Cooperative

Learning
BY:
ESTANDARTE, DIANE MARIE
ESCALA, STEPHANIE JOY
GERALI, MARY KRISTIN

Cooperative Learning
(Lindauer & Petrie, 1997)
based on the principle that
learners work with each
other and are responsible
for not only their own
knowledge but as well as
their group members.

Types of Cooperative Learning

Formal

Cooperative learning group

- Are more useful in academic setting rather in

service or patient
education situation (e.g.,
assigning groups of students to develop a proposal for
a clinical research study)
Informal

Cooperative learning group

- Can be used in any setting (e.g., teaching about

the childbirth experience to a group of parents-to-be)

Types of Cooperative Learning

Base

Cooperative learning group

- could be applied easily to new staff orientation

or teacher-ship programs (e.g., new registered
nurses being oriented to a new health care facility.)

Types of Cooperative Learning

Groups
Formal Groups

Informal
Groups

Base Groups

Purpose

To complete a
specific
learning task
consisting of
concepts or
skills

To enhance
understanding
of a specific
unit of
information; to
make
connection to
prior learning

To provide
encouragement and to
monitor progress
throughout the learning
experience

Length of
Existence

One class to
many weeks

No more than
one class, and
perhaps for
only a few
minutes during
a class

The length of the

learning experience,
usually long term

Advantages of Cooperative
Learning
Group

members learn to function as a part of a

team.
Working

in a group for any length of time can

teach or enhance social skills

Cooperative

learning groups can help to

address individual learning needs and learning
style (Huff,1997)

Critical

thinking is promoted (Zafuto,1997)

Disadvantages of Cooperative
Learning
There

are no significant disadvantages to

cooperative learning except:

1. If you use class time in cooperative

learning, you wont be able to cover all the
content.
2. Some learners would much prefer working
individually rather than in groups.

Grading in Cooperative Learning

1.

Provide opportunities for self and peer

evaluations. Students can be given rating
forms for themselves and their peers. Each
students effort and performance
can be
rated and then averaged

2.

Contract with each group as to which portions

of the work will be done by each individual.
An individual grade can then be assigned to
each portion of the project.

Grading in Cooperative Learning

3. Assign a group grade for the project. The
amount of weigh give to the group grade can
vary depending on the other grade components.
4. Give bonus points to each group member if
each persons individual grade surpasses their
grades on previous projects or exams.

Research on Cooperative Learning

Cooperative

learning
produces
higher
achievement levels than do individualistic or
competitive learning approaches.

Outcome

measures
of
achievement
are
knowledge gain, retention of knowledge, problemsolving, reading, mathematics and procedural
tasks, all of which show increases with CL.

Other

outcomes found are increased self-esteem,

improved
attitude
toward
learning,
social
competence, and decreased anxiety in learning

Research on Cooperative Learning

Cooperative

learning has been found to be a costeffective strategy.

Effectiveness

of cooperative learning has been

found in all age groups and levels of education,
both sexes, all nationalities studied, and all
economic groups.

Effects

have been equally good for learners at all

ability levels.

CL

has a level of validity and generalizability

beyond that seen in most educational research.

Why is Cooperative Learning

effective?
Natasi and Clements (1991) suggests 3 reasons:
To

learn something is to try to teach it to someone

else.

As

learners listen to each other, they work to make

sense of what each is saying and then they build on
these ideas, thus adding to their cognitive
schemata.

As

learners within a group disagree with each

other, they seek to reduce cognitive dissonance
and, therefore,
end up synthesizing divergent