Cooperative Learning » Continued
Three Theoretical Perspectives.
- Behavioral - Groups stimulate and punish
Groups offer more pros than they do cons.
- Cognitive / Constructivist - Knowledge and Learning are social in nature.
Learning comes from figuring out unexpected occurrences together
- Social Interdependence
- Cooperative
- Group as a 'dynamic whole'
- Positive Tension
- High levels of interaction
- Competitive
- Negative Tension
Four Types of Cooperative Learning.
- Formal
- Teacher-planned
- Learners given explicit roles and goals.
- Learners monitored.
- Learners prompted to reflect on process, personal and group contributions.
- Groups may exist for one class period or several weeks.
- Informal
- Temporary groups with short-term goals.
- Less structure...
- Base Groups
- Long-term (months to a year)
- General support for overall academic success
- Academic Controversy
- Elicit controversy between students.
- State case for each side
- Withstand questioning from opposing viewpoint.
- Come to consensus.
Grouping - Heterogeneous vs. Homogeneous Grouping.
| Heterogeneous Groups |
Homogeneous Groups |
- High Achievers never lose
- Usually better
- Male/Female pairs most off task
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- Low Achievers fastest to quit
- More interaction in all female groups than all male
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Benefits of Cooperative Grouping:
- Increased Self Efficacy
- Increased Retention
- Higher Motivation
- Preference for Future Coop-Learning Episodes
Building Better Groups:
- Outcome Interdependence - Goal attainment depends on group
- Means Interdependence- Members carry out vital, distinct yet overlapping roles
- Individual Accountability
- Feedback from members
- When needed assistance
- Reassign tasks to promote balance
- Task Complexity- Task is too complex for any single member to complete it.
Competing Paradigms - Cooperative vs. Collaborative learning.
- Normally used interchangeably.
- Cooperative learning can imply more structure than collaborative learning.
Cooperative Vs Competitive Learning:
- In Cooperative Learning, learners must work together in order to succeed
and personal success only springs from group success.
- In Competitive Learning, in order to succeed, other learners must fail.
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