IMPLEMNT

Suggestions for implementing cooperative learning:

1. It is vitally important that students be on time to class every day. In order to encourage
students to be on time, the instructor can give a homework or vocabulary quiz at the
beginning of the class.
2. Have groups sit together in class. Groups can be formed based on a diagnostic test given
the first day of class or, initially at least, randomly. Heterogeneous groups might be used for
checking homework and homogeneous groups might be used for group projects in order that
the bright students can work on more challenging problems. Working on problems in class
together could be done in either heterogeneous or homogeneous groups. Some advantages to
heterogeneous groups is that the faster students benefit from explaining concepts to other
students, the slower students often ask questions in such a way that the other students have to
think more deeply about the problem, and one or more of the students will often come up
with a different approach to a problem which helps the other students to see the concept more
clearly. Advantages to homogeneous groups include that the lower ability students don't feel
intimidated by others in the group and the higher ability students have the time for more
challenging problems.
3. Structure the grades so that each student's grade is partially dependent upon their
participation in and contribution to their groups, but don't make the grade complicated to
compute. Students must perceive themselves as dependent on one another in their groups.
4. Discuss the roles of the students as they participate in their active learning groups. Assign
roles to each person in the group. Have the roles rotate so that each student practices each
role. With pairs of students, the roles could be solver and questioner ( one student solves the
problem while the other student asks questions about the solution strategies so that the first
person must verbalize them ), solver and recorder (one student talks but cannot write, the
other student writes but cannot talk), recorder and spokesperson (one student writes a solved
problem on the board, the other student explains the solution), or solved problem pairs (one
student rewrites a worked problem from the board explaining the reason for each step). With
larger groups, roles could include a recorder, an encourager (praises students when they do
well or ask a good question), a checker (checks that the group process is working), a worrier
(makes sure that everybody stays on task). In a larger group, the teacher can also choose a
recorder and spokesperson at random to explain a particular problem.