Everyone learns individually. Our interests and genetic make-up determine what
we can learn and how well we may learn. They also determine how well we can
apply what has been learned. Some people excel at analytical tasks, such as
determining how many gallons of paint it will take to cover the interior walls
of a room, while others are more concrete in nature and can paint the rooms
very efficiently. Not everyone has the innate abilities to perform these tasks
easily. Consequently, all methods of instruction do not align with the learning
capabilities of each individual learner.
Accepting that people learn individually is an important step toward improving
instruction. Either we must devote time to each learner individually or rely on
other means to assist each learner to progress. Individualized instruction
requires more human resources than are available to schools. Consequently,
many teachers rely on large group instruction. Most students are capable of
learning in large groups, but each may experience problems with particular methods
of presentation, e.g., individual readings, questions and answers, experiments
or projects.
However, in many work and social activities, teams of individuals must pull
together to get tasks accomplished. Working together means cooperation. It also
means taking the talents of individuals and pooling these together to get the job
done.
This is the basis for the theory behind cooperative learning. Cooperative learning
is a teaching strategy where teams of two or more work together on learning tasks.
This could include working together on an electrical circuit problem (small group)
to the entire class (large group) manufacturing toys for a "Toys for Tots" program.
Each member of the team brings special talents to the group, i.e., concrete or
analytical abilities or others. Also other team members cooperate on the achievement
of the tasks and learn from each other. As a result, students learn both academic
and social skills from a cooperative learning environment.
