Engaging Students through Cooperative Learning

Some of the most powerful and widely applicable research-proven instructional practices are those of cooperative learning, which are highly effective in engaging and motivating students. When implemented correctly, such practices have been proven to increase students’ achievement in a wide range of content areas at all grade levels. Cooperative learning models will be explored to understand the variables that differentiate group work from true cooperative learning, including individual accountability and group rewards. The effectiveness of student teams to support learning through peer motivation, peer assessment and reteaching will be examined in depth.

Course Objectives

• Define the concept of cooperative learning and how it relates to today’s learner.
  
• Describe how cooperative learning works when there is individual accountability, equal opportunities for success and team recognition built into a task.
  
• Describe the four theoretical perspectives of cooperative learning.
  
• Consider the impact of cooperative learning on 21st century skills and meeting the cognitive demands of the Common Core State Standards.
  

Week 1: Learn about various models of cooperative learning and their relevance in today’s classroom. Understand how they can help meet the needs of all students when three central concepts are present (individual accountability, equal opportunities for success, and team recognition).

Week 2: Explore the four theoretical perspectives of cooperative on the achievement effects of cooperative learning: motivationalist, social cohesion, cognitive-developmental, and cognitive elaboration, as identified by Dr. Robert Slavin at the Johns Hopkins University.

Week 3: Identify the potential impact of cooperative learning on meeting the needs of the 21st century learning and how it can help students meet the cognitive demands of the Common Core State Standards.