Cooperative Learning … It's Back

by Lee Shainen
YEARS AGO, DURING the Gulf War, I began a composition class by having the students interview each other, write short biographies, and then read them to the entire class. Due to our proximity to the University of Arizona, there were several international students in this community college class, including students from Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Israel. (the Arid Lands program at the U of A attracts many students from the Middle East.) There were also two former American soldiers whose old units were involved in the conflict. Imagine not taking advantage of this opportunity — you know, spend a couple of minutes at the beginning of class to acknowledge that day’s news coverage of the war and then get on with the lesson plans. I did what I think many of my colleagues would do: I attempted to integrate the students’ unique perceptions of a current event of great magnitude into the class design.
From personal narrative, to cause and effect, and especially with argument, we looked at the issues, the history, the region, and the conflict from many informed points of view. First, the class worked in small groups to develop their ideas and supporting points; then, they presented their papers to the rest of the class for further feedback and to encourage discussion. Such discussion! It felt like a miniature United Nations in that room. But when they read their narratives, the class turned into something like a support group, as understanding of each other’s fears bridged the differences in upbringing and geography.
I learned a lot that semester. I learned that if I wanted to participate in educational experiences with enthusiastic students, I had better include them in the development of the class. From that semester on, I have in one form or another co-created my syllabi with my students. I also learned to value and to tap into the incredible resource of the diverse points of view and experiences of my students (through group work, discussions, and class presentations). I stopped trying to be the know-it-all in the classroom and relaxed into someone who could ask better questions, listen to the responses, and trust that everything would tie together. I found natural connections between what was being discussed and what needed to be covered. Preparation became easier, in one respect, as my lesson plans became more outlines and sketches, but more difficult in another, as I struggled with showing up with an open — and yet focused — mind.
Championed by researchers such as Vincent Tinto, David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, Karl A. Smith, and a host of others, interest in and support for collaborative or cooperative learning is growing. The word about this most ancient of pedagogies is finally getting through our stubborn heroic individual mindedness. The lecturer on the mount is being asked to come on down and interact. Tinto, working through the National Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, reports that students in learning communities (based on both teacher collaboration and student cooperation) are continuing their studies at a rate around 25 percent higher than students in more traditional curriculums. Students from such programs are reporting spending more productive time out of the classroom together. In other words, they started learning together and developing friendships, which enhanced and linked their academic and social experiences. This is the power of community and cooperation. Students are not only more successful, but are more eager to be in school.
As it also turns out, study after study shows that one of the common reasons for students to withdraw from higher education is a sense of isolation. We’ve been saddled with a myth: we’re supposed to go it alone. Bull hockey! The truth of all life is interdependence. Even Michelangelo had 13 people working with him on the Sistine Chapel. What could a Michael Jordan have accomplished without his teammates, coaches, the organization of the Chicago Bulls, the NBA, and the media?
Finally, while I’m at it, it’s not enough that so many institutions and professors encourage the American go-it-alone anomaly, but even worse is the competitive poison of rankings and bell curves. What rot! As if our children and students need more reasons to distrust, resent, and isolate. Sorry, I just don’t accept the idea that we can’t all succeed in this life. Don’t you think it’s time we started preparing the young for the real world, the one we all live in together?
If you’re interested in finding out more about collaboration and cooperation, check out the information gathered at the Washington Center at Evergreen State College.