by Pamela B. Tanguay
Cooperative learning is the buzz in many school districts today. Is it
simply another fad or phase which will disappear within a few years?
Unlikely.
Corporate executives have indicated that employees entering the work
force as young adults often lack the skill to work cooperatively with
others. This is not surprising, since our educational system has
historically fostered the accomplishments of the individual, and encouraged
independent learning strategies. This results in a highly competitive
environment for, and between, students. Compounding the problem is the rapid
increase in technology. More and more we see students turning to a computer
as an academic aid, rather than reaching out to other individuals.
Consequently, when these students enter the work force and are required to
work in a group and share team goals, they are unable to do so.
In order to address this problem, the educational system has developed
the cooperative learning experience. Simply defined, this means that
students are encouraged to work with other students in order to learn
and succeed. Before addressing how a cooperative learning environment might
benefit NLD students, we must first understand more about the concept
itself, and what a well implemented strategy would entail.
The teacher first instructs the students in the dynamics of cooperative
learning. He/she explains that the objective is for the team to complete an
assignment, and that each student will be graded for their individual
accomplishments and for the final team results. The teacher provides
the students with the expectations for group learning, and provides a
timeline for the students to follow. He/she clearly identifies what the
assignment is, and how the students are to approach it from a team
perspective. The entire team is held responsible for ensuring that all
members participate throughout the activity. Individual roles are
established for use within each group. For instance, each team might require
a spokesperson, someone to take notes, someone to develop any visual
material, a coordinator for research activities, and so on. Most
importantly, the students receive instruction on how to provide constructive
feedback to their team members. All of these requirements should be prepared
by the teacher in writing, and provided to the students before
starting their assignment.
The class is then broken out into small groups, with individual team
members selected by the teacher. The classroom is arranged to facilitate
group interaction. Written expectations and team rules are provided to each
team. The teacher continually monitors student interaction within the
groups, and provides assistance and clarification as needed. The teacher
provides on-going feedback to each team on their use of group skills and
facilitates problem-solving when necessary.
This teaching strategy, when properly implemented, is ideal for the NLD
student, especially when introduced at a young age. Why? Let's
consider the following academic characteristics of NLD youngsters:
- They have impaired social skills.
- They are often isolated from their peers.
- They learn best when they are fully engaged.
- Although they are often auditory learners, lecture classes which
require notetaking creates a hardship for them.
- They have very uneven skill sets.
- They have difficulty determining relevant versus irrelevant
information.
- Their reading comprehension is impaired.
- They are strong verbal learners.
- They have weak organizational skills.
Now let's consider how a cooperative learning model can be highly
beneficial to the NLD student. First, the social "rules" have been
established by the teacher, and the team is responsible for ensuring that
each member actively participates. Therefore, if the NLD student is
reticent, he/she will be drawn out by their peers, rather than being allowed
to passively observe the interaction of other members. Since the teacher
selects the members of each team, care can be taken to insure that members
are tolerant and supportive of the NLD youngster. The assignment has been
clearly structured by the teacher, thereby mitigating the organizational
difficulties of the NLD student, and further clarification may be provided
by other team members. The NLD student is not solely responsible for a large
assignment, but rather for a single task, where their strengths may be
utilized. Any reading assignment required as part of the activity is
discussed within the group. This allows the NLD student to gain an
understanding of the material that they would likely not grasp alone.
Not only do cooperative learning exercises aid in the NLD students'
academic learning process, but they also foster social skills, provide an
opportunity for these students to display their strengths, thereby improving
self-esteem, and with a little luck, provide a means for them to make
friends.
To further enhance the cooperative learning experience for the NLD
student, the following are additional recommended considerations:
- Teams should be identified at the beginning of the school year, with
specific care taken to ensure that the NLD student is placed with a
supportive group of peers. The teams should continue throughout the course
of the school year so that the NLD youngster can form relationships within
the group, and be more likely to take risks within the team.
- Once the NLD student becomes comfortable working within their team, the
identified roles should be rotated so that the NLD student is exposed to
tasks that he/she would not normally feel comfortable performing. The
support of fellow team members is crucial in this process.
- The team's feedback process is a critical component to the cooperative
learning experience. Handled poorly, it is destructive for all students,
but potentially devastating to the NLD student. In addition to very clear
parameters established by the teacher (what is, and is not allowed
while providing feedback between students), evaluation forms should be
developed by the teacher which reinforce an acceptable process. For each
assignment, all team members would evaluate his/her own contribution, as
well as the team's combined performance. In addition, each member of the
team would be responsible for providing feedback to each of their team
mates. Feedback would require several positive statements, and only one
constructive recommendation for improvement (with a zero-tolerance for
destructive statements). The teacher would also complete evaluation forms
measuring the effectiveness of the team as a unit, and for each member's
contributions.
A cooperative learning approach can be introduced as early as preschool.
In order for the NLD student to benefit from this teaching strategy, it
should be implemented no later than the upper elementary grades. It is
important to recognize that no matter how beneficial a concept might be,
success depends upon well-executed implementation. For the typical student,
a poorly implemented teaching strategy is merely ineffective. However, a
poorly implemented cooperative learning environment would have disastrous
results for the NLD student. The teacher must be well versed in all of the
elements necessary to implement this learning strategy, as well as how it
may benefit, or harm, the NLD student.
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Elements of an
Effective
Cooperative Learning Model
Highly structured
Clear expectations
Teacher involvement
On-going monitoring
Careful team selection
Continuity of teams
Rotation of roles
Supportive peer interaction
Conducive environment
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© 1999, Pamela B. Tanguay. All
rights reserved.
Source - This article first appeared in the Fall
1999 issue of The Source, the newsletter of ASC-U.S.
(formerly ASPEN
of America, Inc.), and is posted with the author's permission.
About the author - Ms. Tanguay is the site owner
and co-developer of NLD on the Web!, author of Nonverbal
Learning Disabilities at Home: A Parent's Guide, a member of the
Advisory Board of ASC-U.S.,
and the parent of a teenage daughter with NLD.
