=sometimes called small-group learning, is an

instructional strategy in which small groups of

students work together on a common task.
There are five basic elements that allow successful
small-group learning:
1. Positive interdependence:
Students feel responsible for their own and the
group's effort.
2. Face-to-face interaction:
Students encourage and support one another; the
environment encourages discussion and eye contact.
3. Individual and group accountability:
Each student is responsible for doing their part; the group
is accountable for meeting its goal.

4. Group behaviors:
Group members gain direct instruction in the interpersonal,
social, and collaborative skills needed to work with others
occurs.
5. Group processing:
Group members analyze their own and the group's ability
to work together.
Cooperative learning changes students' and teachers' roles in
classrooms. The ownership of teaching and learning is shared by
groups of students, and is no longer the sole responsibility of the
teacher. The authority of setting goals, assessing learning, and
facilitating learning is shared by all. Students have more
opportunities to actively participate in their learning, question
and challenge each other, share and discuss their ideas, and
internalize their learning. Along with improving academic
learning, cooperative learning helps students engage in
thoughtful discourse and examine different perspectives, and it
has been proven to increase students' self-esteem, motivation,
and empathy.
Why Is It Important?
=The authors of Classroom Instruction that Works cite research
showing that organizing students in cooperative learning groups can
lead to a gain as high as 28 percentiles in measured student
achievement (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock 2001).
=Other researchers report that cooperation typically results in
higher group and individual achievement, healthier relationships
with peers, more metacognition, and greater psychological health
and self-esteem (Johnson and Johnson 1989).
=When implemented well, cooperative learning encourages
achievement, student discussion, active learning, student
confidence, and motivation. The skills students develop while
collaborating with others are different from the skills students
develop while working independently.
 =Using cooperative groups to accomplish academic tasks not only
provides opportunities for students to develop interpersonal skills
but also gives them authentic experiences that will help them be
successful in their future careers.
What's in It for My Fire Alarm
Students?
Ability grouping is when all the “low-ability” students are placed
in one group, all the “high-ability” students are placed in another
group, and all the “medium-ability” students are placed in a third
group (for years elementary teachers would put students into three
reading groups—the “Bluebirds,” the “Redbirds,” and the
“Blackbirds,” for example). Today, we know that such grouping
practices promote inequality and are counterproductive to the learning
process.
 Based on the experiences of thousands of classroom teachers,
these are the benefits of cooperative learning:
1. Student achievement.
The effects on student achievement are positive and long-lasting,
regardless of grade level or subject matter.
2. Student retention.
Students are more apt to stay in school and not drop out because their
contributions are solicited, respected, and celebrated.
3. Improved relations.
One of the most positive benefits is that students who cooperate with
each other also tend to understand and like each other more. This is
particularly true for members of different ethnic groups. Relationships
between students with learning disabilities and other students in the class
improve dramatically as well.
 4. Improved critical thinking skills.

More opportunities for critical thinking skills are provided, and students
show a significant improvement in those thinking skills.
5. Oral communication improvement.
Students improve in their oral communication skills with members of
their peer group.
6. Promoted social skills. Students' social skills are enhanced.

7. Heightened self-esteem.

When students' work is valued by team members, their individual self-

esteem and respect escalate dramatically.
Teaching with Cooperative Learning
four-step process:
1. Presentation of content.
•In Lesson Methodologies, I talked about the ways in
which you can present information to your students.
These instructional activities must be done prior to
any cooperative learning activity. Cooperative learning
is not a self-instruction model, but rather a way for
students to “mess around” with previously presented
material. In short, cooperative learning comes after
you've taught something to your students.
 2. Teamwork.
•This is the time—after you've taught the new
material—when students are engaged in a
cooperative learning activity. The cooperative
learning strategy (Jigsaw, STAD, Think-pair-share,
Numbered heads) is selected and explained to the
entire class. Students are divided into various teams
(using the criteria previously explained) and provided
sufficient time to complete their assigned duties.
 3. Individual assessment.
•In cooperative learning, the objective is not the
production of a single set of correct answers for the
entire group but rather the development and
enhancement of each member's achievement.
Although members of the team work together to
master information, each individual member must
be assessed in relation to her or his mastery of the
content. In short, everybody is tested in line with
her or his achievement potential.
 4. Team recognition.
•It's most appropriate to recognize and celebrate the efforts
of the team as a whole. It's equally important to celebrate the
efforts of the team to assist individual members in learning a
specific body of knowledge. These ceremonies can be either
public or private. Teachers have rewarded teams with an extra
recess, a “homework pass,” a snack, a certificate or award, or
some other appropriate reward. In many cases, the reward
can be as simple as a classroom cheer or extended series of
high fives.
Thank you for listening!