues who teach the same courses as I which will reduce the amount of time needed as well.
Anna
Jen,
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of using a rubric to make each team member accountable and responsible for the groups learning. Since I do so few cooperative learning activities, I typically do not assign roles to students. However, since I plan to implement more and more cooperative tasks, it seems important to create a rubric for each role with the groups. These role rubrics and learning how to balance the assessment between an individual and the group will be works in progress during this next school year.
Anna,
ReplyDeleteI think that your concerns over 1)finding time to create PBLs and 2)finding a way to ensure that all members are pulling their weight, are the two biggest concerns everyone has with cooperative learning, and probably why more of it isn't done regularly.
As far as finding time to create a PBL, I suppose the answer is to make one a year, and refine it as you go, each year taking notes at it's conclusion about what you would do differently the next time. I'd have a nice backlog of similar cooperative projects if I'd made one every year I was teaching! Wish I had.
As far as how to get past the "one or two kids doing all the work" conundrum, I wish I had the answer. When I did my group project, I gave the kids 3 grades: 50% from the role rubric I used, 25% from the "group grade" that everyone earned and 25% from an average of grades given by other members. I had each student give a grade to her or his colleagues and averaged them together for each kid. It was kind of a pain, and I'm not sure if I'd do it again, but the students seemed happy to have a voice. It helped that all of the work was done in class so I knew who had done what just from my observation.
Megan B.