Cooperative Learning: Theory And Practice

In the interaction of students, traditional instruction emphasizes rather competitive and individualism than cooperation. In competitive situations and individualism situations, there is negative interdependence among goal achievements. These bringing about feelings of estrangement and exclusion among students, which not only interferes with study itself, but also hampers perfect development of students' personality.The development of modern science and technology and the globalization of the world economy call for man's higher and higher social adaptability. Social adaptability is becoming the important part of modern citizens' ability. Cooperative learning is the initiative answer of education to the qualified person requirement of modern society. Modern education and instruction need to go out of the traditional competitive and individualistic goal structures and establish the new goal structure-cooperative goal structure. In the classroom, all students would learn how to work collaboratively with others, compete for fun and enjoyment, and work autonomously on their own. Because cooperative learning activities could increase children's understanding of ideas, improve children's relationships with peers, and build on a social ability for further success in school and society.