*   Indicates that the abstract was specially written for this compilation

** Indicates that the abstract is from ERIC – www.eduref.org

Fitzgibbon, L. [linda9laugh@hotmail.com] (2001). Cooperative learning in the EFL Context. KOTESOL: The English Connection 5(5), 1, 6-8. Retrieved October 31, 2003, from http://www.kotesol.org/pubs/tec/tec_pdf/tec_0109.pdf

* This article provides background on cooperative learning and explores links between CL and foreign language instruction. The bulk of the article describes the author’s initial uses of CL with English as a Foreign Language students at a university in Korea. Of particular note is the manner in which CL was introduced by students learning vocabulary and collaborative skills related to group activities.

McCafferty, S. G. [mccaffes@unlv.edu] (2002). Gesture and creating zones of proximal development for second language learning. Modern Language Journal, 86(2), 192-203.

This study investigated the role of gesture in and of itself and in conjunction with speech in creating zones of proximal development (ZPD) for second language learning and teaching. A university student of English, newly arrived in the United States, was videorecorded once a week in conversational interaction with an American graduate student, an ESL/EFL teacher, over two different periods lasting 15 weeks altogether. The view taken in the study of Vygotsky’s concept of the ZPD follows that of Newman and Holtzman (1993), who argued that it primarily concerns revolutionary activity, that learning and teaching transforms as a consequence of interacting in the ZPD, and that this affects all participants. Findings indicate the important role that gesture played both in promoting language learning and in facilitating positive interaction between the two participants, helping to create a sense of shared social, symbolic, physical, and mental space.

Ghaith, G. M. [gghaith@aub.edu.lb] (2003). Effects of the Learning Together model of cooperative learning on English as a Foreign Language reading achievement, academic self-esteem, and feelings of school alienation. Bilingual Research Journal, 27(3), 451-474.

This study investigated the effects of the Learning Together cooperative learning model in improving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) reading achievement and academic self-esteem and in decreasing feelings of school alienation. Fifty-six Lebanese high school learners of EFL participated in the study, and a pretest-posttest control group experimental design was employed. The results indicated no statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups on the dependent variables of academic self- esteem and feelings of school alienation. However, the results revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental group on the variable of EFL reading achievement. The author discusses pedagogical implications and suggests recommendations for further research.

Simmons, J. (2003). Responders are taught, not born. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(8), 684-693.

This article describes a data-based project in which high school and college writing instructors collaborated to improve the writing skills of students bound for tertiary level studies. The author concludes that students need a great deal of instruction and practice in order to become effective peer reviewers and to use peer feedback effectively. However, the time and effort spent are worthwhile, as students writing improves as a result. The article describes how, over time, students learned how to respond rather than evaluate, “In evaluation, writing is frozen, finished, and rated as a product. During response, the work is still fluid, and the writer can actually take part in the conversation” (p. 691).

Bruffee, K. A. (2003). Cultivating the craft of interdependence: Collaborative learning and the college curriculum. About Campus, 7(6), 17-23.

** Many colleges understand the importance of teaching students how to work well with others and make an effort to introduce this during orientation week. But do students retain this skill throughout their college years and well after college? Argues that in order for these efforts to be effective, this practice needs to be made an integral part of campus culture.

Yerrick, R. K., Doster, E., Nugent, J. S., Parke, H. M., & Crawley, F. E. (2003). Social interaction and the use of analogy: An analysis of preservice teachers' talk during physics inquiry lessons. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, 443-463.

** Presents an existence proof of how preservice science teachers used analogies embedded in their course materials, Physics by Inquiry. Reports three distinct roles of analogies: a) cognitive process skills; b) scientific conceptual understanding; and c) social contexts for problem solving. Agrees on the importance of collaborative problem solving and insertion of analogies for preservice teachers' conceptual development.

** Matthews, M. W., & Kesner, J. (2003). Children learning with peers: The confluence of peer status and literacy competence within small-group literacy events. Reading Research Quarterly, 38, 208-234.

Investigates the interactions of 16 first-grade children during one academic year as they participated in literacy events with their peers. Suggests that issues related to peer acceptance and reading competence complicate children's interactions during collaborative literacy events. Presents concepts critical to understanding how children with different levels of acceptance from peers and different levels of reading achievement experience these events.

** Carter, G., Jones, M. G., & Rua, M. (2003). Effects of partner's ability on the achievement and conceptual organization of high-achieving fifth-grade students. Science Education, 87, 94-111.

Investigates high-achieving fifth-grade students' achievement gains and conceptual reorganization on convection. Features an instructional sequence of three dyadic inquiry investigations related to convection currents as well as pre- and post-assessment consisting of a multiple-choice test, a card sorting task, construction of a concept map, and an interview. Discusses implications for heterogeneous grouping and construction of knowledge by dyads.

Walmsley, A. L. E., & Muniz, J. (2003). Cooperative learning and its effects in a high school geometry classroom. Mathematics Teacher, 96, 112-116.

** Discusses the merits of cooperative learning in the classroom and the effects of implementing cooperative learning in a high school geometry classroom.

Hooper, S. (2003). The effects of persistence and small group interaction during computer-based instruction. Computers in Human Behavior, 19(2), 211-220.

** Compared the effects of grouping sixth grade students with different levels of persistence on their ability to learn in cooperative learning groups while working at the computer. Reports results that indicated that average persisters interacted more than either high or low persisters and discusses implications for forming effective cooperative learning groups.

Carpenter, S. R., & McMillan, T. (2003). Incorporation of a cooperative learning technique in organic chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 80, 330-332.

** Describes a student team learning method used in an organic chemistry class at Armstrong Atlantic State University. The Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD) method was used in this study. Discusses cooperative learning methods in organic chemistry classes.

Hoag, A. M., Jayakar, K. P., & Erickson, K. (2003). The role of trust in virtual and interpersonal environments: Implications for team learning and case method pedagogies. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 57, 370-383.

** Reports on research undertaken in a telecommunications management course. Investigates how communication technology can facilitate team learning. Describes a quasi-experiment designed to observe the interaction among the pedagogies of team learning, active learning (the case method), and computer-mediated learning.

Jenkins, J. R., Antil, L. R., Wayne, S. K., & Vadasy, P. F. (2003). How cooperative learning works for special education and remedial students. Exceptional Children, 69, 279-292.

** Interviews with 21 general education elementary school teachers found they were generally positive about cooperative learning's efficacy for students with learning problems, while acknowledging that it worked better for some students than others. Major benefits were improved self-esteem, a safe learning environment, and better classroom success rates and products.

Wong, S. L., Habibah Ab Jalil, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub, Kamariah Abu Bakar; Hong, T. S. (2003).  Teaching a discrete information technology (IT) course in a constructivist learning environment: Is it effective for Malaysian pre-service teachers? The Internet and Higher Education, 6(2), 193-204.

The purpose of this research was to measure pre-service teachers' attitudes toward information technology (IT) following their participation in a discrete IT course. The IT course was taught in a constructivist learning environment where the students collaborated to achieve their learning goals and problem solve on tasks [Educ. Technol. 35 (1995) 25]. The results of the study revealed that with the constructivist learning approach infused in the IT course, there was a positive shift in the participants' attitudes toward IT. Pretest results showed that participants who were competent had regarded IT as more useful; and they had more confidence and less aversion toward technology. The posttest results showed increased mean scores on all three dependent variables (e.g., usefulness, confidence, and aversion) with no differences between competent and incompetent participants by the end of the course. The responses obtained from interviews of course instructors indicated that participants were more independent, more creative, and used their collaborative learning skills. While an exploratory study, the results provide support for the premise that infusing constructivism into a discrete IT course can enhance positive attitudes towards IT and enable students to be active participants in their own learning process.

Gillies, R. (2003). The behaviors, interactions, and perceptions of junior high school students during small-group learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 137-147.

** Investigates the behaviors, interactions, and perceptions of junior high school students as they worked in structured or unstructured cooperative learning groups on problem-solving, curriculum-based tasks in mathematics, science and English. Results show that children in the structured groups were more cooperative and provided more relevant verbal help and assistance to each other as they worked together in their groups.

Rohrbeck, C. A., Fantuzzo, J. W., Ginsburg-Block, M. D., & Miller, T. R. (2003). Peer-assisted learning interventions with elementary school students: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 240-257.

A meta-analytic review of group comparison design studies evaluating peer-assisted learning (PAL) interventions with elementary school students produced positive effect sizes (ESs) indicating increases in achievement (unweighted mean ES = 0.59, SD = 0.90; weighted ES, d = 0.33, p < .0001, 95% confidence interval = 0.29-0.37). PAL interventions were most effective with younger, urban, low income, and minority students. Interventions that used interdependent reward contingencies, ipsative evaluation procedures, and provided students with more autonomy had higher ESs. Adequate descriptive information was missing in many studies. Researchers are encouraged to develop PAL interventions in collaboration with practitioners to maximize those interventions' use and effectiveness and to include more detailed information about students, schools, and intervention components in their reports.

Rubinstein-Avila, E. (2003). Negotiating power and redefining literacy expertise: Buddy Reading in a dual-immersion programme. Journal of Research in Reading, 26(1), 83-97.

This paper reports on a case study of face-to-face interaction around and about texts between a [US] second grade dyad in a dual-immersion programme [English/Portuguese]. Through the lenses of Vygotskian situation cognition and Literacy Studies, classroom observations were conducted, both holistic and focused. Daily peer reading sessions between a dyad were tap recorded, and informal interviews with the teacher and the participating dyad were conducted. The analysis of participants’ verbal exchanges revealed multiple pedagogical scaffold, few of which were unexpected. As meaning making became more salient to the various collaborate literacy tasks, the roles of tutor and tutee were blurred. The shift in power also impacted the direction of language switches. Buddy Reading encouraged the peer readers to acknowledge and draw upon each other’s expertise, as they redefined what it meant to be ‘a good reader.’

Smith, B. [bryan.smith@ttu.edu] (2003). Computer-mediated negotiated interaction: An expanded model. Modern Language Journal, 87, 38-57.

This study examines task-based, synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC) among intermediate-level learners of English. The research specifically explores (a) whether learners engage in negotiated interaction when they encounter new lexical items, (b) whether task type has an effect on the amount of negotiation that transpires, and (c) how this computer-mediated negotiation compares to that noted in the face-to-face literature. Fourteen nonnative-nonnative dyads collaboratively completed 4 communicative tasks using ChatNet, a browser-based chat program. Each dyad completed 2 jigsaw and 2 decision-making tasks, which were each “seeded” with 8 target lexical items. The chatscripts reveal that learners do in fact negotiate for meaning in the CMC environment when nonunderstanding occurs. Furthermore, task type was found to have a definite influence on the extent to which learners engaged in negotiation, but not necessarily in the same way that has been observed in the face-to-face literature. Though the negotiation that occurs in the CMC environment proceed in ways that are roughly similar to face-to-face negotiation, the observed differences call for a new model of computer-mediated negotiation. This new model is presented as a more accurate tool for describing computer-mediated negotiated interaction than those offered to chart face-to-face negotiation episodes.

Clark, M. C. [cclark@tamu.edu], Revuelto, J., Kraft, D., & Beatty, P. [pbeatty@tamu.edu](2003). Learning to work in teams. Journal of Student-Centered Learning, 1(3), 173-179.

This qualitative study examines the impact of teaming on student learning in an innovate engineering curriculum. We found that students develop various strategies to work together effectively. They report multiple benefits from teaming, including improved learning of course material, increased self-esteem, and greater responsibility for their own learning.

Ochoa, S. [sochoa@dcc.uchile.cl], Guerrero, L. A. [luguerre@dcc.uchile.cl], Pino, J. A., & Collazos, C. A. (2003). Improving learning by collaborative testing. Journal of Student-Centered Learning, 1(3), 127-139.

We have conducted experiments to improve examinations in Computer Science courses. We present a strategy that promotes learning during the examination process. This strategy has been implemented through two techniques. ETT (Examining Together Technique) and CET (Collaborative Examining Technique) are the techniques we have used.

Holliday, D. [DWIGHT.HOLLIDAY@COE.MURRAYSTATE.EDU] (2003). Jigsaw IV: Using student/teacher concerns to improve Jigsaw III. Journal of Student-Centered Learning, 1(3), 141-149.

Research of the literature showed that all previous improvements to the collaborative learning strategy Jigsaw were based on well defined research issues. Jigsaw III improved Jigsaw II by adding a review before the assessment. Jigsaw II added competition to enhance the Jigsaw method. The research conducted here is an attempt to improve Jigsaw III and to bring it to the next level, Jigsaw IV. Jigsaw IV used student and teacher concerns to develop a structured strategy to further small group cooperative learning. The addition of quizzes, reviews, and reteaching to ensure mastery separates this method from other forms of cooperative learning.

Jacobs, G. M. [george@vegetarian-society.org], & Small, J. (2003). Combining dictogloss and cooperative learning to promote language learning. Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal, 3(1). Available at http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/jacobs_small/index.html

The article begins by explaining the basic dictogloss technique, contrasting it with traditional dictation, and citing research related to dictogloss in second language instruction. Next, dictogloss is situated in relation to eight current, overlapping trends in second language teaching. Then, a description is provided of how the literature on cooperative learning enables teachers to better understand how dictogloss works and to use dictogloss more effectively. Included in this section is a rationale for using dictogloss with global issues content. Finally, eight variations on the basic dictogloss procedure are presented.