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Discuss the principal characteristics of cooperative learning

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a) Group Goals:
In cooperative learning, the class strives for the success of all members. There is a clearly perceived positive interdependence. The first requirement for an effectively structured cooperative lesson is that students believe that they "sink or swim together." Within cooperative learning situations, students have two responsibilities: to learn the assigned material and to ensure that all members of the group do the same. The technical term for that dual responsibility is positive interdependence. Positive interdependence exists when students perceive that they are linked with group mates in such a way that they cannot succeed unless their group mates do (and vice versa) and/or that they must coordinate their efforts with that of their group mates to complete a task.
Positive interdependence promotes a situation where students see that their work benefits group mates and their mates work benefits them; they work together in small groups to maximize the learning of all members by sharing their resources to provide mutual support and encouragement and to celebrate joint success. When positive interdependence is clearly understood, it establishes that the effort of each group member is required and indispensable for group success (i.e. there can be no "free-riders"), each group member has a unique contribution to make to the joint effort because of his or her resources and/or role and ask responsibilities.

b) Individual Accountability:
Cooperative learning requires that every pupil puts maximum effort in the learning process and group tasks. Effort is also put in pupil-pupil tutoring. There is obvious individual accountability and personal responsibility to achieve group goals. Individual accountability exists when the performance of individual students is assessed, the results communicated to the individual and the group, and the student held responsible by group mates for contributing his or her fair share to the group's success. It is important that the group knows who needs more assistance, support and encouragement in completing an assignment. It is also important that group members know they cannot "hitchhike" on the work of others. When it is difficult to identify members' contributions, when such contributions are redundant and when members are not responsible for the final group outcome, they may be seeking a free ride (Harkins & Petty, 1982). This is called social loafing.

c) Equal Opportunities for Success:
In cooperative learning, all students - high, average and low achievers contribute to group or team improvement. They are all challenged to do their best. The contribution of all members is valued. No member is despised.

d) Team Competition:
There may be competitions between teams or classes but there is no individually focused competition among team members.

e) Task Specialization:
In this method, the teacher may give each team a specific task to work on and then coordinate the results for the whole class to learn. Individual team members may be given specific tasks leading to success in the group assignment.

f) Adaptation to individual bleeds:
The teaching-learning process is organized to take into consideration the pace interests and aptitude of the group members so that all are catered for (Slavin, 1990).

francis1897 answered the question on August 19, 2022 at 13:25

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Discuss the principal characteristics of cooperative learning

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