IMPLEMENTATION OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN A LARGE-ENROLLMENT BASIC MECHANICS COURSE

Designer The primary objective of this investigation was to explore methods of implementing cooperative learning in a large-enrollment, sophomore-level basic mechanics course. Time in class- was generally allocated as follows: questions on past homework, 5 minutes; lecture on new material, 10 minutes; example problem, 15 minutes; and collaborative group quiz, 20 minutes. To facilitate this schedule, brief lecture summaries and group quizzes were developed for each class period. Lecture summaries minimize the time students need to copy class notes and permit the instructor to focus attention on known areas of weakness. Group quizzes allow students to "actively" reinforce the material presented so that they can identify any "gaps" in their understanding and seek immediate assistance from group members and/or the instructor. Cooperative learning groups are formed by randomly dividing the class into groups of four students. In-class group quizzes help students develop personal relationships with fellow classmates that can serve as the foundation of a support network outside of class. To further enhance this objective, student groups were randomly rearranged about one-third and two-thirds of the way through the semester. Thus, each student had the opportunity to work closely with three different groups (or nine students) in the class over the course of the semester. The effectiveness of cooperative learning was evaluated based on academic performance and attitudinal changes of students. Academic performance of the cooperative learning section shows a consistent and measurable improvement in comparison to students in a traditional lecture section of the course. Attitudinal changes were dramatic but difficult to quantify. Overall, more than 90% of the students in the cooperative learning class expressed positive comments towards this approach and many indicated that this course was among the best courses that they have had in their career at Purdue.