EPLTT - Cooperative Learning
Channel: EDIT6400
Date: 2012-06-21

In the following video you will see evidence, examples, and explanations of 4 benefits of cooperative learning. You will observe students working together in a group to construct a circuit board in physics class. The first benefit outlined is the social benefits of students working together cooperatively. Students benefit from social interaction with peers, and this is demonstrated in the clip showing positive student interaction. The second benefit shown in the video is the psychological benefit. As seen in the video students can gain a sense of self confidence and accomplishment through cooperative learning activities. In the video students demonstrate how they have solved a problem or conquered a challenge posed by their teacher. You can hear one student say "Look we did it!". The third mentioned benefit is academic. This type of learning helps students to interact with one another and become facilitators of information, instead of just listeners. This is demonstrated in the video when one student explains a concept to another in her group. The fourth and final benefit mentioned this video is assessment. Here you will see students working together for a group portion of the project as well as individually on computers to produce dual assessment portions. Not only do students here have opportunities to be evaluated as a part of a group as well as an individuals but this type of cooperative learning allows for instant feedback for students involved. In conclusion, this video points out drawbacks of cooperative learning and ways to be proactive to prevent those events. A single student doing most or all of the work seems to be the most common drawback, and you can observe that in the video as well. Preventative measures include predetermined groups, and even predetermined jobs for each student involved, to ensure that the work load is more equally divided. By Amber Perry and Ethan Greenberg (2006).