Showing papers on "Cooperative learning published in 1992"

The lessons of learning: Reconciling theories of policy learning and policy change

Abstract: Several different explanations of policy change based on notions of learning have emerged in the policy literature to challenge conventional conflict-oriented theories. These include notions of ‘political-learning’ developed by Heclo, ‘policy-oriented learning’ developed by Sabatier, ‘lesson-drawing’ analyzed by Rose, ‘social learning’ discussed by Hall and ‘government learning’ identified by Etheredge. These different concepts identify different actors and different effects with each different type of learning. Some elements of these theories are compatible, while others are not. This article examines each approach in terms of who learns, what they learn, and the effects of learning on subsequent policies. The conclusion is that three distinct types of learning have often been incorrectly juxtaposed. Certain conceptual, theoretical and methodological difficulties attend any attempt to attribute policy change to policy learning, but this does not detract from the important reorientation of policy analysis that this approach represents.

Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 2: Designing problems and structuring groups

Abstract: A supportive environment based on cooperative grouping was developed to foster students’ learning of an effective problem‐solving strategy. Experiments to adapt the technique of cooperative grouping to physics problem solving were carried out in two diverse settings: a large introductory course at state university, and a small modern physics class at a community college. Groups were more likely to use an effective problem‐solving strategy when given context‐rich problems to solve than when given standard textbook problems. Well‐functioning cooperative groups were found to result from specific structural and management procedures governing group members’ interactions. Group size, the gender and ability composition of groups, seating arrangement, role assignment, textbook use, and group as well as individual testing were all found to contribute to the problem‐solving performance of cooperative groups.

Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 1: Group versus individual problem solving

Abstract: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of cooperative group learning on the problem solving performance of college students in a large introductory physics course. An explicit problem solving strategy was taught in the course, and students practiced using the strategy to solve problems in mixed‐ability cooperative groups. A technique was developed to evaluate students’ problem solving performance and determine the difficulty of context‐rich problems. It was found that better problem solutions emerged through collaboration than were achieved by individuals working alone. The instructional approach improved the problem solving performance of students at all ability levels.

Expanding cooperative learning through group investigation

Abstract: Group Investigation - a method for classroom instruction in which students work collaboratively in small groups, and take an active part in establishing their learning goals - continues to gain popularity With increased interest has come the need for a comprehensive work on the subject - a thesis, a research review, and handbook In this book, the authors provide an explanation of the philosophy, foundations, and current practice of Group Investigation The authors give suggestions for ways of developing in a class the necessary discussion and cooperative skills, as well as detailed examples of projects in elementary and upper grades In addition, they examine the experimental evidence of the method's effectiveness The Sharans conclude with a presentation of two training programmes, one for teachers applying Group Investigation for the first time, and the other for those with some experience in cooperative learning who wish to expand and refine their techniques This book should prove an indispensable tool for pre-and in-service teachers, staff developers, and other professionals dissatisfied with traditional "whole class" teaching and wishing to create with their students a learning environment where they are facilitators of cooperative inquiry, guides to acquisition of social skills, and active participants in a rewarding learning process

Interaction in cooperative groups : the theoretical anatomy of group learning

Abstract: Introduction: an overview of the theoretical anatomy of cooperation in the classroom Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, Valerie Benveniste Kirkus and Norman Miller Part I. Developmental Foundations and the Social Construction of Knowledge: 1. From convention to invention: three approaches to peer interaction during writing Sarah J. McCarthey and Susan McMahon 2. Cooperative problem solving: a link to inner speech Barbara L. Bershon 3. Children's instrumental help seeking: its role in the social acquisition and construction of knowledge Sharon Nelson-LeGall Part II. Social Skills and Classroom Factors Influencing Peer Interactions: 4. Understanding interactive behaviours: looking at six mirrors of the classroom Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz 5. Testing a theoretical model of student interaction and learning in small groups Noreen M. Webb 6. Scripted cooperation in student dyads: a method for analysing and enhancing academic learning and performance Angela M. O'Donnell and Donald F. Danscreau Part III. The Effects of Task and Reward Structure on Academic Achievement: 7. When and why does cooperative learning increase achievement: theoretical and empirical perspectives Robert E. Slavin 8. Positive interdependence: key to effective cooperation Part IV. Factors Influencing the Promotion of Positive Intergroup Relations: 9. Social categorisation and intergroup acceptance: Principles for the design and development of cooperative learning teams Norman Miller and Hugh J. Harrington 10. The impacts of role reversal and minority empowerment strategies on decision-making in numerically unbalanced cooperative groups Geoffrey M. Maruyama, Sharon Knechel and Renec Peterson Conclusion: cooperative interaction: implications of current research for classroom application Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, Valerie Benveniste Kirkus and Norman Miller.

Paradoxes of Learning: On Becoming An Individual in Society

Abstract: Preface. Part 1 The Development of the Social Self. 1 The Nature of Human Learning. 2 The Paradox of Living and Learning in Society. 3 Being and the Birth of the Self. 4 Understanding Conscious Action. 5 Learning and Action. 6 Interests and Learning. Part 2: Personal Growth Through Lifelong Learning. 7 Being a Person. 8 Authenticity, Autonomy and Self-Directed Learning. 9 Being and Having. 10 Meaning and Truth. 11 Learning, Personhood and the Workplace. 12 Aging and Wisdom. 13 Learning and Change. 14 The Political Dimension of Learning. 15 Implications for Teaching and Education. References. Index.

Learning Together Apart

Abstract: This paper defines collaborative learning as “individual learning occurring as a result of group process”, and examines some of the issues and problems in using computer-mediated communication (CMC) for collaborative learning A number of typical applications of computer conferencing, in both the educational context (where learning is the explicit primary goal, as in a course or training programme) and the organisational context (where learning might be a desirable, but secondary, outcome of a task-oriented activity), are reviewed The influences of social climate, a text-based asynchronous communication environment, and software design features, on the success or failure of CMC for collaborative learning are examined

Development of self‐directed learning behaviors in a partially teacher‐directed problem‐based learning curriculum

Abstract: Data from three sources (self‐reports of students, review of accreditation and program evaluation documents, and library circulation statistics) supported the hypothesis that students in a problem‐based learning (PBL) curriculum with significant teacher‐centered components nevertheless acquire behaviors reflecting self‐directed learning skills These PBL students exhibited differences in the extent to which their learning was self‐directed when compared to lecture‐based students The learning process and features of this partially teacher‐directed, PBL program that fostered the development of self‐directed learning are discussed Development of these skills depended on the curriculum's adherence to the use of student‐generated learning issues as a guide for defining content to be learned, but also on several other factors

Interaction and learning in mathematics classroom situations

Abstract: An analysis of one ten minute episode in which three seven year-old students engage in collaborative small group activity is presented to explore the relationship between individual learning and group development. Particular attention is given to the establishment of a taken-as-shared basis for mathematical activity and to the attainment of intersubjectivity. From a perspective which treats communication as a process of active interpretation and mutual adaptation, learning as it occurs in the course of social interaction is characterized as a circular, self-referential sequence of events rather than a linear cause-effect chain. In addition, the relationship between individual learning and group development is such that the students can be said to have participated in the establishment of the situations in which they learned.

Cooperative Learning and Computer-Based Instruction

Abstract: Much published research focuses on the benefits of learning in small groups. However, little research has differentiated small-group learning methods or considered the implications of related research for designing instructional software. In this article, the origins of small-group learning are traced, and one method, cooperative learning, is distinguished from other small-group learning methods. The instructional and social benefits of cooperative learning are examined and theoretical explanations for the effects of grouping are presented. Finally, issues relevant to designing instructional software for cooperative learning are examined and suggestions for future research are made.

Action Learning: A Practitioner's Guide

Abstract: Action learning is a method of learning that takes place in a group - of colleagues or students. It is widely used in a wide number of educational fields, particularly where learning in groups is appropriate. Action learning is established in both higher education and in professional learning and training situations. First published in 1995, this is a guide to using action learning techniques successfully.;Written by two leading figures in the field, this revised edition retains the same practical guidebook approach to how action learning works. Key points include being a facilitator of action learning, and running workshops for a variety of situations, including higher education, organizational change and professional development.

Enhancing Thinking Through Cooperative Learning

Abstract: Co-Cognition - The Cooperative Development of the Intellect Some Thinking Skills and Social Skills That Facilitate Cooperative Learning Encouraging Thinking Through Constructive Controversy Cooperating for Concept Development Graphic Organizers - Collaborative Links to Better Thinking Cooperative Questioning and Critical Thinking Cooperative Questioning and Critical Thinking The Use of Small Group Learning Situations in Mathematics Instruction As a Tool.

Enhancing Science Teaching Self-Efficacy in Preservice Elementary Teachers

Abstract: Many studies have defined science anxiety, attitude toward science and low science teaching self-efficacy. This paper attempts to show the interrelatedness of these traits, and using the construct of personal self-efficacy as a foundation, describe methods for building science teaching confidence in preservice teachers. Teaching self-efficacy beliefs refers to teachers' confidence in their own teaching abilities which is reflected in their teaching behaviors. To improve the ability, effectiveness and feelings of success in elementary teachers, science educators need to include strategies to improve attitudes toward science and increase teaching self-efficacy in teacher preparation courses.

Grouping Gifted Students: Issues and Concerns

Abstract: Gifted and talented students need instruction at a level and pace as well as conceptual complexity commensurate with their advanced levels of ability and achievement. Grouping heterogeneously and providing cooperative learning in heterogeneous groups leads to lowered achievement and motivation as well as poorer attitudes toward school. Academic achievement of American youth is lower than the achievement of youth in many Asian and European countries. If we wish to sustain or increase the academic achievement of American youth they should be grouped for instruction according to ability and achievement levels, but grouping practices should be flexible, and rigid tracking should be avoided.

The use of self-assessment schedules in negotiated learning

Abstract: The paper describes an approach to assessment in which students create a comprehensive and analytical summary of their learning in a given subject. The self-assessment schedule, as it is called, has been used in contexts in which there is an emphasis on self-directed and negotiated learning. Unlike most assessment methods which focus on a relatively few aspects of a subject in some depth, the aim of the self-assessment schedule is to capture and account for a wide range of formal and informal learning. The application of the schedule in postgraduate courses is discussed and the views of staff and students reported.

Reinforcement learning for the adaptive control of perception and action

Abstract: This dissertation applies reinforcement learning to the adaptive control of active sensory-motor systems Active sensory-motor systems, in addition to providing for overt action, also support active, selective sensing of the environment The principal advantage of this active approach to perception is that the agent's internal representation can be made highly task specific--thus, avoiding wasteful sensory processing and the representation of irrelevant information One unavoidable consequence of active perception is that improper control can lead to internal states that confound functionally distinct states in the external world This phenomenon, called perceptual aliasing, is shown to destabilize existing reinforcement learning algorithms with respect to optimal control To overcome these difficulties, an approach to adaptive control, called the Consistent Representation (CR) method, is developed This method is used to construct systems that learn not only the overt actions needed to solve a task, but also where to focus their attention in order to collect necessary sensory information The principle of the CR-method is to separate control into two stages: an identification stage, followed by an overt stage The identification stage generates the task-specific internal representation that is used by the overt control stage Adaptive identification is accomplished by a technique that involves the detection and suppression of perceptually aliased internal states Q-learning is used for adaptive overt control The technique is then extended to include two cooperative learning mechanisms, called Learning with an External Critic (LEC) and Learning By Watching (LBW), respectively, which significantly improve learning Cooperative mechanisms exploit the presence of helpful agents in the environment to supply auxillary sources of trial-and-error experience and to decrease the latency between the execution and evaluation of an action

Student passivity during cooperative small groups in mathematics.

Abstract: Recent studies of cooperative small-group instruction in mathematics have drawn attention to individual differences in students' responses to the demands and opportunities of that instructional format. In this article, findings of a study (Mulryan, 1989) that investigated fifth- and sixth-grade students' attending and participating behavior in cooperative small groups in mathematics are reported. A major finding of the study was that some students, mainly low achievers, manifested a high level of passive behavior in cooperative small groups. Some possible reasons for passivity among low achievers are suggested, and a categorization of types of passivity in cooperative small groups is provided. Student and teacher perceptions of passivity are also reported, as well as suggestions for further research in this area.

Effects of Peer Interaction during Computer-Based Mathematics Instruction.

Abstract: This study compared individual learning with group learning. It also investigated the effects of ability grouping on achievement, instructional efficiency, and discourse during computer-based mathematics instruction. A total of 115 fifth- and sixth-grade students were classified as having high or average ability and were randomly assigned to group or individual treatments. Students in the group treatments were further assigned to heterogeneous or homogeneous dyads, according to ability. Students completed a mathematics tutorial and a posttest. Results indicated that students completed the instruction more effectively in groups than alone. Within groups, achievement and efficiency were highest for high-ability homogeneously grouped students and lowest for average-ability homogeneously grouped students. Generating and receiving help were significant predictors of achievement, and high-ability students generated and received significantly more help in homogeneous groups than in heterogeneous ones.

Breaking the barriers : helping female and minority students succeed in mathematics and science

Abstract: Breaking the Barriers shows how increased career awareness and exposure to mentors and role models can help students see science and math-related careers as desirable and viable options. It explains how test preparation, activity-based instruction, cooperative learning, and tutoring can help to improve academic outcomes.

Relation between Intellectual Ability and Working Method as Predictors of Learning.

Abstract: The relation between intellectual ability, working method, and learning was investigated, with simulations, in two different learning environments By conducting experiments, students had to discover principles of physics theory A structured condition offered students guided experimentation and a structured learning sequence, whereas an unstructured condition allowed for unguided discovery learning Thinking-aloud protocols of high- and low-intelligence subjects were analyzed on quality of working method The results indicated that both intellectual ability and working method are predictors of learning, but that their mutual relation is an intricate one No learning effects caused by structuredness of learning environment could be detected

Cognitive Conceptions of Teaching and Learning Motor Skills

Abstract: It has recently been suggested that background knowledge, expectations about success and failure, motivation for learning, and the ability to understand instruction play a central role in determining how much a student learns. The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature for evidence that student thought processes mediate achievement in physical education. A cognitive conception of learning is presented, and the notion that students play an active role in the learning process is explored.

Cooperative Learning and Ability Grouping: An Issue of Choice:

Abstract: Cooperative learning has been enthusiastically embraced by schools as a way of addressing many of the ills faced in education. Cooperative learning has been pitted against ability grouping since ma...

Analysis of Argumentative Writing at Two Grade Levels

Abstract: The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to investigate the effectiveness of four instructional strategies on student argumentative writing at the 10th- and 12th-grade levels; (b) to describe the differences among student writing at the two grade levels based on essays obtained at three different times; and (c) to determine how various qualities within the essays influenced the raters' decisions with holistic scoring. The results of the study indicate that there were no significant differences in the effectiveness of the four instructional strategies, which included instruction with model pieces of writing; with scales, questions, and criteria to guide writing; with models and scales/questions/criteria; and with free-writing activities. The results further indicate that the scoring of 10th and 12th graders' writing was not significantly different when using either a holistic scoring guide or Toulmin's (1958) model of argument. Both 10th and 12th graders, however, used significantly more argum...

The Essential Elements of Cooperative Learning.

Abstract: A LMOST 10 years ago, I worked in a school district with a science teacher who was using an instructional technique she called TGT. When the other teachers in the district found out that TGT stood for Teams Games and Tournaments, they wondered what in the world she was doing playing games with her science students. Some even questioned her sanity. We didn't know at the time that she had been the only science teacher in the district selected to undergo training in cooperative learning at Johns Hopkins University. For that matter, we didn't even know what cooperative learning was. Now, a decade later, most teachers at least know what cooperative learning is. Many even use cooperative learning methods in their own classrooms. I have used it in teaching high school and college biology students for the last several years and have found these methods to be an excellent addition to more traditional instructional techniques. Cooperative learning has not revolutionized education and probably never will, but teachers are finding that it can be an effective classroom tool. Cooperative learning has been defined as a classroom learning environment in which students work on academic tasks in small, heterogeneous groups (Parker 1985). There has been a great deal of research completed in the area of cooperative learning, and there can be little doubt about these techniques' effectiveness in improving academic achievement (Brophy 1986, Parker 1985, Slavin 1984). As the research evidence has mounted, cooperative learning proponents have developed a series of techniques that may be described as elements of cooperative learning. The elements to be addressed in this paper include: