(^)
- performance by asking questions randomly of indiIndividual Accountability requires the instructor to assess each person's viduals. Name tags can be worn to help
the instructor to learn the students' names. - management, and decision-makingUsing Collaborative Skills. Students who lack cooperative experiences frequently encourages leadership, trust, communication, conflict-
lack these experiences. Students come to collegethat probably did little to build these collaborative skills. with thirteen years of learning experience - they did well and what they could do better the Group Processing involves an evaluation by the participants of their group: What next time to improve the functioning of the
group. Feedback can be formal and informal. Forms can be developed to give feedback to the instructor on a given exercise. It is important to focus the student evaluation on the
process of the group in contrast to the product.praise and encouragement, such as "you can do it", helps tremendously in subject matter Feedback is a dialog. Giving students
where students might feel inferior.
(^) Group structuring distinguishes this type of cooperative learning from other
models. Indeed, structuring can be the key to effective cooperative learning groups
(Johnson and Johnson, 1987; Johnson and Johnson, 1989; Johnson, Johnson, and
Holubec, 1988; Smith, 1989; Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992). A structured model of
cooperative learning considers, for example, how many students will be in a group, how
they are to be assigned to the group, what roles they will assume in the group, and
structuring the task. Structured groups fare better than unstructured groups. Structured
cooperative learning does utilize more class time. Content may be sacrificed in order to
make time for group activities. The results, however, are supportive of the method.
This cooperative learning model is based on extensive research on competitive,
individualistic, and cooperative learning strategies (Johnson and Johnson, 1989). In a
sense, the research in cooperative learning is an example of action research as advocated
by Kurt Lewin who said, “...there is nothing so practical as a good theory” (Johnson and
Johnson, 1987; Johnson and Johnson, 1986). Theory informs practice and practice
informs theory in cooperative learning research. This interplay is not unlike the