REZAPARVIZ
۸ بهمن ۱۳۸۷, ۱۳:۵۳
COOPERATIVE LEARNING
IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
Monograph 13
of the
Virginia Council on Technology Teacher Education
James C. Flowers and John M. Ritz
Old Dominion University
Monograph Authors
1994
CONTENTS
RATIONALE
COMPETENCIES
INFORMATION SECTION
1.0 Defining Cooperative Learning
2.0 The Benefits of Cooperative Learning
2.1 Benefits to the Learner
2.2 Benefits to the Teacher
3.0 Class Organization for Cooperative Learning
3.1 Small Group
3.2 Large Group
3.3 Whole-Class and Larger Groups
4.0 Roles in Cooperative Learning
4.1 The Role of the Cooperative Learner
4.2 The Role of the Cooperative Learning Teacher/Facilitator
5.0 Assessing Cooperative Learning Experiences
SUMMARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
RATIONALE
Cooperation is a life skill; nearly every job or social relationship involves cooperating with another individual to accomplish a shared goal. In cooperative learning, students are organized into groups. Each group is given a goal and the achievement of that goal often requires group members to support each other. Cooperative learning tends to be student- (group-) centered, whereas individual and competitive learning tend to be teacher-centered. In a cooperative learning environment, students help each other learn the subject matter, but they also learn how to be a contributing member to a group.
There is more to cooperative learning than "just having students work in groups." Cooperative learning strategies differ based on: group size and logistics, task specialization, inter-group competition, group rewards, method of student evaluation, and appropriateness to a given learning objective or situation.
Technology teachers have a unique opportunity to use cooperative learning strategies. Learning modules, which are beginning to dominate middle school technology programs, are well-suited to cooperative rather than individualistic learning. Problem solving and design can likewise be very effective if students work together toward a common goal, building on each other's ideas, expertise, and efforts. Certain tasks are just too large for a single individual and absolutely require cooperative efforts. As the technology laboratory becomes a place for integration of learning with other disciplines, it is reasonable to use cooperative learning strategies that make use of a variety of "students/experts" in different disciplines.
COMPETENCIES
TASK 1.0. Describe cooperative learning.
TASK 2.0. List benefits of cooperative learning.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
2.1. List benefits of cooperative learning for the learner.
2.2. Assess benefits of cooperative learning for the teacher.
TASK 3.0. Analyze the use of small, large, and whole-class cooperative learning groups.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
3.1. Explain the use of small cooperative learning groups.
3.2. Explain the use of large cooperative learning groups.
3.3. Analyze the use of whole-class cooperative learning groups.
TASK 4.0. Explain the student's and teacher's roles in cooperative learning.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
4.1. Describe the role of the cooperative learner.
4.2. Assess the role of the cooperative learning teacher/facilitator.
TASK 5.0. Describe how student performance might be assessed when cooperative learning is used.INFORMATION SECTION
1.0 Defining Cooperative Learning
Everyone learns individually. Our interests and genetic make-up determine what we can learn and how well we may learn. They also determine how well we can apply what has been learned. Some people excel at analytical tasks, such as determining how many gallons of paint it will take to cover the interior walls of a room, while others are more concrete in nature and can paint the rooms very efficiently. Not everyone has the innate abilities to perform these tasks easily. Consequently, all methods of instruction do not align with the learning capabilities of each individual learner.
Accepting that people learn individually is an important step toward improving instruction. Either we must devote time to each learner individually or rely on other means to assist each learner to progress. Individualized instruction requires more human resources than are available to schools. Consequently, many teachers rely on large group instruction. Most students are capable of learning in large groups, but each may experience problems with particular methods of presentation, e.g., individual readings, questions and answers, experiments or projects.
However, in many work and social activities, teams of individuals must pull together to get tasks accomplished. Working together means cooperation. It also means taking the talents of individuals and pooling these together to get the job done.
This is the basis for the theory behind cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy where teams of two or more work together on learning tasks. This could include working together on an electrical circuit problem (small group) to the entire class (large group) manufacturing toys for a "Toys for Tots" program. Each member of the team brings special talents to the group, i.e., concrete or analytical abilities or others. Also other team members cooperate on the achievement of the tasks and learn from each other. As a result, students learn both academic and social skills from a cooperative learning environment.
2.0 The Benefits of Cooperative Learning
Society requires its members to exhibit cooperative behavior. Success on a job often depends on one's ability to work well with others. By fostering social skills, cooperative learning aims to fill this social need. Furthermore, cooperative learning techniques have numerous benefits to both the teacher and the learner.
2.1 Benefits to the Learner
Johnson, Johnson & Smith (1991) synthesized over 375 studies on the effect of cooperative, competitive and individualistic efforts on student achievement and productivity. They found that students in cooperative learning settings performed better than students in either competitive or individualistic settings. They also noted that cooperative learning "resulted in more higher-level reasoning, more frequent generation of new ideas and solutions (i.e., process gain), and greater transfer of what is learned within one situation to another (i.e., group to individual transfer) than did competitive or individualistic learning" (p. 2:12).
Based on experimentation, Hamm and Adams (1992) drew the following conclusions about the benefits of cooperative learning to the student:
1. Cooperative learning improves academic performance among high- and low- achieving students.
2. Minority students have made consistently favorable achievement in cooperative classes.
3. Disadvantaged students significantly benefit from collaborative learning techniques.
4. Working in mixed-ability groups doesn't stifle individual initiative.
5. Cooperative enhance academic learning.
2.2 Benefits to the Teacher
Cooperative learning can also benefit the teacher. Hamm and Adams (1992) noted that teachers who began using collaborative leaning "became more cooperative in their own professional interactions and more willing to collaborate with their peers" (p. 8).
Teachers who use cooperative learning may feel that their time is spent more effectively.
Dividing the class into groups means the teacher has five, six or seven groups instead of 25 to 35 individuals to make good contact with each day. In addition there are 25 to 35 aides in the classroom. Pupils monitor each other while creating a spirit of cooperation and helpfulness. (Hamm & Adams, 1992, p. 15)
In addition, teachers who try cooperative learning techniques often adopt a fresh, new attitude toward their jobs. It can be exciting for a teacher when a group has the freedom to generate their own ideas and to make their own decisions. Some teachers who experiment with cooperative learning techniques are pleasantly surprised at how well their students perform in collaborative group settings.
While cooperative learning requires a lot from the teacher, the teacher may begin to feel that teaching and classroom management become easier.
Cooperative learning can help teachers spend less time being policemen as students learn that they are capable of validating their own values and ideas. Teachers are freer to move about, work with small groups and interact in a more personal manner with students. Cooperative group learning can also be arranged so there is less paperwork for the teacher. [Evaluating] six or eight group papers is less [work for the teacher] than 24 or 32 individual ones. (Hamm & Adams, 1992, pp. 15-16)
As a result of employing cooperative learning techniques, the teacher might feel less stress. Although the teacher is still responsible for the learning in the classroom, some of the authority is delegated to the students. Even if a teacher uses cooperative learning on only a few occasions, it might give a welcomed relief (to both the teacher and the students) from the traditional instructional format.
3.0 Class Organization for Cooperative Learning
Technology education classes may be organized into different cooperative learning configurations. These can include small groups, large groups, or whole-class groups. Following is discussion regarding each configuration.
3.1 Small Group
Small group cooperative learning has been used for many years in technology education. Small groups usually consist of two to three learners. The most typical examples of employing this strategy have been with electronics or energy and power units of instruction. Probably this strategy was first employed due to insufficient equipment. If a teacher had 24 students in class and students worked two on a team, then only twelve electrical trainers or small engines would have been needed for instruction.
IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION
Monograph 13
of the
Virginia Council on Technology Teacher Education
James C. Flowers and John M. Ritz
Old Dominion University
Monograph Authors
1994
CONTENTS
RATIONALE
COMPETENCIES
INFORMATION SECTION
1.0 Defining Cooperative Learning
2.0 The Benefits of Cooperative Learning
2.1 Benefits to the Learner
2.2 Benefits to the Teacher
3.0 Class Organization for Cooperative Learning
3.1 Small Group
3.2 Large Group
3.3 Whole-Class and Larger Groups
4.0 Roles in Cooperative Learning
4.1 The Role of the Cooperative Learner
4.2 The Role of the Cooperative Learning Teacher/Facilitator
5.0 Assessing Cooperative Learning Experiences
SUMMARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
RATIONALE
Cooperation is a life skill; nearly every job or social relationship involves cooperating with another individual to accomplish a shared goal. In cooperative learning, students are organized into groups. Each group is given a goal and the achievement of that goal often requires group members to support each other. Cooperative learning tends to be student- (group-) centered, whereas individual and competitive learning tend to be teacher-centered. In a cooperative learning environment, students help each other learn the subject matter, but they also learn how to be a contributing member to a group.
There is more to cooperative learning than "just having students work in groups." Cooperative learning strategies differ based on: group size and logistics, task specialization, inter-group competition, group rewards, method of student evaluation, and appropriateness to a given learning objective or situation.
Technology teachers have a unique opportunity to use cooperative learning strategies. Learning modules, which are beginning to dominate middle school technology programs, are well-suited to cooperative rather than individualistic learning. Problem solving and design can likewise be very effective if students work together toward a common goal, building on each other's ideas, expertise, and efforts. Certain tasks are just too large for a single individual and absolutely require cooperative efforts. As the technology laboratory becomes a place for integration of learning with other disciplines, it is reasonable to use cooperative learning strategies that make use of a variety of "students/experts" in different disciplines.
COMPETENCIES
TASK 1.0. Describe cooperative learning.
TASK 2.0. List benefits of cooperative learning.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
2.1. List benefits of cooperative learning for the learner.
2.2. Assess benefits of cooperative learning for the teacher.
TASK 3.0. Analyze the use of small, large, and whole-class cooperative learning groups.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
3.1. Explain the use of small cooperative learning groups.
3.2. Explain the use of large cooperative learning groups.
3.3. Analyze the use of whole-class cooperative learning groups.
TASK 4.0. Explain the student's and teacher's roles in cooperative learning.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
4.1. Describe the role of the cooperative learner.
4.2. Assess the role of the cooperative learning teacher/facilitator.
TASK 5.0. Describe how student performance might be assessed when cooperative learning is used.INFORMATION SECTION
1.0 Defining Cooperative Learning
Everyone learns individually. Our interests and genetic make-up determine what we can learn and how well we may learn. They also determine how well we can apply what has been learned. Some people excel at analytical tasks, such as determining how many gallons of paint it will take to cover the interior walls of a room, while others are more concrete in nature and can paint the rooms very efficiently. Not everyone has the innate abilities to perform these tasks easily. Consequently, all methods of instruction do not align with the learning capabilities of each individual learner.
Accepting that people learn individually is an important step toward improving instruction. Either we must devote time to each learner individually or rely on other means to assist each learner to progress. Individualized instruction requires more human resources than are available to schools. Consequently, many teachers rely on large group instruction. Most students are capable of learning in large groups, but each may experience problems with particular methods of presentation, e.g., individual readings, questions and answers, experiments or projects.
However, in many work and social activities, teams of individuals must pull together to get tasks accomplished. Working together means cooperation. It also means taking the talents of individuals and pooling these together to get the job done.
This is the basis for the theory behind cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy where teams of two or more work together on learning tasks. This could include working together on an electrical circuit problem (small group) to the entire class (large group) manufacturing toys for a "Toys for Tots" program. Each member of the team brings special talents to the group, i.e., concrete or analytical abilities or others. Also other team members cooperate on the achievement of the tasks and learn from each other. As a result, students learn both academic and social skills from a cooperative learning environment.
2.0 The Benefits of Cooperative Learning
Society requires its members to exhibit cooperative behavior. Success on a job often depends on one's ability to work well with others. By fostering social skills, cooperative learning aims to fill this social need. Furthermore, cooperative learning techniques have numerous benefits to both the teacher and the learner.
2.1 Benefits to the Learner
Johnson, Johnson & Smith (1991) synthesized over 375 studies on the effect of cooperative, competitive and individualistic efforts on student achievement and productivity. They found that students in cooperative learning settings performed better than students in either competitive or individualistic settings. They also noted that cooperative learning "resulted in more higher-level reasoning, more frequent generation of new ideas and solutions (i.e., process gain), and greater transfer of what is learned within one situation to another (i.e., group to individual transfer) than did competitive or individualistic learning" (p. 2:12).
Based on experimentation, Hamm and Adams (1992) drew the following conclusions about the benefits of cooperative learning to the student:
1. Cooperative learning improves academic performance among high- and low- achieving students.
2. Minority students have made consistently favorable achievement in cooperative classes.
3. Disadvantaged students significantly benefit from collaborative learning techniques.
4. Working in mixed-ability groups doesn't stifle individual initiative.
5. Cooperative enhance academic learning.
2.2 Benefits to the Teacher
Cooperative learning can also benefit the teacher. Hamm and Adams (1992) noted that teachers who began using collaborative leaning "became more cooperative in their own professional interactions and more willing to collaborate with their peers" (p. 8).
Teachers who use cooperative learning may feel that their time is spent more effectively.
Dividing the class into groups means the teacher has five, six or seven groups instead of 25 to 35 individuals to make good contact with each day. In addition there are 25 to 35 aides in the classroom. Pupils monitor each other while creating a spirit of cooperation and helpfulness. (Hamm & Adams, 1992, p. 15)
In addition, teachers who try cooperative learning techniques often adopt a fresh, new attitude toward their jobs. It can be exciting for a teacher when a group has the freedom to generate their own ideas and to make their own decisions. Some teachers who experiment with cooperative learning techniques are pleasantly surprised at how well their students perform in collaborative group settings.
While cooperative learning requires a lot from the teacher, the teacher may begin to feel that teaching and classroom management become easier.
Cooperative learning can help teachers spend less time being policemen as students learn that they are capable of validating their own values and ideas. Teachers are freer to move about, work with small groups and interact in a more personal manner with students. Cooperative group learning can also be arranged so there is less paperwork for the teacher. [Evaluating] six or eight group papers is less [work for the teacher] than 24 or 32 individual ones. (Hamm & Adams, 1992, pp. 15-16)
As a result of employing cooperative learning techniques, the teacher might feel less stress. Although the teacher is still responsible for the learning in the classroom, some of the authority is delegated to the students. Even if a teacher uses cooperative learning on only a few occasions, it might give a welcomed relief (to both the teacher and the students) from the traditional instructional format.
3.0 Class Organization for Cooperative Learning
Technology education classes may be organized into different cooperative learning configurations. These can include small groups, large groups, or whole-class groups. Following is discussion regarding each configuration.
3.1 Small Group
Small group cooperative learning has been used for many years in technology education. Small groups usually consist of two to three learners. The most typical examples of employing this strategy have been with electronics or energy and power units of instruction. Probably this strategy was first employed due to insufficient equipment. If a teacher had 24 students in class and students worked two on a team, then only twelve electrical trainers or small engines would have been needed for instruction.