CL Unit Two
Objectives
Upon completion of this unit students will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the obstacles to cooperative learning and how to overcome those obstacles.
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of cooperative learning lessons.
- Discuss and give examples of how to be a facilitator rather than a lecturer withing cooperative learning lessons.
Instruction
Bellringer: Based on the information you read and analyzed in the first unit, what obstacles might you come across when designing or implementing a cooperative learning lesson?
Now we are going to begin looking at how to actually design a cooperative learning lesson. A cooperative learning lesson is designed and implemented very differently as compared to something like a lecture based lesson. Much of the focus on the preparation of the lesson and then letting the students take over during class. This leaves the teacher in the role of a facilitator rather than a lecturer. Let's start by looking at differences between a lecturer and a facilitator by reading the article below.
Lecturer to Facilitator
What differences do you notice? How will this change the way you normally teach? What do you think the impact on students will be?
It might also help to refer to the article by Krajcik and Blumentield on project based learning to support your answer.
An overview of tips on transitioning from a lecturer to a facilitator can be found in this powerpoint by a university professor here:
File:Cooperative Learning ppt.pdf
Finally, let's take a look at a couple of case studies of different cooperative learning lessons below:
Lesson 1
Lesson 2: File:Social Interactive Model.pdf
Lesson 3: Video on Cooperative Learning in Chemistry
Assessment
Part I.
In a discussion response answer the questions below:
What are the advantages of cooperative learning lessons? What are the disadvantages? In what ways do you think lecture based learning would be more beneficial?
Part II.
How is a lecturer different from a facilitator? How are they similar? Create a comparison chart to demonstrate the characteristics of the two types of instruction.
Continue to Unit 3!