Examines how best to use cooperative learning in preschool classrooms. The article describes young children at play and discusses cooperative play (CP) and the development of social skills, the impact of CP, principles of implementing CP in preschool classrooms, and teacher role. (SM)

Cooperative learning (CL) needs direct instruction, because sitting students in close proximity does not ensure cooperation. The article explains how to promote CL with positive interdependence, individual accountability, and face-to-face interaction. It discusses group activities, explains advantages of CL to all involved, and notes possible…

States that cooperative learning in developmental mathematics classes has greater success rates than do traditional remedial courses. Discusses learning communities--in which instructors work with other instructors to help students connect mathematics with other disciplines, and in which there is an increased level of peer interaction--as an…

This brief report summarizes a longer document with the same title. It reviews how college faculty are increasingly collaborating to do much of their work. It notes that the two principal forms of collaboration, teaching and research, are often distinctive arrangements depending on the field of study, institutional environment, and task…

Several recent studies have shown that when black and white students work together on biracial learning teams, they make more cross-racial friendships than students in traditional classrooms. This study is a secondary analysis of one of these studies, conducted to discover for whom the effects of cooperative learning are the greatest. The sample…

Many project teams in organizations are highly structured, members have clearly defined roles, and they possess knowledge about how to effectively manage their projects and meetings. On the other hand, students in educational environments lack significant experience working in teams. Therefore, student teams are often poorly structured, members…

Two university professors describe how they train teachers to use cooperative learning (CL) in the classroom. The article discusses the historical development and present implementation of CL, teacher role, and the conceptual/essential components approach. It also explains how teachers can gain expertise and defines a cooperative school. (SM)

To promote successful cooperative learning in the classroom, preservice teachers need to learn to establish classroom environments emphasizing team goals and individual accountability. They must also examine their concept of classroom management style and the need for direct instruction of student social skills. (SM)

Outlines the views of three scholars on cooperative learning: cooperation in content areas (team-assisted individualization and cooperative integrated reading and composition); grading techniques (e.g., individual score plus group bonus points, group scores, and scoring only one member's paper); and structuring social interaction (round robin,…

While teams in the business environment are highly structured with clearly defined roles, unstructured project teams in the educational environment suffer from communication and coordination problems. This study at East Carolina University (North Carolina) demonstrated the impact of this lack of structure by providing distinct roles and…

A year-long, cooperatively structured, student team strategy is described that is being used as a major component in an interdisciplinary Master of Environmental Science degree program. The general philosophy of the degree program and the rationale for including the Student Team Project (STP) are described. The most basic goal of the program is…

A prominent theme permeating national science education reform reports such as the "National Science Education Standards" (National Research Council [NRC], 1996) and "Project 2061: Science for All Americans" (Rutherford & Alhgren, 1990) recommends the incorporation of cooperative learning in the science classroom. Although…

The teaching/learning process must drive technology planning. Over the past several years an effort at California Polytechnic State University has been underway to ensure that the culture of participatory and strategic governance promotes this principle, with both the users and the providers being of the same understanding and participating as…

Small-group cooperative learning methods have improved achievement, low and high level cognitive learning, race relations and mutual student concern. Most of the research focuses on four approaches: Teams Games Tournament (DeVries), Student Teams Achievement Divisions (Slavin), Jigsaw (Aronson) and Small Group Teaching (Sharan). (Author/CP)

To teach generic skills, including communication, information literacy, problem solving, teamwork, professionalism, and lifelong learning, University of Canberra's (Australia) Library and Information Science Program developed Network Information Sources (NIS), a group-based project using technology as the content and facilitator of study. NIS…