Cooperative+Learning



====__**Cooperative Learning:**__ Allows students to come together to learn in groups of various sizes, this depends on the teachers strategies and goals. Students are able to work with or without a teacher's supervision depending on the students grade level, the teachers assignment, and maturity level. Cooperative Learning allows students to brainstorm together, and engage in discussions.====

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====Effective cooperative learning occurs when students work together to accomplish shared goals and when positive structures are in place to support a process. (Johnson & Johnson, 1998-1999) reported that there are three types of collaborative groups: formal learning groups, informal learning groups, and study groups.====


 * ====**__Formal Learning:__** Allows students to interact during an assignment, such as doing a scavenger hunt, finding answers while completing a writing assignment.====


 * ====**__Informal Learning:__** A teacher would use this method when teaching directly to students (lectures, demonstrations) to focus the students attention on the material that is being taught. As well as allow students to interact briefly to discuss the topic.====


 * ====**__Study Groups:__** This a long-term group whose primary purpose is to provide support, encouragement, and assistance to each other to progress academically.====

====Some students may lack communication skills, decision-making, or may not be prepared to work in a group; some may not know how to work in one of the three environments, so as a teacher you must proceed with caution as well as purposefully.====

====Cooperative Learning is successful for teachers ho have allowed students to work in groups. Students are more likely to easily understand subjects when working in groups than they would working alone. It is also a proven fact that students who work in groups are more likely to be able to retain the information they have learned. This is due to being able to discuss the topic amongst other students, and listening to other ways of how information was found.====

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 * ==== promote student learning and academic achievement ====
 * ==== increase student retention ====
 * ==== enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience ====
 * ==== help students develop skills in oral communication ====
 * ==== develop students' social skills ====
 * ==== promote student self-esteem ====
 * ==== help to promote positive race relations ====


 * ====//__Partners__//- The class is divided into teams of four. Partners move to one side of the room. Half of each team is given an assignment to master to be able to teach the other half. Partners work to learn and can consult with other partners working on the same material. Teams go back together with each set of partners teaching the other set. Partners quiz and tutor teammates. Team reviews how well they learned and taught and how they might improve the process.====


 * ====__//Think-Pair Share//__ - Involves a three step cooperative structure. During the first step individuals think silently about a question posed by the instructor. Individuals pair up during the second step and exchange thoughts. In the third step, the pairs share their responses with other pairs, other teams, or the entire group.====

**__Conclusion:__**
====When using cooperative learning techniques inside the classroom, teachers said that the experience was rewarding. Group methods left students with three important feelings:team reward, individual accountability as well as equal opportunity, and conversational learning. Students were given more reinforcement opportunity, and reduced stress through resource, students had also felt a role of interdependence. When put in a group students had a feeling of sink or swim together (Slave 1991a; Johnson & Johnson 1998). When students are provided with opportunities to interact with each other in a variety of ways their learning is enhanced. These activities support the ideas that there should be a variety of criteria to group students; that there should be formal, informal and base groups and that the size of learning groups should be continually monitored. To learn more about cooperative learning, click on Research and Implementation Strategies. ====