GROUP WORK & COOPERATIVE

LEARNINGAS TEACHING STRATEGIES

GROUP WORK

(COOPERATION)O Small group workO Large group workO Critical outcomes (principles of OBE)

Focus on the outcome

WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY GROUP WORK? (169)

O To reach the ultimate outcome (academic and social)

O Focus is placed on the active acceptors of information

O Reconstruct / make senseO Work on a realistic taskO Learners must work together effectively O Focus on communicationO Improve problem solving skillsDEFINE OUTCOMES

LIMITATIONS (171)O Learn how to learn in the environment “skills”O Not everybody is willing to do their partO Not everybody is accepted in the groupO Cannot contribute and does not feel

competentO Teachers do not want take control and places

responsibility on learners”O If the activity is not monitored can time be

wastedO Arrange the class

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION(172)

1. PLANNINGO Plan before handO Prepare the learnersO Design how you will organise the

groupO Prepare the materialO Develop guidelinesO Set the problemO Organise and set rules.

2. IMPLEMENTATION (173)

REMEMBER IF THE LEARNERS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE METHOD LET THEM WORK TOGETHER IN A GROUP OF TWOStep 1: outcomesStep 2: give the necessary informationStep 3: form the groups under guidance and select role playersStep 4:facilitate /monitorStep 5:activities to make the conclusionsStep 6: plan assessment

WHAT WENT WRONG?

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

WHAT IS COOPERATIVE LEANING?

ROLE OF THE TEACHER

ROLE OF THE LEARNERSADVANTAGES

TO WORK TOGETHER TO REACH A SPECIFIC AIM

GROUPSO  O Specialist groupO ThemeO 1O Using coopeartive learningO  O 2O Why does it workO  O 3O What might go wrong O 4O Preparing for co operative earningO  O 5O Advantages of co operative learning O 6O LimitationsO 7O Reflect on learning

ROLE OF THE LEARNER

O Positive interdependence between learners

O Learners want to understand one another and support one another

O Individual responsibilityO Appropriate interpersonal skills are

learntO Each member must reflect one what

said

ROLE OF THE TEACHER

O Division of groups (board; role play)O Task for each groupO Determine method of feedbackO SummariseO Determine method of assessmentO Facilitate (keep focused)O MotivateO Take charge of progress

DISADVANTAGEO Learners do not like group work and

prefer to work aloneO Must learn from one another –only if it is

effectiveO Do not want to be associated with the

group O Success is ensured if learners realize that

they are interdependentO Can fail if every learner does not realize

that they have a responsibility

ADVANTAGEO Enhances and encourages cooperation

between groupsO Improves communication skillsO Individual and group attempts are

successfulO Exchange and verbalizes ideasO Learners are encourages to think how

they learnO Learners are responsible for own learning

and realizes responsibilityO A lot of work can be done in a short while

Think of an

example

from your subject

where you

can apply it.

Reflect critically on cooperative learning as a teaching strategy (see Killan)

O Reason for the implementation : more learners seem to be academically successful

O Theoretical perspectives- Motivation- Social cohesion- Cognitive development - Cognitive elaboration

MotivationO Group awards motivate students to

support one another O Group members achieve personal

goals O Must be motivated to learn – does

not matter which strategy is appliedO Intrinsic motivation

Social cohesionO Students want to help one another ,

they care and want to be successfulO Social interdependentO Self-evaluation –structure a positive

climate

Cognitive perspectives O Cognitive perspective s: Interaction -

student involvement is enhanced (Vygotsky)O Cognitive elaboration

- Why? Motivation and support cohesion between groups - behaviourist: immediate feedback

- cognitive : important verbalisation /conceptualisation

- developmental process : peer modelling- humanistic :natural curiosity

Large group workO Provide clear indications to ensure that all learners

engage during the presentation.O An advanced organizer directs the student on what to

do and to listen with attentionO Make use of non verbal signals to focus students

attention during the presentationO Make use of quality media and technologyO Make eye contact and ask various questions/stop the

videoO Interject humor to make students more alertO Circulate between the students O Presentations should be a learning activity when all

following a common pattern

Large group work /small class work

O In a large group the learners would cover a common pattern or topic and work individually on it where

O in a small group the learners will work together on either a similar or common topic.

O In large groups learners have individually responsibilities where in

O small group roles are assigned to develop specific competencies.

O In small groups the selection of learners in groups must take place (to ensure that good cooperation will take place) before the time where in

O large groups the whole class is involved as a single group