Cooperative Learning

by Renee Tonquest
CTE Cluster Specialist Health Science

Cooperative Learning or grouping strategies are very well suited to classes in Health Science. Quality health care depends on the ability to work well with others. Just think about all the health care providers involved with a patient’s hospital stay. It takes a team of people working together to provide the best care to a patient.

Real world applications are perfectly suited for small group cooperative learning projects in the Health Science pathway. Students can be grouped by student interest, such as sports interests, drama/theater, by birth month, alphabetically, by shirt color, using a number countdown, or random name pulling.

There are three types of grouping strategies teachers can use to vary the grouping patterns in a class. They are Informal, Formal, and Base Groups.

Informal groups are small teams that are formed during class that can help illustrate class concepts. These are impromptu pairings that last from a few minutes to a class period. 

For example, the Health Science class may be discussing infection control. After you have introduced the infection cycle, ask students to form small informal groups with neighbor(s) and ask them the following questions: How are diseases transmitted from person to person? And, why do some people get sick and others do not? Allow them a few minutes to discuss. Then resume your discussion about infection control. At the end of the class, allow the students to get back into the teams to re-evaluate the questions.

Formal groups are designed to ensure students have enough time to complete an assignment that may last several days or weeks. When you are organizing a project for your students, assemble your students in small groups of varying abilities. Formal groups are designed to ensure that the students have enough time to thoroughly complete an academic assignment.

Base groups can be teams set up at the beginning of the year and can last for a semester or the entire year, for purposes such as updating homework, help with class duties, etc. They are created to provide support for students and add a sense of belonging. Base groups are a great way for students to have a small group they can call on for information and support in classes. 

Health Science courses real world applications give instructors many opportunities to have students practice classroom lessons in a way that touches many different learning styles and reinforces classroom discussion.

Resources
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2005). Classroom Instruction That Works: Research Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (pp. 84-91). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.