Cooperative Learning

is a teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their knowledge of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning but also to help team mates to learn.

Most recently, new technologies have added an exciting new dimension to collaborative and cooperative learning. With the Internet, collaboration can occur without regard to distance or time barriers: e-mails can be sent at students' or teachers' convenience to practically anywhere around the world, and the recipient can reply when he or she has time. There is software that can be used with school computer networks to allow students in different classrooms to work together simultaneously or a group of students to collaborate on projects like desktop publishing.

In online education, cooperative learning focuses on opportunities to encourage both individual flexibility and affinity to a learning community (Paulsen 2003). Cooperative learning seeks to foster some benefits from the freedom of individual learning and other benefits from collaborative learning. Cooperative learning thrives in virtual learning environments that emphasize individual freedom within online learning communities.

For more on using technology with cooperative and collaborative learning, see the topic "How can technology be used with cooperative and collaborative learning?" in the "Exploration" section of this workshop.