Cooperative Learning Experiences Research Articles

A Qualitative Study on Cooperative Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Students Participating in a Fieldwork Class

A Qualitative Study on Cooperative Learning Experiences of Undergraduate Students Participating in a Fieldwork Class

Experiencias de trabajo cooperativo en la educación superior. Percepciones sobre su contribución al desarrollo de la competencia social

El Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior (EEES) exige el desarrollo de competencias clave para dar respuesta a las demandas de la sociedad y del mercado de trabajo. La Competencia Social incluye destrezas fundamentales para las relaciones sociales de calidad en el ámbito personal y profesional. Se identifica el Aprendizaje Cooperativo como método apropiado para lograr tal fin.En este artículo se presenta la experiencia de una investigación cualitativa durante los cursos 2009-2015 en la que se vertebra la investigación acción participativa como una técnica adecuada, puesto que investiga a la muestra, se diseña una metodología docente en base a las carencias y se vuelve a investigar la eficacia del aprendizaje debido a la metodología. Exponemos un caso en el que la investigación acción participativa ha sido aplicada al campo de la Educación universitaria en la que se asegura más la adecuación a la diversidad precisamente por la adecuación que otorga al aula investigada.Además, se exponen los resultados del análisis de esta investigación e innovación, en concreto, la percepción expresada por los alumnos acerca del grado en que el trabajo en equipo cooperativo contribuye al desarrollo de su Competencia Social tras participar en una experiencia de Aprendizaje Cooperativo. Se diseña un tipo de investigación aplicada, desde una perspectiva cualitativa, no experimental, en el ámbito de la evaluación de resultados para la toma de decisiones. Participan 126 estudiantes de Grado de primer y cuarto curso. A través de un cuestionario tipo Likert, se recoge su percepción sobre competencias emergentes al desempeño de la Competencia Social: Empatía, Consenso o Participación Democrática y Asertividad. Este estudio aporta novedad en tanto que explora sobre una muestra de estudiantes con perfiles diversos, tomando como punto de partida de manera integrada diversas variables y sobre la percepción que los propios estudiantes expresan de manera explícita. Se confirma que los estudiantes perciben que, a través del Aprendizaje Cooperativo, se desarrolla su Competencia Social. Las habilidades mejor valoradas son las que se relacionan con el ámbito cognitivo y se relega a un segundo plano otras de carácter emocional, axiológico y paradigmático.

위키기반 EFL 글쓰기에서 나타난 협력적 동료 수정과 피드백에 대한 연구

Wiki is an online writing tool which can be used to promote learners’ cooperative learning experiences through peer interaction and collaboration in...

The impact of cooperative learning on self-directed learning abilities in the computer applications technology class

ABSTRACTThis article reports on an explorative study into the relationship between the implementation of cooperative learning strategies and students’ self-directedness in learning. Participants in this study were first-year Computer Applications Technology student teachers. Students completed a self-directed learning questionnaire at the beginning of the module and again after completion of the module. We used cooperative learning strategies during contact sessions over 12 weeks. After completion of the module, interviews were also conducted with randomly selected students. We concluded that the cooperative learning experiences in the Computer Applications Technology class appear to have an effect on students’ perceived readiness for self-directed learning only in cases where students do not have perceived high self-directed learning skills.

Collaborative Posters Develop Students' Ability to Communicate about Undervalued Scientific Resources to Nonscientists.

Scientists are increasingly called upon to communicate with the public, yet most never receive formal training in this area. Public understanding is particularly critical to maintaining support for undervalued resources such as biological collections, research data repositories, and expensive equipment. We describe activities carried out in an inquiry-driven organismal biology laboratory course designed to engage a diverse student body using biological collections. The goals of this cooperative learning experience were to increase students’ ability to locate and comprehend primary research articles, and to communicate the importance of an undervalued scientific resource to nonscientists. Our results indicate that collaboratively created, research-focused informational posters are an effective tool for achieving these goals and may be applied in other disciplines or classroom settings.

A Study on the Cooperative Learning Experience of Undergraduate Students Participating in Liberal Arts Class

이 연구는 I대학의 교양과목 ‘다문화사회와 다문화교육’을 수강한 대학생들을 대상으로 역할놀이를 통한 협동학습 경험의 의미를 탐색한 연구이다. 연구방법은 온라인수업과 오프라인 수업을 동시에 진행하면서 온라인수업에서 배운 이론을 오프라인 수업인 역할놀이를 통해 배운 지식을 심화 발전시켜 현실적으로 체험할 수 있도록 하였다. 이 과정에서 수업참여일지, 설문지, 저널, 역할 대본 등을 자료로 수집하여 참여자들이 그룹별 사례에서 나타난 개인의 경험의 의미를 분석하기 위해 사례연구와 현상학적 연구방법을 함께 적용하여 분석하였다. 연구결과에서 협동학습 경험의 의미를 모두 세 가지 주제 범주, 즉 상호적 관계로서의 협력, 도덕적 의무감, 화합과 공존을 위한 실천으로 구분하였다. 첫째, 상호적 관계로서 서로 의존하고 협력하면서 참여와 소통 그리고 긍정적 상호작용이 나타났으며 둘째, 개인적 책무성에서 도덕적인 의무감을 알 수 있었다. 개별학습보다는 ‘책임감’이라는 무게를 느끼고 있었고, 이를 통해 자아성찰과 역할에 대한 책임, 타자에 대한 책임의식을 보여주었다. 셋째, 개인 간 상호교류에서 화합과 공존을 위한 실천으로 나타났다. 즉, 서로의 생각을 교환하고 표현함으로서 언어적 상호작용을 통해 화합과 공존을 위한 사회적 상호작용이 일어나고 있음을 알 수 있다. 즉, 협동학습에서 나타나는 도덕적인 의무감은 공존하는 사회를 만들어가는 초석이 된다는 점, 협동학습은 화합과 공존을 위한 실천의 장이라는 점을 시사하고 있다.The purpose of this study was to investigate the meaning of cooperative learning experience through role play among undergraduate students who took the liberal arts course related to multicultural education of I university. In order to achieve this aim, the study adapted a case study with the phenomenological research methods. The study collected diaries, questionnaires, journals, and role scripts. The study then analyzed the implications of case studies from research participants. The results are as follows. First, there was participation, communication, and positive interactions as mutual dependence and cooperation. Second, moral sense of duty was found in personal accountability. The project acknowledged the weight of “responsibility” rather than individual learning, and results showed responsibility for self-reflection and role, and sense of responsibility for others. Third, the project appeared as practice for harmony and coexistence in mutual exchange of individuals. In other words, the study found that social interactions for harmony and coexistence were taking place through linguistic interaction by exchanging and expressing each other ’s thoughts. The meaning of cooperative learning experience was divided into three categories: collaboration as a mutual relationship, moral sense of duty, and practice for harmony and coexistence. In conclusion, the moral sense of duty in cooperative learning is a cornerstone of coexistence in society, and cooperative learning is a place of practice for harmony and coexistence.

The influence of knowledge recipients’ proactivity on knowledge construction in cooperative learning experiences

Cooperative learning techniques in teaching activities are becoming increasingly popular. Many studies have documented the benefits of these techniques, but fewer have analysed the factors affecting students’ achievement. One of those factors could be the student’s proactivity, since cooperative techniques require active involvement of students. Proactivity or proactive behaviour relates to pioneering behaviour, initiative taken to exploit new opportunities, and a leading attitude. This study analyses the influence of several aspects related to students’ proactivity on knowledge construction in the context of cooperative learning. The aspects included in the proactivity framework are the student’s creativity, locus of control, self-effectiveness, and motivation towards cooperative learning. These variables and their potential effect on knowledge construction in cooperative experiences are discussed. The resulting hypotheses are tested with data from students who participated in a jigsaw, and the results show the positive impact of the internal locus of control and self-efficacy, along with the fact that the student is attending the course for the first time.

Learner Views about Cooperative Learning in Social Learning Networks

The purpose of this study was to reveal the attitudes and views of university students about the use of Edmodo as a cooperative learning environment. In the research process, the students were divided into groups of 4 or 5 within the scope of a course given in the department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology. For each group, Edmodo small groups were formed, and the students used these Edmodo small groups to share and communicate with their group friends in relation to the group tasks assigned to them within the scope of the study. This process lasted one academic term. As the data collection tool, an online cooperative learning attitude scale and a semi-structured interview form were used. At the end of the academic term, 15 students were interviewed about their cooperative learning experiences within the scope of the course as well as about how they made use of Edmodo in the process. The results demonstrated that the students had positive attitudes towards online cooperative learning. The findings obtained via the qualitative data analysis were examined under the headings of “social networks used”, “preferences of forming groups”, “communication within group” and “views about the courses executed via Edmodo”.

Cooperative learning on an international masters

ABSTRACTPostgraduate taught provision in Anglophone higher education contexts is becoming increasingly populated by cohorts of students from a wide range of linguistic, cultural and educational backgrounds. However, the voices of these students on their learning experiences remain largely unheard. Little previous research exists on the experiences of higher degree students as they participate in group work in multi-cultural settings. This study investigates the perspectives of students from a variety of educational backgrounds on their experiences of cooperative learning in multi-national groups on a Masters programme at a UK university. Seven focus groups were conducted with students from a range of countries including Confucian Heritage Cultures (CHC) and non-CHC backgrounds. Students perceived group work as often lacking adequate structure, leading to feelings of confusion and insecurity. While it was apparent that a complex interplay of cultural, cognitive, and linguistic factors impacted on the functioning of collaborative learning, the data highlighted the need to provide students with more structure and guidance for cooperative learning environments and the importance of creating intercultural learning opportunities for students to better understand the impact of cultural backgrounds on approaches to cooperative learning in multi-national situations.

Connecting Problem-solving Style to Peer Evaluations of Performance in Secondary Cooperative Learning Projects

With an evolving and expanding agricultural industry, it is crucial to provide future professionals with valuable experiences and skills in problem solving, communication, and teamwork. Agricultural summer programs for secondary students, which provide cooperative learning experiences with a focus on group work and problem solving, aim to help meet the current demand of employment in the various disciplines within agriculture. Many of these summer programs offer secondary students opportunities to learn more about agriculture, and gain experiences as they work in teams to consider the agricultural issues they may face upon entering the workforce. While adaption-innovation theory has been used in agribusinesses across the world to provide explanation to how people work together in teams to solve complex ill-defined problems, little is known regarding the degree the theory applies to secondary student learning in groups. This study utilized a quantitative, quasi-experimental design to further explore how high school students’ problem-solving styles impact their perceptions of group members in a cooperative learning experience while participating in the Virginia’s Summer Residential Governor’s School for Agriculture program. The findings and recommendations can assist instructors in providing cooperative learning experiences to their students and further maximize high school student’s experiences in working in teams and solving complex ill-defined problems associated with agricultural issues.

Group work and the change of obstacles over time: The influence of learning style and group composition

It is through working in groups that students develop cooperative learning skills and experience. However, group work activity often leads students into a difficult experience, especially for first-year students who are not familiar with group work activities at university. This study explores obstacles faced by first-year students during their group work activities. It investigates whether a group of students with a similar learning style (homogeneous group) experience different obstacles compared to a group of students with a diverse learning style (heterogeneous group). In addition, to identify the difference, if any, between a group formed by a tutor and one where the students form the group themselves, tutor and self-allocated group allocations are explored. This study focuses on obstacles experienced by these students during group work activities. Using a sample of more than 200 students over a period of 3 years, the types and the changes of obstacles in different stages of group life are explored. The findings show that students experience obstacles which can be classified into personal and social, leadership and management, and task-related obstacles. Those obstacles were not static but increased over time. The study also investigates the impact of different methods of forming groups and whether this impacted on obstacles experienced. Overall, different interventions prompted different patterns of obstacle development.

Co-operative learning in a high school physical education programm

The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret the teacher's and students' experiences of co-operative learning in a high school setting. A multiple-method design included interviews of the physical education teacher and eighth (year 9) and eleventh grade (year 12) students, nonparticipant observation, field notes, and document analysis. Inductive analysis and constant comparison were used to analyse and organise the data throughout the research process (Denzin & Lincoln, 1994). The teacher believed co-operative learning helped her students meet the following goals: developing motor skills, developing game strategies, actively participating, respecting one's peers, accepting responsibility, improving communication skills, and having fun. Students reported that co-operative learning encouraged learning motor skills, participating, communicating, having fun and co-operating.

The assessment of female students’ perceptions, practices and challenges in cooperative learning: the case of natural science stream of Mettu College of Teacher Education

The main purpose of this study was to assess perceptions, practices and challenges of female students in cooperative learning (one- in- five) at Mettu College of Teacher Education. To achieve this objective, descriptive case study research method was employed. The subjects of the study were 80 (22 low achievers,34 medium achievers, and 16 high achievers of third year regular female students,6 science and mathematics teachers, 1 vice dean and 1 gender office coordinator). Stratified sampling followed by Simple random sampling (lottery method) technique was employed to select the sample female students, purposive sampling technique was used to select the college and availability sampling method was employed for teachers, college vice dean and gender office coordinator. To gather the necessary data, questionnaire, focused grouped discussion, interview and document analysis were used. The gathered information was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The result of the study revealed that there were statistically no significant difference among high, medium and low achievers of female students’ perceptions to cooperative learning and they have strongly believed (M=4.3) the academic and social emotional benefits of cooperative learning (CL) in their teaching learning process. The study also showed that there was statistically significant difference among them in practicing the essential elements that are necessary to construct their effective cooperative learning experiences, with only few top female students, who were competent among the heterogeneous group members had above the expected practices. Whereas, all low achievers and majority of medium achievers of female students were practicing below the ordinary practice to accomplish a common goal and they were highly dominated by active male /female students of the group members. Their challenges in CL were extremely related to themselves and their male student group members, subject teachers and the college as well. K e y w o r d s: Cooperative learning, Perception, Practice Elements, Challenges

USE OF INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARDS AS PART OF A BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: NOT AS WHITE AS IT SEEMS

Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) have become an essential technological medium of instruction, especially in distance education (DE), enabling interaction between lecturers and students over vast distances. Efficient utilisation of IWBs has the potential to enhance teaching and learning in a blended environment. This article focuses on the perceptions of members of the school management team (SMT) pertaining to their first experiences with IWBs as part of a blended learning environment. Although the students were adult learners, and leaders in education, it cannot be presumed that these students undergoing professional development via IWB are ready and open towards lecturers using such a medium of instruction. Open-ended questionnaires were completed by 50 students enrolled for the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Management and Leadership (ACE SL). Participants’ mixed experiences led to factors being identified that need to be addressed before and during the IWB session, for the optimal interactive and cooperative teaching and learning experience. This article makes recommendations to improve IWB sessions and indicates the importance of a sound and reliable technological environment for the effective use of IWBs as part of a blended learning environment.

Alkaloid-Derived Thioureas in Asymmetric Organocatalysis: A Cooperative Learning Activity in a Project-Based Laboratory Course

An experiment carried out by advanced undergraduate students in a project-based laboratory course is described. Taking into account the positive effects of working in teams, which has been key for successful research in industry and academia, a cooperative learning experience in the laboratory was developed. Students working in teams of four synthesize two alkaloid-derived thioureas starting from a chiral pool (quinidine and quinine). The thioureas are used to catalyze an enantioselective Michael reaction between acetylacetone and trans-4-methyl-β-nitrostyrene, providing a platform for discussion of stereochemistry and chirality transfer events. Qualitative analysis of the reaction enantioselectivity is performed by polarimetry, which allows students to assign product optical rotations (+/−) with their absolute configurations (S/R). Students are exposed to an entire research process: analysis of primary literature, discussion with colleagues, planning laboratory schedules, and execution of experiments.

Developing Writing Abilities Of Efl Students Through Blogging

Due to a rapid development and expansion of technology and, as a result, Web 2.0 technologies are providing both teachers and learners with new solutions to the limitations of traditional method in the field of language teaching and learning. The research compared students’ writing ability before and after they were taught through blog, a new medium or tool for written communication and interaction in many different languages around the world. The research design is a kind of one group pretest posttest. Participants were 35 first-year students. They were divided into eight groups. Four or five students in each group created a blog, www.blogger.com, and they worked together for twelve weeks to produce six pieces of writing assignments. Each member in the group worked through providing comments, editing and revising on the blog until the group got a final writing and submitted that to the teacher for grading. The instruments used in this study were: O two writing tests O a questionnaire surveying students’ attitude toward learning through blogs, and O postings on blogs to reflect their learning experiences. The results revealed that after the students worked together on weblogs, their English writing mean score of the posttest was higher than that of the pretest, and they had positive attitudes towards using weblogs in learning. Regarding cooperative learning experiences through using weblogs, most students thought that it was interesting, a new experience to work with their friends on the weblogs.

Creating a Community Classroom: Strategies to Promote Inclusion and Reduce Bullying in Early Childhood

Research suggests that young children with disabilities often fall victim to bullying because of a lack of social competence and social skills necessary for consistent engagement with peers. This article focuses on a comprehensive approach to classroom management and offers important strategies for a multilevel positive behavioral support plan. The positive behavioral support plan is embedded in the daily curriculum and includes strategies that enhance cooperative learning and socialization experiences, increases academic readiness, and supports academic success.

Developments in Cooperative Learning: Review of Research [Desarrollos en aprendizaje cooperativo: revisión de la investigación

Cooperative learning, where work in small groups to accomplish shared goals, is widely recognized as a teaching strategy that promotes learning and socialization among from kindergarten through college and across different subject domains. It has been used successfully to promote reading and writing achievements, understanding and conceptual development in science classes, problem-solving in math- ematics, and higher-order thinking and learning to name just a few. It has been shown to enhance students willingness to work cooperatively and productively with others with diverse learning and adjustment needs and to enhance intergroup relations with those from culturally and ethnically dif- ferent backgrounds. It has also been used as a teaching strategy to assist to manage conflict and to help identified as bullies learn appropriate interpersonal skills. In fact, it has been argued that cooperative learning experiences are crucial to preventing and alleviating many of the social problems related to children, adolescents, and young adults. There is no doubt that the benefits attributed to cooperative learning are wide- spread and numerous and it is the apparent success of this approach to learning that has led to it being acclaimed as one of the greatest educational innovations of recent times. The purpose of this paper is not only to review developments in research on cooperative learning but also to examine the factors that mediate and moderate its success. In particular, the review focuses on the types of stu- dent and teacher interactions generated and the key role talk plays in de- veloping student thinking and learning, albeit through the expression of contrasting opinions or constructed shared meaning. The intention is to provide additional insights on how teachers can effectively utilize this ped- agogical approach to teaching and learning in their classrooms.

Aprendizaje cooperativo para forjar vivienda saludable en Bogotá: estudio de caso

This was a community-based effort at constructing an educational proposal orientated towards self-empowerment aimed at improving the target population's sanitary, housing and living conditions through cooperative learning. A constructivist approach was adopted based on a programme called "Habitat community manger". The project involved working with fifteen families living in the Mochuelo Bajo barrio in Ciudad Bolívar in Bogotá, Colombia, for identifying the most relevant sanitary aspects for improving their homes and proposing a methodology and organisation for an educational proposal. Twenty-one poor housing-related epidemiological indicators were identified which formed the basis for defining specific problems and establishing a methodology for designing an educational proposal. The course which emerged from the cooperative learning experience was designed to promote the community's skills and education regarding health aimed at improving households' living conditions and ensuring a healthy environment which would allow them to develop an immediate habitat ensuring their own welfare and dignity.

Using the Jigsaw Cooperative Learning Method to Teach Medical Students About Long-Term and Postacute Care

Since many of the frailest and most vulnerable Americans reside in nursing homes, medical students need focused education and training pertaining to this setting. A unique cooperative learning experience utilizing the jigsaw method was developed to engage and expose students to the institutional long-term and postacute care (LTPAC) setting and the roles of personnel there. To accomplish these goals, small groups of medical students interviewed LTPAC personnel about their role, generally, and in relation to a specific patient case. These groups were then rearranged into new groups containing 1 student from each of the original groups plus a faculty facilitator. Each student in the new groups taught about the role of the LTPAC professional they interviewed. To assess the effectiveness of this learning experience, students and LTPAC personnel provided written feedback and rated the activity using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = worst; 5 = best). Students also took a knowledge test. The activity received ratings from students of 3.65 to 4.12 (mean = 3.91). The knowledge test results indicated that students understood the roles of the LTPAC personnel. In general, the jigsaw exercise was well-received by participants and provided an effective means of introducing medical students to the nursing home environment.