Introduction
Group work is a way to organize classroom activity where students are given a group assignment from the teacher and where the students’ level of participation depends on how they engage in the group task (Chiriac & Frykedal, 2011). For example, if students work cooperatively or collaboratively, then students within the group will have an increased learning retention and increased critical thinking (Chiriac & Frykedal, 2011). Bennett and Dunne (1992), and Galton and Williamson explain that cooperative group work occurs when students divide the work load in a group and each individual completes a different part of the assignment. Consequently, cooperative learning may result with no interaction between students in the group. On the other hand, collaborative learning occurs when each individual member of a group works on the same task that is presented (as cited in Chiriac & Frykedal, 2011). The evidence on the effectiveness of collaborative group work is convincing, and is shown to positively affect the way students learn (Frey, Fisher, & Allen, 2009). Students using collaborative learning learn to develop social skills and have opportunities to contribute to the group (“What are the benefits”, n.d.). Students enjoy working together and interaction between students may promote higher critical thinking and an increased learning retention (Chiriac & Frykedal, 2011). I will investigate the efficiency of using collaborative grouping compared to individual work with 6th and 8th grade students at Pine Mountain Middle School. The benchmark that will be used to measure efficiency will be how well the middle school students perform with Solidworks, a 3D engineering program.
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Statement of the Problem
Teachers debat...
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Slavin, R. (1995). Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know. Retrieved from http://www.konferenslund.se/pp/TAPPS_Slavin.pdf
Solidworks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.solidworks.com/
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Manning, M. L., & Bucher, K. T. (2007). Classroom management: Models, applications, and cases. Upper
In order for effective cooperative learning to occur five essential elements are needed; positive interdependence, face-to-face interactions, individual accountability, social skills and group processing. (Johnson, 1999, p. 70-71). Social skills being the foundation to achieving all other elements required, without this set of skills the individual learner will find it difficult to cooperate with others. Thompson (1996) “social skills are paramount to applying cooperative learning to academic tasks” (p. 84).
At Delta High school, a student may choose to either work alone or to collaborate with a group in order to finish a project. Both choices offer pros and cons when it comes to efficiency and the quality of work. In a group setting, students may get sidetracked, or the group itself may not be able to function properly. On the other hand, group projects allow broader opinions and valuable peer reviews. Choosing to do independent work will benefit the student’s work ethic, but will also increase the work load. So which is the better choice? The answer is found in the history of the world’s progress in science and technology. Technology does not excel solely from independent work, nor does
Hartman, H. (2002). Scaffolding & cooperative learning. Human learning and instruction. New York: City College of City University of New York.
Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles.added ends added begins# The ladded endsadded beginsearner is the primary focus of instruction.added ends added begins# Interaction between teacher and students.added ends added begins#Working in groups is an important mode of learning.added ends added begins# Structured approaches to developing solutions to the real worlds problems should be incorporated into learning. added ends added beginsCollaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually.added ends added beginsMany consider Vygotsky the father of “social learning”. Vygotsky was an education rebel in many ways. Vygotsky controversially argued for educators to assess students’ ability to solve problems, rather than knowledge acquisition. The idea of collaborative learning has a lot to do with Vygotsky’s idea of the “zone of proximal development”.
Bruffe, Kenneth A. “The Art of Collaborative Learning: Making the Most of Knowledgeable Peers.” Composing Knoweledge; Readings for College Writes. Ed. Rolf Norgaatd. Boston:Bedford/St.Martin’s, 2007. 399-407. Print.
...also enhance the interest of the student. Using computers to do work will interest students because it is not the typical textbook and a tool used widely by students nationwide. As mentioned by Sylvia implementing group based projects or assignment increases the interest level of students. Collaboration allows students to interact with peers and creates a thriving atmosphere; social interaction is interesting. Group work encourages students to explore and decipher projects or assignments together. Rather than setting low expectations for students, a teacher could utilize tools that increased level of interest by understanding that interest is based on complexity and comprehensibility as shown by Sylvia, not simplicity and repetitiveness.
Malmgren, K. W., Trezek, B. J., & Paul, P. V. (2005). Models of classroom management as
...n Student Attitudes about Cooperation and Competition and Attitudes toward Schooling. Journal of Educational Psychology, 68(1), 92-102.
There are at least three general theoretical points of view that have guided research on cooperative learning: cognitive developmental, behavioral, and social interdependence. The cognitive-developmental perspective is in large scale based on the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. The work of Piaget and related theorists is based on the criteria that when individuals cooperate on the environment, sociocognitive conflict happens that makes cognitive disequilibrium, which in turn stimulates perspective-taking ability and cognitive development. The work of Vygotsky and related theorists is based on the premise that knowledge is social, constructed from cooperative efforts to learn, comprehend, and solve difficulties. The behavioral learning theory perspective focuses on the impact of group supports and rewards on learning.
Together with the teacher and classmates, students are given the opportunity to speculate and question the world around them and the world awaiting them. Within small peer groups, for instance, students are encouraged to discuss, share, and compromise. The teacher is there to encourage this process, rather than to provide prescribed solutions. Similarly, the learning environment is collaborative and democratic, giving opportunities for all to speak their minds and receive feedback from peers as well as the teacher. This continuous loop of feedback, potentially positive or negative, serves as the means of assessment for problem-solving based instruction.
Collaborative learning is a situation where two or more people attempt to learn something together. Dillenbourg, P. (1999). Lev Semenovich Vygotsky, (born in 1986), introduced his theory that, human development—child development as well as the development of all human kind—is the result of interactions between people and their social environments. What this states is that the development of a “higher education” is the product of comparing and contrasting ideas of others ultimately to conclude a solution to a problem as a whole or group. Everyone’s input in a collaborative situation will play a role in final solution.
Proponents claim that learners’ academic achievement can be significantly improved with the effectiveness of use of collaborative learning. The active exchange of ideas within small groups increases interest among learners and also promotes critical thinking and deeper levels of understanding of concepts (Benware & Deci, 1984). According to Johnson & Johnson (1986), there is convincing evidence that collaborative teams achieve high level of thoughts and retain information longer than learners who work as individuals. The shared learning gives learners an opportunity to engage in discussion, take responsibility for their own learning, and thus become critical thinkers (Totten, Sills, & Russ, 1991).
Scarnati, J. T. (2001). Cooperative learning: make groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 67(Fall), 71-82.
Collaborative instruction: having students work in small groups all engaged in a common task such as an activity or lab assignment, learning how to work together to meet a common goal (Oliveira et al., 2012).