NASA CONNECT Web Activity: Cooperative Learning

Children are working cooperatively when they are relying on one another to achieve a common learning goal. Studies have shown that when students cooperate, they 1. learn more 2. remember more 3. engage in more higher order thinking and 4. like the subject material better. So it is a powerful learning tool. You probably realize the ability to work cooperatively on a project is a valuable skill to have in the adult world. Instilling the habit of working cooperatively at a young age pays dividends far into the future.

Usually, smaller groups are more effective. For this activity, we recommend pairs or trios. Each pair or trio could have a computer. If each child has a computer, then pairs are better.

There are four basic principles that make cooperative learning more effective. They are:

1. Positive interdependence: Students feel that they depend on one another for success. Some ways to encourage this are:
   • Let students share one set of materials (in this case, a computer).
   • Collect only one solution set from each group, and assess this.
   • Have students take turns operating the computer and recording the results.
   • Assign roles-let one person be the technical expert, one be the resource expert, and one be the recorder.
2. Individual accountability: Although students work together, each person should be responsible for doing part of the work. No one should just watch others work! Ways to insure this are:
   • Make each person write observations in his or her notebook (check the Summarizing and Note Taking strategy).
   • Assigning roles (each person has a job to perform).
   • Ask each person to become an expert in one term- position, velocity, acceleration, force, mass, gravity, and apparent weight are the key elements here.
   • Randomly call on students to present information.
   • Require each student to write up “what I did, what I learned” at the end.
3. Group skills: Identify and practice those skills that lead to successful group work. For example, taking turns is a great group skill. So is listening to one another, summarizing, and achieving consensus. Try to build in at least one of these skills in the activity. Check the Cooperative Learning strategy for additional techniques.
4. Processing: Allow the group to discuss how they approached the task and how well they worked together. This should be the last step in any cooperative activity.