Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning was pioneered by Dr. Spencer Kagan in the early 1990's and is the basis for the way I teach. I will be gradually adding things to this page about my cooperative learning classroom, including cooperative learning philosophies as well as my own cooperative learning structures.

Teams, and the investment of time

In my cooperative learning classroom, there is a huge investment of time that is front-loaded into the first few weeks of the school year to establish some essential cooperative learning structures. Most students and many parents wonder what the purpose of this investment in time is, and it is a legitimate concern. I would like to give credit to Dr. Spencer Kagan and Miguel Kagan, and the quotes below are from their book Kagan Cooperative Learning. My model of a cooperative learning classroom comes exclusively from this book. Cooperative learning is completely research based and is supported by empirical data. Kagan writes:

“Why is it important to include cooperative learning? Students in cooperative learning classrooms outperform those in individualistic and competitive classrooms. Including cooperative learning is preparation for the real world: Three out of four new jobs include working on a team at least part of the time. In the United States, the two largest studies of employability skills, one by the American Society of Training and Development and one by the Secretary's commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, both emphasize the importance of group effectiveness skills (teamwork skills, interpersonal skills, communication skills).”

We hear statistics that the United States is not adequately preparing students to compete in the 21st century workplace. President Clinton in his recent speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention described a huge shortage of workers because of a lack of people with requisite skills entering the workforce. A goal that I have for my students includes an acquisition of these 21^st century learning skills, along with the science curriculum. So before we begin any science curriculum, I feel that it is vitally important to take the time to set up cooperative learning teams. Kagan writes:

“Teamwork is increasingly the norm (in the workplace); teams are most common in larger organizations, which employ the majority of our graduates. Organizations are turning to teams due to an accelerating change rate and increased interdependence in the workplace, coupled with findings that teams are more efficient and productive.”

The benefits of working in these cooperative learning teams are many, and they are well researched. Working in a group does not guarantee that it is a cooperative learning experience. In traditional groups, one or two strong students do most or all of the work, while weaker students try to go along for the ride. In cooperative learning teams there is individual accountability that keeps all students involved in achieving a common goal. Cooperative learning group projects are not necessarily graded formally, and there are many alternative ways to assess each student's grasp of the concepts.

Once again, the investment of time at the beginning of the school year may seem like it is too much, but the research testifies to the importance of establishing these cooperative learning structures.

At the bottom of this page are links to descriptions of the individual cooperative learning structures.

For more information, visit the Kagan Cooperative Learning website.