How to Use Cooperative Learning
Impact on Learning
Assessment Strategies
Cooperative Learning in Canvas
Relevant Technologies
Things to Consider
Bibliography
Cooperative learning is an active learning approach where students work together in small groups on a structured activity. While cooperative and collaborative learning share many of the same characteristics, cooperative learning tends to stress the interdependent nature of students’ work (Trietiak, 2020). Students are individually accountable for their own work, which directly contributes to the success of the group as a whole. At the same time, the work of the group as a whole is also assessed. Traditionally, cooperative groups work face-to-face and learn to work as a team. In hybrid and online courses, students use web-based technology to work together from a distance in various ways. Students might collaborate synchronously using videoconference tools, asynchronously through discussion boards, or in combination using various applications for collaborative work.
Typically, cooperative learning activities share the following five traits:
- Students work together on learning activities that are well-suited for group work.
- Students work in small groups with two to five members.
- Students cooperate together to accomplish tasks or learning activities.
- Students are interdependent, relying on the work of others in the group in a positive way.
- Students are individually accountable for their own contributions to the group project.
How to Use Cooperative Learning
The following are some of the ways this teaching approach is used to engage students:
- jigsaw
- think, pair, share
- roundtable
- structured problem-solving
- one-minute papers
- paired annotations
- guided reciprocal peer questioning
The above suggestions and complete instructions for each approach along with many other approaches are available from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Walker Center for Teaching and Learning.
The following questions may be helpful when planning a cooperative activity:
- Is there more than one answer and more than one way to solve the problem or create the project?
- Is the goal intrinsically interesting, challenging, and rewarding?
- Will each group member be able to contribute in ways that will be valued and appreciated?
- Will each member have opportunities to participate through their strengths?
- Is participation by all members necessary for the group’s goal achievement?
- How will you monitor group and individual skills, learning, and progress?
- Is time planned throughout the experience, not just at the end, for metacognition and revision, regarding goal progress as well as the group’s interpersonal interactions? (Willis, 2021)
Impact on Learning
Cooperative learning can impact learning through:
- increasing diversity and learning to work with all types of people
- improving understanding of other cultures and points of view
- acknowledging individual differences
- increasing interpersonal development including increasing social competence, empathy, and emotional awareness
- learning to relate to their peers and other students as they work together on group projects
- improving social skills
- actively involving students in learning
- providing an opportunity for each member to contribute
- increasing opportunities for personal feedback
- mitigating feelings of isolation and disconnection learners may be experiencing, particularly in remote and fully online classes (Trietiak, 2020)
Assessment Strategies
For the most comprehensive assessment approach, students should be provided rubrics for their individual contributions as well as completed group projects. Each assessment task given to students should include clear goals and specific rubric criteria. Students should be provided the rubrics to use as guidelines at the start of their work.
Plan ways of checking in with groups periodically to make sure that work is staying on track and that everyone is contributing (Gonzalez, 2020).
In addition to assessing the work students complete individually and as a group, you might also ask them to complete self-evaluation and peer evaluation surveys. In this way, students can assess their own collaboration and contributions to the group.
Cooperative Learning in Canvas
In Canvas, instructors can incorporate cooperative learning through activities such as cooperative writing, discussion reflections, multimedia projects, and videoconferencing.
Students can participate in cooperative projects through the use of discussions. Canvas provides an integrated system for asynchronous online class discussions. Instructors and students can start and contribute to discussions. You can learn more about using Discussions in Canvas from the Canvas Community.
Students can work together cooperatively to create multimedia projects in Canvas through Microsoft 365, VoiceThread, or Zoom. These tools can be integrated directly into Canvas.
VoiceThread: In Canvas, instructors and students can use VoiceThread to create cooperative multimedia projects and share projects with the class. VoiceThread is an online communication and presentation tool that can be used to create stories that easily share images, videos, voice comments, documents, and written comments. Penn State provides students and faculty access and support to using VoiceThread.
Zoom: Students can work cooperatively in real-time through videoconferencing by using Zoom to work together. Zoom allows you to broadcast real-time audio and video, demo applications on your desktop, share presentation slides, or demo any online resources. It even includes a “remote control” option where a student at a distance can control what is happening in another student’s screenshare.
Microsoft 365 includes a suite of tools for real-time and asynchronous cooperative work. Students can create Word documents, Excel sheets, and PowerPoint slides individually and collaboratively.
Relevant Technologies
According to Johnson and Johnson (2014), the following instructional practices can leverage different suggested technologies for cooperative learning:
Cooperative reading: E-readers such as the iPad, Nook, and Kindle allow sharing of reading passages, highlighting passages to note important portions of the text, and making notes that others in the group can respond to. Readings can be further shared using Viva Engage (part of Microsoft 365).
Cooperative writing: Groups work together to produce one document authored by the whole group using online tools like Microsoft Word or Google Docs. These tools include several features for tracking individual contributions, commenting on documents, and chatting in real time with other collaborators. More specialized tools, like Padlet and Pinterest, are great options for students to collect and share resources, notes, or items for planning and brainstorming.
Reflecting on a discussion: Students in cooperative groups can communicate their reflections through a series of texting, chat, or Viva Engage or synchronously through videoconferencing.
Illustrating a report: Using Flickr, cooperative groups can share photos and add images to a report or presentation. Spreadsheet tools, like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets, create and share visual data through graphs and charts. Tools like Canva and Adobe Express provide templates and tools that aid students in designing graphics, illustrations, and document layouts.
Multimedia projects and websites: Video, slideshows, music, narration, and other media can all be created and shared digitally using online tools such as Google Slides, Sites at Penn State, Kaltura, or YouTube. Flip works well for students to create and share short-form video or audio messages.
Videoconferencing: Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Apple FaceTime are examples of tools that can be used for synchronous group meetings.
Things to Consider
For successful implementation of cooperative learning, you should consider the following strategies:
- Inevitably there will be groups who find it difficult to work together. Provide groups with guidelines on expectations for working together up front as well as simple conflict resolution checklists for use in case issues arise.
- Model behaviors that will support collaborative work and provide demonstrations of what not to do.
- Encourage groups to listen to every member and keep an open mind to other people’s perspectives.
- Consider how groups might best be formed — students could be randomly assigned; they could be allowed to self-select into groups; or they could be intentionally assigned based on interests, skills, or other criteria. There are pros and cons to each approach, so take time to consider what might work best for your students and learning goals.
- From the beginning, define responsibilities and determine who does what. This helps to avoid having one person responsible for all the work, and one or more who contribute nothing.
- It may be helpful to designate roles or functions to students in the group, such as “coordinator” and “recorder,” or even industry-specific cooperative structures with roles like “project manager,” “creative director,” and “accountant.” On longer projects, students might rotate through these roles so that everyone gets to experience them.
- Value each person’s talents and he or she will be motivated to demonstrate his/her strengths and abilities.
- Avoid sharp criticism and negative reactions to each other’s ideas and insights that will demotivate group contributors.
- Use humor to prevent and defuse conflicts.
- Provide structured opportunity for members to reflect in order to improve group effectiveness.
Bibliography
Begg, J. (2017, April). Supporting student group work. Transforming Learning, University of Westminster. https://cti.westminster.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/61/2017/04/Supporting-student-group-work-1.pdf
Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (n.d.). Cooperative and collaborative learning. Concept to Classroom. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/
Gonzalez, J. (2020, July 19). A few creative ways to use student blogs. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/student-blogs/
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2014). Using technology to revolutionize cooperative learning: an opinion. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(1156). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01156
Millis, B. J. (1996, May). Cooperative learning. Walker Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. https://www.utc.edu/academic-affairs/walker-center-for-teaching-and-learning/teaching-resources/pedagogical-strategies-and-techniques/cooperative-learning
Morrison, D. (2012, April 27). Online groups – cooperative or collaborative? Online Learning Insights. https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/online-groups-cooperative-or-collaborative/
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Learning in groups. In Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (3rd ed., pp. 155–166). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. https://wp.stolaf.edu/cila/files/2020/09/Teaching-at-Its-Best.pdf
Trietiak, A. (2020, May 7). Online collaborative learning in higher education: A review of the literature. Retrieved January 26, 2024, from https://edspace.american.edu/amytrietiak/2020/05/07/online-collaborative-learning-in-higher-education/
Weimer, M. (2015a, March 4). Different types of group work: Clearing up the confusion. The Teaching Professor. https://www.teachingprofessor.com/topics/for-those-who-teach/different-types-group-work-clearing-confusion/
Weimer, M. (2015b, July 17). Cooperative learning structures and deep learning. Faculty Focus, Higher Ed Teaching & Learning. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/cooperative-learning-structures-and-deep-learning/
Willis, J. (2021, November 5). How cooperative learning can benefit students this year. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-cooperative-learning-can-benefit-students-year