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Course Description
Group work can be motivating and offer students important real-life skills in working with others, but how can teachers be certain their cooperative learning lessons will be effective? This course demystifies the process and offers teachers practical approaches that avoid the familiar pitfalls. Participants will discuss readings from a hands-on, research-based text, and will apply new skills and approaches to design successful group projects.
This course relies heavily on the discovery approach, one in which participants engage in a collaborative exploration of the approaches presented, including experiences where they apply the skills and then reflect on their results. The underlying assumption is that the participants are experienced educators who are willing to stretch themselves by trying out new approaches in a series of assigned applications involving planning, action, assessment, and further goal-setting. As a result, they will increase their awareness, their willingness to risk and change, their skill level, and their ability to make a difference as educators.
This online course consists of six modules taught over a six week period. Each module consists of a reading and writing assignment, as well as an application assignment. Participants will post assignments weekly and dialogue with colleagues regarding assignments and experiences. They will also communicate personally each week with the instructor via e-mail. The content of the course will be supplemented with links to resources providing current research. Each module requires approximately five hours to complete.
At the completion of the course, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion recommending 30 inservice points or professional development credits be awarded by the participant's school district. It is up to participants to get prior approval from their district to take this course for professional development credit.
Skills, Hardware, and Software Requirements
Students are expected to have a very basic knowledge of how to use an Internet browser such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or America Online (AOL). Students must be familiar with e-mail and have an active e-mail account and Internet access. In addition, students must possess basic word processing skills.
Course Readings
The required textbook for this course is Using Group Projects Successfully by David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, & Edythe Johnson Holubec. The textbook and course materials will be provided for all students. In addition, online readings will be assigned during the course to enhance learning. These readings will be presented as annotated Web sites within the course content.
Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction and Overview
Objectives: Students will introduce themselves to others; identify and discuss their major concerns about using group projects; set personal goals and objectives; understand course requirements and expectations; and become familiar with the course navigation system.
Content:
Module 2: Planning for Personalities in Assigning Groups
Objectives: Students will gain an awareness of the effects of differences in personality, strengths, and learning styles on group dynamics; consider various ways of structuring groups to take advantage of differences; learn an easy to teach model for helping students appreciate and utilize member differences; present this model to students.
Content:
Culminating Assignment: Students will read Chapters 4 and 5 in the textbook and post the assignment, "Styles in My Class" in the Forum. Students will read and comment on their colleagues' postings.
Module 3: Teaching Students Group Skills
Objectives: Students will identify skills and roles needed to operate in a task-oriented group; plan ways to teach these skills to students; teach group skills to a student group.
Content:
Culminating Assignment: Students will read Chapter 6 in the textbook. Students will also post results from the assignment "Practicing Group Skills" in the Forum. Students will read and comment on their colleagues' postings.
Module 4: Ensuring Quality Work & Fair Grading
Objectives: Students will recall and share group work experiences in which the load was not shared fairly, and in which good students' performance was brought down by others; learn and brainstorm ways to ensure equal participation and fair grading of group work; identify different group structures and methods for different purposes; design a project with built-in safeguards.
Content:
Culminating Assignment: Students will read Chapters 3 and 7 in the textbook and post results from the assignment, "An Equal Participation Project" in the Forum. Students will read and comment on their colleagues' postings.
Module 5: The Role of the Teacher in Cooperative Learning
Objectives: Students will compare and contrast the role of the teacher in traditional and group-centered approaches; identify the types of information, structure and support needed by student groups; outline a group project in participant's subject area which incorporates information, structure, and teacher support to ensure success.
Content:
Culminating Assignment: Students will read Chapter 8 in the textbook. Students will post results from the assignment, "Plan for a Successful Project" in the Forum. Students will read and comment on their colleagues' postings.
Module 6: What Can You Do With Cooperative Learning?
Objectives: Students will expand awareness of many different options, functions, and types of group projects of varying lengths and in varying subject areas; set new personal goals and intentions for enriching instruction with group projects; plan for obtaining support and help from colleagues.
Content:
Culminating Assignment: Students will read Chapters 9 and 10 in the textbook and post the assignments, "My Action Plan", "Course
Evaluation," and "Last Messages for Group" in the Forum. Students will read and comment on their colleagues' postings.
Grading Criteria
This course is for offered on a pass/fail basis. Students are expected to complete each assignment by the specified due date. Students are expected to participate in each Forum and dialogue with their colleagues. Students that meet these requirements will pass this course.
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