EPSY 5151—Cooperative Learning

Official syllabus will be handed out in class

Instructors
David W. Johnson, 60 Peik Hall, 612-624-7031
Roger T. Johnson, 60 Peik Hall, 612-624-7031

Overview of the course

This course trains participants to use cooperative learning in educational and training situations. The use of cooperative learning in elementary, secondary, college, and training situations will be covered. Class sessions will be spent in lectures, discussions, and experiential exercises. Participants will become acquainted with the theory and research on cooperative learning, the teacher’s role in using cooperative learning, the basic elements that make cooperation work, and a number of related issues such as assessment of learning within cooperative groups and the use of colleagial teaching teams to help implement cooperative learning. Participants will be involved in model lessons, plan lessons, micro-teach, and plan for implementation of what they are learning to their actual teaching situations. Both the learning of the content and procedures and the actual ability to use cooperative learning procedures are emphasized.

Course objectives

1. Participants will learn the theory and research relevant to cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning.
2. Participants will learn to apply cooperation theory and research to teaching and school administration.
3. Participants will learning the differences between cooperative learning and traditional classroom learning groups.
4. Participants will learn the five basic elements that make cooperative work.
5. Participants will learn the teacher’s role in structuring cooperative learning.
6. Participants will learn the outcomes produced by the use of cooperative learning.
7. Participants will learn how to use cooperative learning in their specific setting.

Texts

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., & Holubec, E. (1998). Cooperation in the classroom (7th ed.). Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R., & Holubec, E. (1994). Nuts and Bolts of Cooperative Learning. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (1989). Cooperation and competition: Theory and research. Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company. (Recommended only)

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. (2000). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. (Recommended only)

Course requirements

1. Attend class.
2. Be prepared for and actively involved in class discussions and activities.
3. Read assigned chapters in the text each week.
4. Do all the between-session implementation assignments.
5. Keep a weekly journal of your thinking and learning throughout the course.
6. Meet at least weekly with a colleague to share ideas, plan lessons, and solve problems.
7. Write a long-range plan for implementing the cooperative learning in your teaching.
8. Pass basic concepts test at the 90 percent correct level.
9. Turn in individual portfolio, and base group portfolio.
10. Project One: Academic Lesson Plans. Participants (a) write five cooperative learning academic lesson plans, (b) teach two of these lessons, and (c) write an assessment of lessons taught. Lessons may be taught to a class of students (preferred), a Sunday school, children in the neighborhood, or other class members.
11. Project Two: Social Skills Lesson Plans. Participants (a) write three cooperative learning social skill lesson plans, (b) teach one of these lessons, and (c) write a self-assessment of the lesson taught.
12. Project Three: Case Study. Participants (a) monitor their students’ participation in cooperative learning groups, (b) choose one high achieving and one low achieving student for extra careful observation, and (c) write a narrative case study of one of the students experience with cooperative learning.
13. Project Four: Research Review Paper. Participants write a research review paper discussing some aspect of cooperation theory and research and design a relevant research study.

All written assignments must be critiqued by the members of your base groups. Hand in all written assignments the last day of class with copies of the critiques by the other members of your base group. Use the APA style of referencing. A dark typewriter or printer ribbon should be used.

Grading

Grades will be determined on the basis of learning contracts. A certain amount of work is expected of all students. The alternative contracts are:

A All course requirements (1 - 13).

B Course requirements 1 through 12.

C Course requirements 1 through 10.

Class sessions

Session one

1. Introduction to cooperative learning.
2. Comparison Among Goal Structures.
3. Outcomes of cooperative learning.
4. Teacher’s role in cooperative learning.
5. Planning a cooperative learning lesson 1.
6. Micro-teaching of cooperative lessons 1.
   Read chapters 1 – 5
   Plan a cooperative lesson

Session two

7. Five basic elements of cooperation.
8. Positive interdependence.
9. Planning a cooperative learning lesson 2.
10. Micro-teaching 2.
    Read chapters 6 – 12
    Plan a cooperative lessons

Session three

11. Social skills
12. Teaching students social skills.
13. Group processing
14. Monitoring & Intervening in groups.
    Plan rest of required lessons and teach them
    Write papers

Session four

15. Assessment in cooperative groups.
16.  Colleagial teaching teams.
17.  Basic concepts test.
18.  Summary and closure.

Revised October 2003