Essentials of Middle and Secondary Social Studies by Russell William B

Author:Russell, William B.
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-136-17644-9
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Figure 8.1 Creating Civil War Newspapers: A Cooperative Learning Project

STUDENT ROLES IN COOPERATIVE LEARNING

Cooperative and collaborative learning bring about a change in the way students behave and a role shift from what they may experience in many traditional classrooms. Students move from being observers, listeners, and note-takers to active problem-solvers, contributors, and discussants (MacGregor, 1990). For example, in one type of cooperative learning activity, generally called team interview, two members of the four-member team interview the other two about the content that has been covered. The interviewers then summarize what they have heard. The roles are then reversed. At no point in this process is there anyone on the team who is inactive.

In fact, perhaps the most important part of both cooperative and collaborative learning groups is that all students have an active role and a personal responsibility. In cooperative groups, one indication of this is that every group member has a uniquely assigned, specific function within the group. A group of four, for example, might be organized with one individual as the group leader, another the group messenger and materials person, another the group note-taker, and another the group’s self-evaluator. The specific roles and their titles vary greatly, but the basic principle is that everyone in the group has a personal and individual responsibility. Advocates of cooperative learning suggest that permanent cooperative base groups be united by a common goal or purpose. Base groups meet every day with one of their agenda items being the discussion of one another’s progress toward that purpose. Members of the group are responsible for getting assignments to absent members, letting them know what went on in class, and helping them catch up. They feel the need to do this because the success of the absent members is necessary to the success of the group. Members help each other, encourage each other, and check to make sure that everyone is keeping up with assignments.

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