In this review, Esmonde discusses how cooperative learning (CL)
might assist students to learn in mathematics classes. She acknowledges that CL
is an often recommended technique to increase equity in classes, but also that
the benefits (group harmony, learning academic content with social skills) can
also have detrimental effects (incorrect math strategies, undesirable social
interactions). I know that when I did my teacher education program (2005-2006),
cooperative education was certainly highly encouraged, and we discussed to
great length the challenges and possible successes of having students learn together
and/or teach each other in various cooperative organizations (random groupings,
jigsaw teachings etc.) In general, I apply cooperative learning strategies in
my classroom regularly. There are content-based and social based outcomes: students
enjoy working together; it breaks up monotony of math class; they receive multiple
options of ways to understand concepts; the teacher can circulate and have
discussions with small groups, thus getting to know students better. Furthermore,
I think we are providing students with valuable skills and messages that it’s
important to work together (and not just with friends) and that mathematical
learning and understanding is a process, which is often effective to discuss
conceptions and misconceptions in order to understand.
One of the questions Esmonde raises is how we might group
students. Do we group high achievers together so that they don’t dictate other
students’ learning practices, or do we create mixed groupings such that they
can teach each other? True
cooperative education might likely be more effective with groupings of similar
ability so that students can explore the concepts at levels that challenge and
are meaningful to them. On the flip side, it can be valuable for students to
learn from their peers – to see and understand how others have made sense of
the material, and valuable for highly able students to have to clearly
communicate their processes.
I’ve often considered this
problem, and my short-answer response is both: I think it’s important to change
up groupings often (and sometimes let them choose their own) so that both these
can happen. There is an undeniable possibility that students will copy off each
other and let the more able (or more driven) students do most of the work and
solve the problems, yet I have managed to come to terms with this by considering
that this form of education allows for multiple entry points, and the weaker
student may only be able to imitate the stronger student, but that there is
hopefully some learning in this.
QUESTION: Should
cooperative activities be evaluated in Math class? If so, how?
