Cooperative Learning technique:

How Does it Work?

In order for Cooperative learning groups to be successful, the teacher and students must all
play their part. The teacher's role is to play the part as facilitator and observer, while the st
udents must work together to complete the task.

Use the following guidelines to achieve Cooperative learning success:

Arrange students heterogeneously in groups as few as two and no more than six.
Assign each member of the group a specific role such as: recorder, observer, book keeper, r
esearcher, time keeper, etc. Monitor each groups progress and teach skills necessary for tas
k completion.
Evaluate each group based upon how well they worked together and completed the task.

Common Techniques

1. JigSaw
The jigsaw classroom is a cooperative learning technique with a three-decade track record
of successfully reducing racial conflict and increasing positive educational outcomes. Just as
in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece--each student's part--is essential for the completion and full
understanding of the final product. If each student's part is essential, then each student is
essential; and that is precisely what makes this strategy so effective.
Here is how it works: The students in a history class, for example, are divided into small
groups of five or six students each. Suppose their task is to learn about World War II. In one
jigsaw group, Sara is responsible for researching Hitler's rise to power in pre-war Germany.
Another member of the group, Steven, is assigned to cover concentration camps; Pedro is
assigned Britain's role in the war; Melody is to research the contribution of the Soviet
Union; Tyrone will handle Japan's entry into the war; Clara will read about the development
of the atom bomb.
Eventually each student will come back to her or his jigsaw group and will try to present a
well-organized report to the group. The situation is specifically structured so that the only
access any member has to the other five assignments is by listening closely to the report of
the person reciting. Thus, if Tyrone doesn't like Pedro, or if he thinks Sara is a nerd and
tunes her out or makes fun of her, he cannot possibly do well on the test that follows.
to increase the chances that each report will be accurate, the students doing the research
do not immediately take it back to their jigsaw group. Instead, they meet first with students
who have the identical assignment (one from each jigsaw group). For example, students
assigned to the atom bomb topic meet as a team of specialists, gathering information,
becoming experts on their topic, and rehearsing their presentations. We call this the
"expert" group. It is particularly useful for students who might have initial difficulty learning
or organizing their part of the assignment, for it allows them to hear and rehearse with
other "experts."
Once each presenter is up to speed, the jigsaw groups reconvene in their initial
heterogeneous configuration. The atom bomb expert in each group teaches the other group
members about the development of the atom bomb. Each student in each group educates
the whole group about her or his specialty. Students are then tested on what they have
learned about World War II from their fellow group member.
What is the benefit of the jigsaw classroom? First and foremost, it is a remarkably efficient
way to learn the material. But even more important, the jigsaw process encourages
listening, engagement, and empathy by giving each member of the group an essential part
to play in the academic activity. Group members must work together as a team to
accomplish a common goal; each person depends on all the others. No student can succeed
completely unless everyone works well together as a team. This "cooperation by design"
facilitates interaction among all students in the class, leading them to value each other as
contributors to their common task.


2. Think-Pair-Share
The think, pair, share strategy is a cooperative learning technique that encourages individual
participation and is applicable across all grade levels and class sizes. Students think through
questions using three distinct steps:
I. Think: Students think independently about the question that has been posed,
forming ideas of their own.
II. Pair: Students are grouped in pairs to discuss their thoughts. This step allows
students to articulate their ideas and to consider those of others.
III. Share: Student pairs share their ideas with a larger group, such as the whole class.
Often, students are more comfortable presenting ideas to a group with the support
of a partner. In addition, students' ideas have become more refined through this
three-step process.
Students need many opportunities to talk in a linguistically rich environment. Researchers
have found that students' learning is enhanced when they have many opportunities to
elaborate on ideas through talk (Pressley 1992).
The think, pair, share strategy increases the kinds of personal communications that are
necessary for students to internally process, organize, and retain ideas (Pimm 1987).
In sharing their ideas, students take ownership of their learning and negotiate meanings
rather than rely solely on the teacher's authority (Cobb et al. 1991).
Additional benefits of using the think, pair, share strategy include the positive changes in
students' self-esteem that occur when they listen to one another and respect others' ideas.
Students have the opportunity to learn higher-level thinking skills from their peers, gain the
extra time or prompting they may need, and gain confidence when reporting ideas to the
whole class. In addition, the "pair" step of the strategy ensures that no student is left out of
the discussion. Even a student who is uncomfortable discussing his or her ideas with the
whole class still has an audience in this step. Finally, while the strategy may appear to be
time-consuming, it makes classroom discussions more productive, as students have already
had an opportunity to think about their ideas before plunging into whole-class
conversations.
The think, pair, share strategy is ideal for teachers and students who are new to
collaborative learning. It can be used in a variety of contexts. However, to be effective,
students must consider a question or issue. It could be a complex question, such as, "What
do you think were the key issues that led to World War I?" It could be a more
straightforward request, such as, "Create a pattern that could be described as 'a, b, a, b.'"
As students consider the question or issue, they should derive some benefit from thinking
about it further with partners, such as when there are multiple correct answers to a
question. For instance, in the previous example, students could provide many examples of
"a, b, a, b" patterns and seeing multiple answers will reinforce this concept. On the other
hand, providing students with questions that have only one correct response, such as,
"What is 5 + 2?" soon becomes tedious to students, as there is not much to share with
partners or the whole class.
The "think" step may require students merely to be quiet for a few moments and ponder
their thoughts about the question. They may write some thoughts in response to the
question.
Some teachers find it helpful to set a time limit for the "think" and "pair" steps of the
strategy. If you choose to do this, be sure to give students an idea of how much time they
will have. Remember to allow sufficient time during the "pair" step to allow both students
to talk about their thoughts.
In the "share" step of the strategy, students can share their ideas in several ways. One way
is to have all students stand, and after each student responds, he or she sits down, as does
any student with a similar response. This continues until everyone is seated. Another way is
to move quickly through the class, having students respond quickly, one after the other, or
to have a class vote. Responses can be recorded on an overhead projector or on a graphic
organizer for future discussions. Another variation is to stop after the "pair" step, and have
students write their ideas. Collect students' responses and assess any problems in
understanding.

3. Round Robin
Students are placed into a group of four to six people. Then one person is assigned to be the
recorder of the group. Next, the group is assigned a question that has multiple answers
to it. Each student goes around the table and answers the question while the recorder write
s down their answers.

4. Numbered Heads
Each group member is given a number (1, 2, 3, 4, etc). The teacher then asks the class a que
stion and each group must come together to find an answer. After the time is up the teache
r calls a number and only the student with that number may answer the question.

5. Team-Pair-Solo
Students work together in a group to solve a problem. Next they work with a partner to solv
e a problem, and finally they work by themselves to solve a problem. This strategy uses the t
heory that students can solve more problems with help then they can alone. Students then
progress to the point that they can solve the problem on their own only after first being in a
team and then paired with a partner.


6. Three Step Review
The teacher predetermines groups before a lesson. Then, as the lesson progresses, the teac
her stops and gives groups three minutes to review what was taught and ask each other any
questions they may have.