COOPERATIVE LEARNING
The Cooperative Learning Concept
What is cooperative learning
How to distinguish a Cooperative Group
Components of Cooperation
Resultados
Previous Decisions
Interdependence in Teaching Resources: Puzzles; Team-Games-Tournaments.
The Assignment of Roles
Positive Interdependence
The Cooperative Class
A true educational innovation does not depend solely on the use of ICT in the classroom, but must have a pedagogical sense.
That is why many of the most exciting innovations do not depend on technology. And among all of them, today we want to highlight a working methodology in the classroom that is on the rise and that is, in our view, very interesting. We talk about cooperative learning.
Language teaching and learning method in which classes are organized so that the student works in small groups within which relationships of positive interdependence and social interaction are established, responsibilities and objectives are shared in the teaching-learning processes, and also learning objectives; The results arise from the cooperation between the different components of the group.
Each individual is a fundamental piece within the group and when this makes progress the group also progresses; In this way, they increase their self-esteem and self-confidence, while collaboration strengthens the relationships between the members of the group.
Cooperative Learning is a generic term used to refer to a group of teaching procedures that start from the organization of the class in small mixed and heterogeneous groups where students work together in a coordinated way with each other to solve academic tasks and deepen their own learning.
Two reference authors, the brothers David and Roger Jonhson, both social psychologists, have defined it as that learning situation in which the objectives of the participants are closely linked, in such a way that each of them "can only achieve their goals. objectives if and only if others manage to achieve theirs ".
This way of working must always meet the following characteristics:
- The organization of the class in small mixed and heterogeneous groups where students work together in a coordinated way with each other.
- The objectives of the participants must be closely linked, in such a way that each of them can only achieve their objectives if, and only if, the others manage to achieve theirs.
- It must be a carefully designed system of interactions that organizes and induces reciprocal influence among the members of a team.
For group work to be considered cooperative learning, it must include the following essential elements:
Positive interdependence
It arises when the members of the group realize that their work is linked to that of others and the success in achieving their objectives depends on the work of all the members of the team, in such a way that the final objective of the task cannot be achieved if one fails. So everyone will need the involvement of others.
Individual and group responsibility
To achieve this success, which depends on all members, a group commitment is necessary, where everyone assumes responsibility for achieving the group objectives, and an individual commitment where each one will be responsible for their own objectives. We thus avoid the diffusion of responsibilities and a very common evil in group work carried out with other methodologies, in such a way that no one can take advantage of the work of others.
Stimulating interaction
Increase the possibilities of interaction through interpersonal dynamics. Students must promote the success of others by sharing, helping, supporting and encouraging their fellow group members, in such a way that the works are produced thanks to the effort and joint contributions, based on commitment and respect for the other.
Interpersonal and group skills
Cooperative learning goes beyond learning any subject. Students must acquire interpersonal and group work skills. They must communicate, make decisions, resolve conflicts, organize and support each other. All these competencies will also be the responsibility of the teacher, thus promoting comprehensive training.
Group assessment
Students will also have to take responsibility for the evaluation process. Time will be set aside to jointly reflect on the extent to which they are achieving their goals and working relationships in a sincere, respectful and critical way, so that they will have to make decisions about what they need to readjust or improve.
In this sense, the use of rubrics and metacognition techniques, such as thinking routines, is very practical.
Through this methodology we promote values such as tolerance, respect and equality, and the capacity for reflection and a critical sense. For this reason, it is a great methodology that will allow us to work in an integrated way the Key Competences, being a continuous learning throughout the process, beyond the achievement of the final objective, so that “the student's learning will be carried out as along the road they will travel together ”.
As always, we invite you to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments, and we invite you to return to EdInTech in our future posts on cooperative learning.
In addition, for group work to be considered cooperative learning, it must include the following essential elements:
• Positive interdependence. ...
• Individual and group responsibility. ...
• Stimulating interaction. ...
• Interpersonal and group skills. ...
• Group evaluation.
The positive interdependence of resources when students share or distribute the necessary material to develop the task.
Students depend on each other to get their work done. ...
Positive interdependence of functions is achieved through the assignment of cooperative roles within the group.
One of the most characteristic aspects are the roles that students acquire within their team. Depending on who you read or the training course you go to, they can vary, but usually they are: spokesperson, moderator, observer, coordinator, delivery person, referee ... Depending on the reality of your classroom, you always choose those that best suit your students.
A very important aspect to take into account is that they must be heterogeneous. Therefore, we take into account: performance, gender, ethnic group, educational needs, attitudes and behaviors ... when creating a group. Thus, it is recommended that the groups are formed by the tutors who are the ones who know your students the most.
The ideal is to form groups of four students, so communication is easier and more fluid between them. In large classes the tutors usually form groups of five as well.
It consists of raising the need that the members of a group have to work together to carry out the work entrusted. ... This positive interdependence creates a commitment to the success of others, in addition to your own, which is the foundation of cooperative learning.
Cooperative learning activities stimulate peer interaction, which helps with language development and the learning of concepts and content. It is important to assign students to different teams so that they can benefit from the models you work on.