Chapter 15 page 350
Example 4. History. Same question as above.A What did you write for #6?
B I put, “Because he believed that the president was the people’s representative to stop
laws that were bad for the country.”
A Where did you get that?
B I kind of drew a conclusion from that one letter of Jackson’s that we read. The one
where he said something about it being his duty to make sure that he was the person who
stood for the people. I forget the exact words....Response:- B gives only terminal help. “4” is the answer.
- B gives a procedural description. B tells which steps to follow to answer the question.
- This one is a bit tricky. It almost looks as if B is giving an explanation, because the response
starts with the word because. But the reason given is the answer to the question in the book.
B is just stating her answer. She is not explaining where this answer comes from, or how she
got it. - In this example, B (after further prompting from A) explains where her answer came from.
She explains the reasoning that led her to this answer.
The examples you have seen thus far in this chapter have shown that explanations are a productive
cognitive strategy in collaborative groups. There is evidence showing that a variety of other high-level
cognitive strategies promote learning in a variety of subjects (e.g., Chinn et al., 2000; A. King et al., 1998;
Zohar & Nemet, 2002). For example, students learn more in their group discussions when they use
strategies such as explanation, elaboration, monitoring understanding, summarizing, representing problems,
planning, revising, weighing evidence fairly, and constructing arguments (Barron, 2003; Chinn et al., 2000;
Okada & Simon, 1997; Peterson & Swing, 1985; Rosenshine & Meister, 1994; Webb, 1982). In short,
each cognitive strategy that you learned about in Chapter 7 is effective when used in small groups.
In addition to the cognitive strategies presented in chapter 7, there is another strategy that is very
effective when used in group work: providing alternative perspectives. When providing an alternative
perspective, one student in a group presents ideas that differ from the ideas held by her peers. When students
provide each other with alternative perspectives, they learn about new ideas and ways of thinking that they
have not experienced before. As they think about these alternative perspectives, they often develop more
sophisticated ideas.
Here is an example of students providing each other with alternative perspectives. The students are
discussing a story about a girl named Amy who finds an abandoned gosling and decides to take care of it.
Later she is faced with the decision of whether to let the goose go. These fourth graders are discussing this
issue.
Jeremy I don't think that she should [let it go], 'cause how do you know he wants to be with his
parents? Maybe the parents start biting him in the head .....
Leah But, Jeremy, listen, he's part of nature.Jeremy Yeah, so's my dog, and I keep him at home.Sean Well, do you keep him in a pen locked up?Jeremy Nope.Leah Well, that's what she's doing to him.