May/June 2000

Four Leading Models

Research on specific methods of cooperative learning began in the early 1970s. Most of that research has been sustained over time and focuses on the four major models described below. The models differ in how much structure is provided, what kinds of rewards are offered, methods for holding students individually accountable, and the use of group competition.

Student Team Learning (STL)

Developed at Johns Hopkins University. The focus of a large number of studies, led by creator Robert E. Slavin. Emphasis on team goals and team success. Teams earn certificates or other team rewards if they achieve above a designated standard. Students are rewarded for improving on their own performances, and team scores are important motivators. This method includes four separate programs. Two are general cooperative-learning methods for use in most subjects and grade levels: Student Teams-Achievement Divisions (STAD) and Teams-Games-Tournament (TGT). Two others are comprehensive curriculums: Team Assisted Individualization (TAI) for math in grades 3-6 and Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) for reading and writing instruction in grades 3-5. Contact: Robert Slavin, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk, Johns Hopkins University, 3505 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218; 410-516-8000. www.csos.jhu.edu

Learning Together

Developed by David Johnson and Roger Johnson at the University of Minnesota. Students work in four- or five-member heterogeneous groups on a group assignment sheet. A single product is turned in, and the group receives rewards together. Emphasis on team-building activities and regular discussions within groups about how well they are working together. Contact: Cooperative Learning Center at the University of Minnesota, 60 Peik Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-624-7031.www.clcrc.com

Jigsaw

Originally designed by Elliot Aronson and his colleagues at the University of California at Santa Cruz. Students are assigned to six-member teams to work on segmented academic material. Each team member reads an assigned section, and then members from different teams who have studied the same sections meet in "expert groups" to discuss their sections. Then students return to their own teams and take turns teaching their teammates about their section. Jigsaw II is a modification designed at Johns Hopkins University in which all students read a common narrative but individuals meet and become "experts" on assigned topics. Primarily used in social studies and other subjects where learning from text is important. Contact: Elliot Aronson, Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Cruz, 271 Clark Kerr Hall, Santa Cruz, CA 95064; 408-459-2470; e-mail: elliot@cats.ucsc.edu.

Group Investigation

Developed by Shlomo Sharan and Yael Sharan at Tel Aviv University. In this general classroom organization plan, students form their own two- to six-member groups, choose subtopics from a classwide unit, and produce group reports. Each group then makes a presentation or display to share its findings with the entire class. Contact: Shlomo Sharan, Tel Aviv University School of Education, P.O.B. 39040, Ramat-Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel 69978; e-mail: yaelshar@zahav.net.il.