DO GROUP EFFORTS HINDER LEARNING? Some teachers believe that cooperative learning may not be an effective instructional mode. Teachers feel that the possibilities of side conversations can interfere with the overall learning outcome. It is important to facilitate cooperative learning groups in order for this approach to be effective in the classroom. By properly implementing and maintaining these groups, student growth and success can be achieved.

One would think that a classroom full of conversation is noisy and out of control. However, the realization is not all conversations are created equally. Cooperative learning bridges the gap between teacher direct instruction and meaningful student conversations. This learning approach allows students to "work together in small groups on a structured activity" (Thirteen Ed Online, 2005). There are opportunities for constructive discussions, sharing ideas, and feeding off each other's individual thoughts. It is essential that each individual student contribute to group oriented conversations and efforts in order to achieve understanding.

Cooperative Learning allows the individual student to develop social skills.

Many variations of cooperative learning have proven effective in classrooms worldwide. Two modes in particular are worth mentioning: Jigsaw and Group Investigation.
Jigsaw reveals individual student expertise. A cooperative learning group is given a particular topic that is later broken up into seperate components. Each student in the group is assigned a component which s/he must research individually. Once the research process is complete, the students reconvene and teach one another what they have discovered. The students become subject matter experts and ultimately serve as peer instructors.
Group investigation on the other hand gives students more freedom in structuring the cooperative learning. In a group of 4, students may take on a particular role (i.e., researcher, facilitator, visual artist, etc.) to complete a given assignment; or students might break the assignment into 2 sections, work in pairs, and later collaborate. Whatever the situation may be, each student is held accountable and must contribute to the learning. In the long run, the group presents what they have discovered as a whole to the entire class, which serves as evidence of their learning.

Academic success is primarily the focus of any cooperative learning setting. However, in addition to completing an assigned task, students are actually developing their social skills in the long run. According to Thirteen, an educational organization, the advantages of cooperative learning include: 

Celebration of diversity
Acknowledgement of individual differences
Interpersonal development
Actively involving students in learning
More opportunities for personal feedback 

Implementing cooperative learning enables students to act as peer instructors, allowing them to express their individuality within the group.

Implementing various modes of instruction is important to unveil student understanding. Using cooperative learning as an instructional tool provides multiple opportunities for all students to develop their social and interpersonal skills. Such skills enable students to open up and express their thoughts and opinions. Not only will understanding and academic growth occur, but students will set a foundation for their personal growth as well.

Calvin A. Baylon, Graduate Student
SDSU Educational Technology
Baylon, C. (2005). Cooperative learning. In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology.