Oral discussion, group-to-individual transfer, and achievement in cooperative learning groups.

Abstract

Abstract : The effects of cooperative learning in which oral discussion was structured (to ensure oral summarization and the monitoring of others' summaries), cooperative learning in which oral discussion was unstructured, and individualistic learning were compared on daily achievement, post-instructional achievement, and retention. Seventy-five second grade students were randomly assigned to the three conditions stratifying for sex and ability level. The results indicate that students in cooperative groups performed significantly higher on the accuracy of daily work than do students working individualistically. In addition, the high-, medium-, and low-ability students in the structured oral discussion cooperative condition scored higher on the post-instructional and retention tests (which were taken individually) than did the students in the other two conditions, and the students in the unstructured oral discussion cooperative condition scored higher on these tests did the students who had learned individualistically. These results indicate that group-to-individual transfer does take place within cooperative learning groups and that orally summarizing the material being learned and the monitoring of others' summaries contributes to the efficacy of cooperative learning. Keywords: Cooperation; Achievement; Oral Discussion.