Individual Accountability is the key to ensuring that all group members are in fact strengthened by learning cooperatively. Learning outcomes promoted by cooperative learning have been successful. One of the most important elements of cooperative learning involves assessing learning outcomes using both group and individual evaluations . David Johnson, Roger Johnson, and Karl Smith provide a number of ideas that help in structuring cooperative learning activities . Promotive Interaction Students promote each other's learning by helping, sharing, and encouraging efforts to learn.
Students explain, discuss, and teach what they know to classmates.
Each student's performance is frequently assessed and the results are given to the group and the individual. Teachers may structure individual accountability by giving an individual test to each student or randomly selecting one group member to give the answer. Interpersonal and Small Group Skills Groups cannot function effectively if students do not have and use the needed social skills. Teachers teach these skills as purposefully and precisely as academic skills. Group Processing Groups need specific time to discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships among members.