Cooperative learning

A cooperative activity is one in which students work together in pairs or groups in order to complete a task or a series of tasks. Research "provides overwhelming evidence that cooperative learning experiences promote higher academic achievements than do individualist or competitive learning experiences."*

• Rationale for using cooperative activities
  • advantages for ESL students
  • advantages for other students
  • advantages for the teacher
• Caveat
• Examples of cooperative activities
  • pair task work
  • interviews
  • jigsaw activities
  • group projects

* For links to the research and a good overview of the topic go to The Cooperative Learning Center of the University of Minnesota. Alternatively, the Upper School library has 3 useful books:
- The Collaborative Classroom - PRO 371.3 HIL (The quotation above is from this book.)
- Cooperation in the Classroom -PRO 371.3 JOH
- Advanced Cooperative Learning - PRO 371.3 JOH

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