12.11.06
End of Semester Statement
I still think cooperative learning is generally a good thing however, I know now that like most generally good things in the social sciences, it is complicated. Is it good for everyone? Mostly. Is it useful in all subject areas? Yes, but it’s generally used differently. Does it help achievement, self-efficacy, and interest among many many other things? Generally yes. Is there any agreement on how it can be best implemented? No.
I am currently excited about aspects of cooperative learning that I will have to attend to later, like the social aspect (attacking cooperative learning from a more social psychology perspective) of group interaction, which Kelly Mix got me excited about. It is almost as if she reminded me of my interest because it is the kind of thing I pay attention to in life situations. Also, this interests me personally because of my experiences in groups. I tend to fill a certain role when I am in groups, to some degree, independent of the other members of my group. There is a lot of research on this type of thing in social psychology but it does not seem to be that well integrated into educational theory on cooperative learning. The focus instead tends to be on ability/skill or social skills. Group dynamics matter. In few instances, some researchers have acknowledged them by assigning certain jobs in a group to certain individuals rather than letting the group decide who does what. In addition, the idea of social loafing (one general criticism of peer learning) could use some researching by me. My readings in cooperative learning this semester have also touched on motivation, one of my other general interests in education, which I will pursue more in the future.
This semester I have used a lot of cooperative learning in the classes I have taught and in presentations to some of the classes I have taken. Generally, things have worked out well, though often I am more conscious about what I am doing than I was when I started. I make sure I give very clear objectives for the group, appropriate time to finish, and group people with differing abilities and base levels of social interaction. Sometimes it is helpful to have groups of people that have similar interests or skills because that can increase group motivation to complete the given task. I had the opportunity to change the base groups of my classes midway through the year and I had to think about how I was going to go about that. I have to say that most of the groups had members of differing skill and social ability.
It seems like there is a lot of new research in the field turning to online environments as places for cooperative learning. I have read some studies about this but I am not really that interested in creating completely computer based learning groups as much as groups that work both in the classroom and on the internet. There does not seem to be as much research on this as there is on completely computer based environments or cooperative learning using computer games or programs within the classroom. I believe that calculated use of technologies to connect teachers and other students with students might be helpful in creating a community of learners, helping students think more deeply about material and connect different topics but the evidence to back me up is rather scant. However, I do not seem to be the only one thinking these things. Maybe this is just people blindly clinging to novel technology but from my grasp of the non-technological research in the field, I do not think so.
