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They found that cooperative
learning exceeded the traditional 'seated in rows of desks' (individualistic) approach
at two levels. One was cognitive performance and the other included human
characteristics such as interpersonal communication and mutual liking. Their
research is extensive and the updated versions of Learning together and alone as well as journal publications have
caught the attention of educators all over America. [2][3][4][5]
The wave has caught on, too,
at the college level where the collaborative practice is fined tuned in what is
referred to as team-based learning. It is a well-articulated approach that is
covered in the text Team-Based Learning:
A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching. It delves into
similar themes like the Johnson and Johnson book but also gives specific methods
that carefully quantifies the evaluations using quizzes, group test (or papers),
participant evaluations to generate a grade for the course. [6]
Johnson and Johnson
strongly advocate for collaborative effort in the classroom because it promotes
strong alliances and trust between members, which drives individuals to learn
material and perform tasks. They list a number of options to incorporate
cooperative learning starting from occasional group work to multiple classroom
sessions devoted to this process.
Sitting in rows with minimal interaction with
peers
Based on research
they contend that the lecture format restricts students to designated locations
in the classroom removed from interaction with peers. They strive to learn
content areas competitively and to achieve grades higher than their peers, at
times obstructing each other's success, and refuse to help others. Moreover,
they define it as individualistic and deliberately structured to ensure that
students do not communicate or exchange information at all.
They cite a 1984
report from the National Institute of Education that traditional classroom
teaching practices do not give enough attention to the passive or reticent
student thereby impeding the learning process and leading to unnecessary attrition.
Robert Sylwester, Emeritus
Professor of Education at the University of Oregon, adds that: "The
problem with the authoritarian model is that it is designed principally around
the misbehavior of a small number of the students in a class. Most students
relate reasonably positively to school." [7]
In his 1992 book No Contest, Alfie Kohn American author and lecturer, states that
individualistic efforts are unproductive and serve to make others fail,
creating anxiety, selfishness, self-doubt, and poor communication. Individualism
overall nurtures competition that leads to a negative view of human nature as individuals
strive to maximize personal gain. [8]
Why the collaborative setting is beneficial
Johnson and Johnson
feel that when the instructor organizes the collaborative experience appropriately
the opposite occurs. Group settings are successful because
· Students
are bound by their mutual fate, shared identity, and mutual causation and,
therefore, celebrate each other's successes.
· Relevant
ideas, information, conclusions, and resources tend to be made available,
exchanged, and utilized in ways that promote collective and individual insights
and increase energy to complete the task.
[1]
They conclude that compared to individualistic learning,
students perceive a greater chance to be success in cooperative settings.
Furthermore, the effort to execute tasks forms an emotional
bond that drives the team to succeed. The mutual benefit leads in many
instances to valuing the relationships more than accomplishment of the tasks. In the process the group views itself as
trusting and tolerant of each other.
Because of the frequent banter, students challenge each
other and give feedback that promotes higher level reasoning, novel ideas, and application
to other contexts. [1]
Joe Cuseo, a professor of psychology at Marymount College in
Palos Verde, California, feels that: "Cooperative learning has the
potential to capitalize on the contemporary wave of student diversity – converting
it from the pedagogical liability into a pedagogical asset fashion by
capitalizing on the multiple, socio-cultural perspectives that can be
experienced when students from diverse backgrounds are placed and heterogeneously-formed
cooperative learning groups." [9]
Psychological and
sociological aspects in collaborative settings
The interaction during cooperative sessions is important,
too, because students gain an increased perspective on their relevance to the
community and don't develop egocentrism.
More than adults, adolescents need their peer group to share
their feelings, aspirations, fantasies, and joys. Peer relations are necessary, also, to avoid
the pains associated with adolescent bullying and even isolation. The
collaborative setting is valuable because the students hold each other
accountable for appropriate social behavior, internalizing good values, and promoting
long term self-control.
The caring for each other models commitment in relationships,
a cornerstone for psychological health and social competencies. [10]
Collaboration in the
college setting
Our increasingly diverse society requires engaging citizens
who can appreciate and benefit from different perspectives. At the same time, most local, national, and
global challenges require long-term, collective responses. Learning to listen more carefully, think
critically, participate constructively, and collaborate productively to solve
common problems are vital components of an education for citizenship in the 21st
century. [11]
Collaborative learning occurs when students and faculty work
together to create knowledge. It is a
pedagogy that has at its center the assumption that people make meaning
together and that the process enriches and enlarges them. [12]
Richard Light, Professor of Teaching and Learning at Harvard
Graduate School of Education, focuses on higher education policies and
controversies, states: "That student who gets the most out of college, who
grows the most academically, who as a rule is happiest, is the one that organizes
their time to include interpersonal activities with faculty members, or with
fellow students built around substantial, academic work." [13]
Withdrawn prone students and disadvantaged minorities tend
to be passive in academic settings. One 1985 study noted that the five-year
retention rate for black students majoring in math or science at the University
of California Berkeley was 24% higher in cooperative settings compared to those
not involved. [14]
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Wright and associates evaluated analytical chemistry at The
University Wisconsin for both lecture/discussion classes with cooperative
learning. Students in the cooperative learning classes had quantifiably better
reasoning and communication skills than those taught in lecture/discussion
classes. This extended to the perception
of the students' preparation for future science courses – a remarkable finding
for such a challenging curriculum. [17]
References
[1] Johnson, D., Johnson, R. (1975). Learning together and alone, cooperation, competition, and individualization. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice-Hall.
[2]Choi, J., Johnson, D., Johnson, R., The Roots of Social Dominance: Aggression, Prosocial Behavior, and Social Interdependence, Journal
of Educational Research. 2011, Vol. 104 Issue 6, p442-454
[3] Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. P. (2009). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (10th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
[4] Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2005). New developments in social interdependence theory. Psychology Monographs 131, 285–358.
[5] Johnson, D. W., & Norem-Hebeisen, A. (1979). A measure of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic attitudes. Journal of
Social Psychology, 109, 253–261
[6] Michaelsen, L., Knight, A.B., Team-Based Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching, Stylus Publishing, 2004
[7] Sylwester, R., A Biological Brain in a Cultural Classroom, Corwin Press, 2003
[8] Kohn, A. No Contest Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1992
[9] Cuseo, J.B., Cooperative learning: A pedagogy for addressing contemporary challenges & critical issues in higher education. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press
[10] Johnson, D., Johnson, R. (1998). Learning together and alone, cooperation, competition, and individualization. 5th ed., San
Francisco, CA, Pearson Education
[11] Barkley, E., Cross, K., Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty Paperback, Jossey-Bass, 2004
[12] Mathews, R. Collaborative learning: Creating knowledge with students, Teaching on solid ground: Using
scholarship to improve practice, San Francisco: Josey-Bass, 1996
[13] Light, R.J., The Harvard assessment Seminar, 2nd report, Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University, Graduate School of Education and Kennedy School of Government, 1992
[14] Triesman, P., A study of mathematics performance and black student at the University of California, Berkeley, Dissertations
Abstracts International 47, 1641-A, 1985
[15] Millar, S.B., "Learning through evaluation,adaptation, and dissemination: The LEAD Center". AAHE Bulletin, 51(8), 7-9
[16] Barkley, E., Cross, K., Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty Paperback, Jossey-Bass, 2004
[17] Wright, C., Millar, S.B., Kosciuk, S., Penberthy, D.,
"A Novel Strategy for Assessing the Effects of Curriculum Reform on Student Competence", Journal of Chemical
Education • Vol. 75 No. 8 August 1998
