I have not however, taken an active approach to promoting cooperative learning in this class. I intend to take advantage of social interaction among students by pairing more knowledgeable students with those experiencing difficulty. The helping behavior of students is an on task behavior where students interact to assist their peers. Encouraging this behavior benefits the weaker students through timely assistance. Students working in close proximity to each other can give instant feedback which may not be available otherwise.
Students promote each other's learning by helping, sharing and encouraging efforts to learn.
Students explain, discuss and teach what they know to others. The peer coach also benefits by having to conceptualize and explain procedures to others. Students can gain from both giving of suggestions and receiving of answers. These processes can develop cognitive skills by encouraging explainers to clarify and reorganize materials, recognizing and filling in gaps in understanding and developing new perspectives and constructing elaborate conceptualizations. The changes made to this program will undoubtedly benefit the learning of all students participating in the class.