Learning Strategies

©2018 by University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Learning Strategies PPT, sponsored by the U.S Department of State and administered
by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit
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In this presentation, we will look at different strategies
and instructional tools instructors can use to assist
students in their learning process and also practice
learner autonomy.

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
 What is cooperative learning?
• Established by Dr. Spencer Kagan (1994,
cooperative learning is a classroom
structure where teachers provide
activities and opportunities for learners to
work together in small groups rather than
individually.
• It is a good strategy because it:
• creates an effective environment for learning
• fosters student engagement
• maximizes participation and collaboration “Untitled” by John Hain via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

• can be used with any content

• motivates learners
• supports students of different levels
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Why cooperative learning?
• According to Kagan, instruction
should move from the traditional
lecture approach to a collaborative,
group work approach.
• Students are forced to engage with
each other and the course content
with more motivation.
• Students also retain the
information better and are more
actively involved than when they
are simply passive learners in a “Untitled” by TeroVesalainen via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
lecture.
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
 Grouping in Cooperative Learning
Controlled
Personality
• Judith Rance-Roney affiliation
Shared
(2010) presents many Language
proficiency
first-
ways students can be language
grouped for effective
learning and Fixed vs.
flexible
Academic
instruction groups
orientation

• To avoid challenges
that cooperative Decisions to
learning may bring, it Group size
make when Group
is important to think making roles

about these concepts: groups

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
 Grouping Strategies (Rance-Roney, 2010)
• Rotate students in groups regularly based on learning goals and activities
• Keep proficiency level List to easily match students to similar levels
• Design multiple response formats (i.e. beginner students answer an easier
question while advanced students answer a more difficult question)
• Assign a group leader who possess leadership, negotiation and high task-
orientation traits to help facilitate learning and activities
• Choose other roles based on students’ personality traits such as a note-taker,
a reporter, a language monitor and a time monitor
• Group learners based on their first-language to help students master more
difficult content using their L1
• Think about the academic background of each student so learners can help
each other with difficult concepts
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Cooperative learning challenges (Rhoades, 2013)
• Chaos
• Students and teachers may feel overwhelmed with the amount of work and
independence needed to complete group work
• Unnecessary chatter
• Students may engage in private conversations not related to the subject
• Noise
• Group work may increase the noise levels in the classroom disturbing groups in the
class as well as other classrooms
• Time
• It might take valuable class time to group students into the most effective groups for
each activity

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Avoid grouping challenges (Rhoades, 2013)
• Form groups of four so that student
absences have less of an impact on group
work.
• Move desks before class begins to minimize
the disturbances during class.
• Have students sit in pairs so that they only
need to turn around instead of move their
desk.
• Collect student information (e.g. name,
likes, dislikes, hometown, language, etc.) at
the beginning of the year to easily form
groups during the year
• Record student groups on cards to avoid
repeat groups later in the year
“Untitled” by Wokandapix via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

• Rotate groups throughout the year so that

students get new ideas and opportunities to
work together
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Learner strategies: Instructional tools

• To directly take control of their

own learning journeys,
teachers can utilize the
following tools in the
classroom:
• Graphic organizers
• Weekly learning logs
• Student checklists
“Untitled” by TeroVesalainen via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Instructional Tool #1: Graphic Organizers

• What is a graphic organizer?

• Visual maps
• Help teachers and students “map
out” ideas and concepts in a
visual way
• Why should we use them?
• Provides an easier, hands-on way
to facilitate instruction
• When should we use them?
• Before, during and after “Untitled” by TeroVesalainen via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

instruction (i.e. charts, graphs,

story maps, mind maps)
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Instructional Tool #2: Weekly Learning Logs

• What is a weekly learning log?

• Informal assessments of
learning
• Students fill them out based on
what they learned by the end of
the day, week, etc.
• Why should we use them?
• Helps students organize their
learning and understand what “Weekly Learning Log ” by University of Maryland Baltimore County is licensed under CCBY 4.0 for

and how much they are learning use in the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State

• When should we use them?

• After learning to assess progress
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Instructional Tool #3: Student Checklists
• What is a student checklist?
• A list of tasks that students
need to complete by the end of
an assignment
• Why should we use them?
• To make sure students
understand their expectations
and that they complete all parts
of an assignment
• When should we use them?
• Before, during and after
activities
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State
“Student Checklists” by University of Maryland Baltimore County is
administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
licensed under CCBY 4.0, for use in AE E-teacher program, sponsored by
Maryland Baltimore County the U.S. Department of State.
 How to plan for a change from passive to
active learning
• Think about the needs of your learners
• Create opportunities for cooperative learning and interaction
• Include activities that integrate all four language
• Implement activities that require critical thinking and problem solving
• Include alternative ways to test/assess learners

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
Conclusion
• To encourage learner autonomy and have students use instructional
tools in the classroom, it is important to promote a culture of learning
by:
• asking and answering more advanced questions
• encouraging students to reflect of their learning process
• share ideas amongst teachers and students
• learn from one another using cooperative learning techniques
• make mistakes and solve problems together

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
As an English language teacher, how can you include
the cooperative strategies and learning tools from
this presentation into your instructional activities?

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County
References (OER)
• Rance-Roney, J. (2010). Reconceptualizing Interactional Groups: Grouping Schemes for Maximizing Language Learning.
Retrieved January 13, 2018 from https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/10-48-1-d.pdf.
• Rhoades, G. (2013). Minimizing the Chaos through Cooperative Classroom Management. Retrieved January 13, 2018 from
https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files
rhoades_minimizing_the_chaos_through_cooperative_classroom_management.pdf.

References (Copyrighted)
This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public Domain or Creative
Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use. Please do not save a copy for your personal use, and do not use it after the course ends.
• Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative learning. San Clemente: Resources for Teachers.
• O'Malley, J.M., Chamot, A.U., Stewner-Manzanares, G., Kupper, Russo, R.P. (1985). 'Learning strategies used by beginning and
intermediate ESL students', Language Learning, 35, 21-46 .
• Richards, J.C., and Bolhke, D. (2011). Developing learner-centered teaching in Creating Effective Language Lessons. Cambridge
University Press, New York, NY.

This is a program of the U.S. Department of State

administered by FHI 360 and delivered by University of
Maryland Baltimore County