Cooperative Learning Techniques

Cooperative Learning Techniques
Cooperative learning techniques can be loosely categorized by the skill that each
enhances (Barkley, Cross and Major, 2005), although it is important to recognize that
many cooperative learning exercises can be developed to fit within multiple categories.
Categories include:discussion, reciprocal teaching, graphic
organizers, writing and problem solving. Each category includes a number of potential
structures to guide the development of a cooperative learning exercise.
Discussion: communicating
"A good give-and-take discussion can produce unmatched learning experiences as
students articulate their ideas, respond to their classmates' points, and develop skills
in evaluating the evidence of their own and others' positions." (Davis, 1993, p. 63)
Think-pair-share: As probably the best known cooperative learning

exercise, the think-pair-share structure provides students with the
opportunity to reflect on the question posed and then practice sharing and
receiving potential solutions. Its simplicity provides instructors with an easy
entry into cooperative learning and it is readily adaptable to a wide range of
course constructs. (Example: Where Do I Begin? Using Think-Pair-Share to
Initiate the Problem Solving Process)
Three-step interview: This structure can be used both as an ice-breaker

which introduces students to one another and to provide students with a
venue for soliciting opinions, positions, or ideas from their peers. Students
are first paired and take turns interviewing each other using a series of
questions provided by the instructor. Pairs then match up and students
introduce their original partner. At the end of the exercise, all four students
have had their position or viewpoints on an issue heard, digested, and
described by their peers.
Reciprocal teaching: explaining, providing feedback, understanding alternative

perspectives
Slavin (1996), in a review of hundreds of studies, concluded that "students who give
each other elaborated explanations (and less consistently, those who receive such
explanations) are the students who learn most in cooperative learning." (p. 53)
Note-taking pairs: Poor note-taking leads to poor performance. Designing

an exercise which requires students to summarize their understanding of a
concept based on notes taken (with directed questions such as what is the
definition of a concept, how is it used, what are the three most important
characteristics of a topic) and receiving reflective feedback from their partner
provides students the opportunity to find critical gaps in their written records.
Jigsaw: For more complex problems, this structure provides students the
opportunity to develop expertise in one of many components of a problem by
first participating in a group solely focused on a single component. In the
second stage of the exercise, groups are reformed with a representative from
each expert group who together now have sufficient expertise to tackle the
whole problem.
Graphic organizers: discovering patterns and relationships

"Graphic organizers are powerful tools for converting complex information in to
meaningful displays...They can provide a framework for gathering and sorting ideas for
discussion, writing, and research." (Barkley, Cross and Major, 2005, p.205) See
also, concept mapping.
Group grid: Students practice organizing and classifying information in a

table. A more complex version of this structure requires students to first
identify the classification scheme that will be used.
Sequence chains: The goal of this exercise is to provide a visual

representation of a series of events, actions, roles, or decisions. Students can
be provided with the items to be organized or asked to first generate these
based on a predetermined end goal. This structure can be made more
complex by having students also identify and describe the links between each
of the sequenced components.
Writing: organizing and synthesizing information

The Writing Across the Curriculum Clearinghouse at Colorado State
University encourages the use of written assignments across the campus because is
teaches students to communicate information, to clarify thinking and to learn new
concepts and information.
Dyadic essays: Students prepare for the in-class portion of this exercise by
developing an essay question and model answer based on assigned reading.
Students typically need to be guided to develop questions that integrate
material across classes as opposed to ones that simply recite facts presented
in the reading. In class, students exchange essay questions and write a
spontaneous answer essay. Students then pair up, compare and contrast the
model answer and the spontaneously generated answer. Subsequently,
questions and answers can be shared with the larger class.
Peer editing: As opposed to the editing process that often appears only at
the final stage of a paper, peer editing pairs up students at the idea
generation stage and peers provide feedback throughout the process. For
example, the relationship begins as each student in the pair describes their
topic ideas and outlines the structure of their work while their partner asks
questions, and develops an outline based on what is described. See
also, peer review.
Problem solving: developing strategies and analysis

Research by mathematics educators Vidakovic (1997) and Vidakovic and Martin (2004)
shows that groups are able to solve problems more accurately than individuals working
alone.
Send-a-problem: Students participate in a series of problem solving

rounds, contributing their independently generated solution to those that
have been developed by other groups. After a number of rounds, students
are asked to review the solutions developed by their peers, evaluate the
answers and develop a final solution. (Example: Understanding the Impact of
(Fiscal and Monetary) Policy)
Three-stay, one-stray: Even students working in groups can benefit from

the feedback of additional peers. In this structure, students periodically take
a break from their work (often at key decision making points) and send one
group member to another group to describe their progress. The role of the
group is to gain information and alternative perspectives by listening and
sharing. The number of times the group sends a representative to another
group depends on the level of complexity of the problem. This method can
also be used to report out final solutions.
For additional structures associated with each of these skill categories, see Barkley,
Cross and Major, 2005.

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Cooperative Learning Techniques

Think-pair-share: As probably the best known cooperative learning

Three-step interview: This structure can be used both as an ice-breaker

Reciprocal teaching: explaining, providing feedback, understanding alternative

Note-taking pairs: Poor note-taking leads to poor performance. Designing

Graphic organizers: discovering patterns and relationships

Group grid: Students practice organizing and classifying information in a

Sequence chains: The goal of this exercise is to provide a visual

Writing: organizing and synthesizing information

Problem solving: developing strategies and analysis

Send-a-problem: Students participate in a series of problem solving

Three-stay, one-stray: Even students working in groups can benefit from

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