Design and Implementation ofCooperative Learning

Karl A. SmithSTEM Education Center / Technological Leadership Institute /

Civil Engineering – University of Minnesota &Engineering Education – Purdue University

ksmith@umn.edu - http://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith

Grinnell College

June 2, 2014

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Workshop Layout• Welcome and Overview• Further Reflection on Readings/Discussion• Formal Cooperative Learning Rationale and

Principles • Formal Cooperative Learning Strategies

– Cooperative Problem-Based Learning– Cooperative Jigsaw– Cooperative Project-Based Learning

• Aligning outcomes, assessment, and instruction• Design and Implementation

Overall Goal

• Build your repertoire of cooperative learning strategies as well as skills and confidence for implementing them

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Workshop Objectives• Participants will be able to :

– Describe key features of cooperative learning and effective, interactive strategies for facilitating learning

– Build on key elements of Course Design Foundations• How People Learn (HPL)• Understanding by Design (UbD) process – Content

(outcomes) – Assessment – Pedagogy– Explain key features of and rationale for Cooperative

Learning– Identify connections between cooperative learning and

desired outcomes of courses and programs• Participants will begin applying key elements to

the design on a course, class session or learning module

Cooperative Learning is instruction that involves people working in teams to accomplish a common goal, under conditions that involve both positive interdependence (all members must cooperate to complete the task) and individual and group accountability (each member is accountable for the complete final outcome).

Key Concepts•Positive Interdependence•Individual and Group Accountability•Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction•Teamwork Skills•Group Processing

http://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith/docs/Smith-CL%20Handout%2008.pdf

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Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom

• Informal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Formal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Cooperative Base Groups

Notes: Cooperative Learning Handout (CL College-912.doc)www.ce.umn.edu/~smith/docs/CL%20College-912.doc

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Book Ends on a Class Session

Smith, K.A. 2000. Going deeper: Formal small-group learning in large classes. Energizing large classes: From small groups to learning communities. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2000, 81, 25-46. [NDTL81Ch3GoingDeeper.pdf]

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Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom

• Informal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Formal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Cooperative Base Groups

See Cooperative Learning Handout (CL College-912.doc)

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Professor's Role inFormal Cooperative Learning

1. Specifying Objectives

2. Making Decisions

3. Explaining Task, Positive Interdependence, and Individual Accountability

4. Monitoring and Intervening to Teach Skills

5. Evaluating Students' Achievement and Group Effectiveness

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Decisions,Decisions

Group size? Group selection?Group member roles?How long to leave groups together?Arranging the room?Providing materials?Time allocation?

Personal Response System

• Socrative.com (Socrative Student)• My room 678635

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Optimal Group Size?

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2 3 4 5 6

0% 0% 0%0%0%

A. 2B. 3C. 4D. 5E. 6

Formal Cooperative Learning Task Groups

Perkins, David. 2003. King Arthur's RoundTable: How collaborative conversations createsmart organizations. NY: Wiley.

Group Selection?

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A B C D E

0% 0% 0%0%0%

A. Self selectionB. Random selectionC. Stratified randomD. Instructor assignE. Interest

Formal Cooperative Learning – Types of Tasks

1. Jigsaw – Learning new conceptual/procedural material

2. Peer Composition or Editing

3. Reading Comprehension/Interpretation

4. Problem Solving, Project, or Presentation

5. Review/Correct Homework

6. Constructive Controversy

7. Group Tests

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Cooperative Jigsaw

www.jigsaw.org/

JIGSAW SCHEDULE

COOPERATIVE GROUPS (3-4 members)

PREPARATION PAIRS

CONSULTING/SHARING PAIRS

TEACHING/LEARNING IN COOPERATIVE GROUPS

WHOLE CLASS REVIEW

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Project-Based Cooperative Learning

Karl A. SmithEngineering Education – Purdue UniversityCivil Engineering - University of Minnesota

ksmith@umn.eduhttp://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith

Design-Build Project

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Project Based Cooperative Learning FormatTASK: Complete the project.

INDIVIDUAL: Engage. Pay attention to task and group dynamics.

COOPERATIVE: One design from the group.

EXPECTED CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS: Everyone must be able to explain the strategies used complete the project.

EVALUATION: Best design within available resources or constraints.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY: One member from your group may be randomly chosen to explain (a) the design and (b) the team process.

EXPECTED BEHAVIORS: Active participating, checking, encouraging, and elaborating by all members.

INTERGROUP COOPERATION: Whenever it is helpful, check procedures, answers, and strategies with another group.

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Design-Build Project

The engineering method is design under constraints – Wm. Wulf, Former President, National Academy of Engineering

The engineering method (design) is the use of state-of-the-art heuristics to create the best change in an uncertain situation within the available resources – Billy Koen, Mechanical Engineering Professor, UT-Austin, author Discussion of the Method, 2003, 2011

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Design-Build Project

• Teams of 3-4 – randomly assigned• Experience entire project life cycle in

about 30 minutes• Goal is for all teams to meet the

specification (design requirement)• Attend to both the task and the team

work

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Team Member Roles•Task Recorder•Process Recorder•Time Monitor•Materials Manager

Design objectiveDesign and build a tower at least 25 cm high that can support a stack of textbooks. The tower is built from index cards and office tape.

Design rulesMaterials are 100 index cards and one roll of office tapeCards can be folded but not tornNo piece of tape can be longer than 2 inchesTower cannot be taped to the floorTower must be in one piece, and easily transported in one handTime to design and build: 15 minutesHeight is measured from the ground to the lowest corner of the book placed on topTower must support books for at least 10 seconds before the measurement is madeRoom must be cleaned up before measurements are made.

Group Processing Plus/Delta Format

Plus (+)Things That Group Did Well

Delta (∆)Things Group Could Improve

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Teamwork & Project Management Heuristics--Examples

• Identify the weak link and Allocate resources to the weak link• Freeze the design--at some stage in the project (when about 75% of the time or resources are used up) the design must be frozen• Discuss the process and ask meta-level questions, e.g., What are we doing? Why are we doing it? How does it help?

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Active Learning: Cooperation in the College Classroom

• Informal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Formal Cooperative Learning Groups

• Cooperative Base Groups

See Cooperative Learning Handout (CL College-912.doc)

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Cooperative Base Groups• Are Heterogeneous• Are Long Term (at least one quarter or

semester)• Are Small (3-5 members)• Are for support• May meet at the beginning of each session or

may meet between sessions• Review for quizzes, tests, etc. together• Share resources, references, etc. for

individual projects• Provide a means for covering for absentees

Edmonson-Competitive_Advantage_of_Learning-HBR-2008.pdf

Designing and Implementing Cooperative Learning

• Think like a designer• Ground practice in robust theoretical

framework• Start small, start early and iterate• Celebrate the successes; problem-solve

the failures

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