Cooperative and Collaborative Learning: Introducing Teamwork in Education

Course description

This Self-Paced Online Course aims at clarifying notions about teamwork in education, as well as to guide teachers in implementing collaborative and cooperative activities in their classrooms.

The course proposes an accessible path that any educator can follow in order to spread a more collaborative spirit among learners. Course Participants will discover strategies that motivate students to be more active and make the most of learning together. A variety of activities will be presented: short and long ones, easy and more elaborated, for children and older students, for pair and group work.

Teachers of different subjects and levels will have the chance to adapt them easily and effectively to their concrete learning goals.

This Self-paced online course does not require any prior knowledge.

Course structure

Topic 1: Let’s Define Collaboration and Cooperation

A brief introduction to the notions of collaboration and cooperation. You will discover their main features and how the two words will be used in the course. You will get to know relevant theory related to “group work”, and get familiar with its crucial ingredients.

1. Collaboration and Cooperation
2. Remarkable Theoretical Background
3. Key elements according to Johnson & Johnson
   + Exercise

Topic 2: Moving the First Steps

This Module aims at making you ready to create a collaborative learning environment. You’ll dig into practical strategies that gradually and effectively accustom students to working together.

1. The role of teachers
2. Team Building: warming up a collaborative spirit
3. Easy cooperative activities
   + Practice

Topic 3: Cooperative Classes I

This Module will present the first set of more complete activities that can be at the heart of collaborative lessons. Communication has a key role in all of them.

1. Pairs Compare
2. Save the Last Word
3. Fishbowl Debate
4. Socratic Circles
5. Learning Roles
6. Rotating Review
   + Practice

Topic 4: Cooperative Classes II

This Module will present a set of complete activities that can be at the heart of collaborative lessons. You will also be invited to be the creator of your own ones 😉

1. Task-Based Learning
   + Practice
2. Problem-Based Learning
   + Practice
3. The Jigsaw Method
   + Final Activity