Cooperative Learning

Cooperative learning is a useful teaching strategy in which students of different levels are grouped in small teams in order for them to work together to achieve a common goal through the evaluation of their individual knowledge of a subject. In this strategy, each student is responsible for his own learning, as for his classmates’ as well. They work through the assigned activity until each member of the group understands the topic of the subject given. The activities presented should be “intellectually demanding, creative, open-ended and must involve higher order thinking tasks”. Ross and Smyth (1995). This strategy can help students to develop their social and communicative skills. It provides them satisfaction with their learning experience and it raises their self-esteem. 

Kagan, S. (1994). Cooperative Learning. [Online article]. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/cooperativelearning.htm