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The large enrollment lecture format is, without doubt, one of the most efficient and cost-effective methods for information delivery. Few would argue with the proposition that it is probably not the most effective method, particularly from the viewpoint of the student. In such a course format the student is placed in a passive role hardly conducive to learning. Because it is unlikely that the large lecture format will be replaced at many institutions in the near future, it becomes particularly important to search for teaching methods that will counteract the student passivity and place the student in a more active learning environment. One such method involves cooperative learning.
Cooperative learning is an instructional technique whereby students work together in small fixed groups on a structured task. Its beginnings were in pre-college education, but there is now considerable evidence that cooperative learning is a viable alternative to traditional educational strategies at the college level(1, 2).
Some Advantages of Cooperative Learning
1. Students Take Responsibility for Their Own Learning and Become Actively Involved
Higher Education has been consistently criticized for its failure to involve students in the learning process (3). Over-reliance on the lecture method can cause students to assume the role of spectator in the classroom, and the ensuing lack of involvement can spell disaster for many students.
One of the most difficult tasks facing any teacher is to convince students to take responsibility for their own learning. Many students seem to feel that the instructor will somehow provide them with an education if only they attend class; they fail to realize how much effort they must put forth to be successful. However, group exercises can be structured so that each member of the group will become involved in, and have responsibility for, the learning process. Students who learn by doing and becoming involved, rather than by listening, are able to retain and comprehend more. Studies also have shown that students who use cooperative learning techniques have consistently higher academic achievements (4).
2. Students Develop Higher-Level Thinking Skills
It is unfortunately true that students, even at the college level, may rarely rise above the level of rote memory in their work. This problem may be exacerbated by an overreliance on multiple-choice testing, where questions that employ...