cooperative learning: overview (johnson, johnson & holubec)

If you wish, check out my intro to this book, Cooperative Learning in the Classroom, by Johnson, Johnson & Holubec.

This post will lay out a basic overview of the book's instructions for teachers. I have filled in a few details for the part I've already read; I'll fill in the rest as I finish reading the book. I also hope to have separate posts providing more detail for some of the sections, which will be linked from this page when I've finished them.

1. Pre-instructional decisions
   
   • select the instructional materials and objectives--be sure the goal is clear (see my Wong & Wong post on objectives!)
     
   • structure the task according to the five key aspects of cooperative learning:
     
     1. positive interdependence: a shared goal that makes every group member's individual contribution absolutely indispensible to his/her teammates
     2. individual accountability: everyone is responsible for the material; no one can just "goof off"
     3. face-to-face mutually supportive interaction
     4. interpersonal & small-group skills development
     5. group processing: groups openly discuss their working process and how they can become more effective
        (more on these five key aspects in the future)
     
     
   • determine what kind of groups you will have, and assign students to groups
     
   • arrange the classroom to facilitate cooperation and minimize disruption
     
   • structure the group interaction, creating and assigning roles to maximize participation and results
   
   
2. Explain the task
   
   • provide a CLEAR, MEASURABLE goal and make sure the students understand it
     
   • explain the concepts, principles and strategies that students will need to use to reach the goal
     
   • relate the new information to the students' prior experience and knowledge as much as possible
     
   • provide examples or model the work the students will need to do to reach the goal
     
     I love this--it took me years to figure out how to give directions, and here it all is, written down! I love it but it makes me very frustrated with my teacher ed program!!!
   
   
3. Explain how the cooperation/teamwork should proceed
   
   • define what it means to "work together"
     
   • define and teach teamwork skills: in order of increasing difficulty (taught incrementally as students become more adept at cooperative work), this includes skills related to:
     1. forming a group
     2. functioning as a group
     3. learning as a group
     4. pushing each other to a higher level of achievement
     
     
   
   
   I have to cut this short because I think I'm keeping my partner awake, also because I haven't read much farther, but I'll finish it ASAP
   
   
   
4. Monitor students working together
   
5. Evaluate students' individual and collective work throughout the process, and evaluate/assess the end product
   
6. Encourage/require students to evaluate how well their groups are functioning and make plans for improved functioning in the next assignment