Things to Ponder in Collaborative/Cooperative Learning Strategies

Hi everyone...

I like to have collaborative/cooperative learning strategies in my classroom. As far as I'm concerned, having them in teaching learning activities makes the class more alive. They enable students to work and help each other. There are some points to ponder in using these strategies.

The first is, consider the grouping; I don't suggest to have random grouping in which students are grouped based on number they have. Ideally, the group should consist of proficient student, medium and low. Therefore, it is better to have the teacher set the group, since the teacher is the one who know the students proficiency level.

The second is, make sure that the instruction for each activity is clear enough. It is important to avoid misunderstanding between the teacher's demand on what the students should do. Unclear instructions lead to confusion, and confusion leads chaos. In order to cope with this, I suggest the teacher to tell the instruction, and then ask one of the students to retell to the class what they are supposed to do. So, teacher can make sure whether the students have understood the instruction or not.

The third is, in planning to use cooperative/collaborative strategies, think back about the advantages and the disadvantages. Will the students get more understanding? Will it useful for the students or is it just for fun, so that the students get nothing about the language but enjoyment? Will it lead to chaotic class atmosphere, if yes, how to avoid it?

The fourth is, make sure there are no free riders and dominating students.

The fifth is, consider the sitting arrangement. Set the class that enables teacher to circulate to check the group activities.

If there is any additional thing to ponder, I am looking forward to knowing from you.. ^_^