An introduction to

Co-operative Learning

Julie ThorpeLead for Schools Programmes and

Digital Learning

The Co-operative College

Vision To be world leaders in education for co-operation.

Mission To put education at the heart of co-operation and co-operation at the heart of education.

Algebra activityIn your groups, you have 3 minutes to complete as many of the questions as possible.

Group work

• Did one person who was good at maths find the answers?• Was everyone involved?• Did anyone/everyone learn something?• Does small group work guarantee learning?

Reflection

“Imagine a doctor goes to sleep for 100 years and then wakes up. She decides to go to work and practise medicine. Imagine her surprise at the latest technology, methods and medicines, or indeed the reaction of other doctors or patients. Imagine instead a teacher who does the same and goes back to the classroom after 100 years. He goes to the front of the class room and takes up his chalk, writes a few key points and the goes on to question students, to which individuals put up their hands to respond. Would anyone notice that 100 years have elapsed since he last taught?”

(Robert Slavin)

In pairs spend three minutes discussing the extent to which you think pedagogy has changed in the last 100 years?

Activity

Open questioning/interactive learning or ‘Guess what is in my mind’?

Interactive?

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Vygotsky

10 per cent of what we read20 per cent of what we hear30 per cent of what we see50 per cent of what we hear and see70 per cent of what we discuss with others80 per cent of what we experience personally90 per cent of what we teach to others.

How much of what we have learnt about learning over the last 100 years do we put into practice?

We learn…

Robert SlavinSpencer KaganDavid and Roger JohnsonShlomo SharanRichard SmuckElizabeth CohenDon BrownCharlotte ThomsonWendy Jolliffe

Co-operative learning

• Positive Interdependence• Individual Accountability• Equal Participation• Simultaneous Interaction

PIES

A co-operative learning structure:

Structures

• Organises classroom instruction.

• Is content-free and repeatable.

• Implements the basic principles of co-operative learning (PIES).

• Structures• Teams• Management• Class building• Team building• Social skills• PIES

Keys to success with co-operative learning

Julie Thorpejulie@co-op.ac.uk - 0161 819 3014

Thank you