·       Summer Schedule For Training Sessions

·       Cooperative Learning And Conflict Resolution SIGs

·       Web Site: www.co-operation.org

1       Cooperation And Building Democracy

2       Democratic Decision Making & Controversy

3       Ending Isolation And Alienation

The Newsletter of The Cooperative Learning Institute Volume 20, Issue 1, March, 2005

Editors: David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, Edythe Holubec

 

Greetings! Once again it is time for us to say hello and encourage you to continue utilizing the power of cooperation in your work and personal life! We have had a busy year, both nationally and internationally. This year we have conducted trainings in Armenia, Hong Kong, China, Columbia, Mexico. We are looking forward to another active year in training teachers in cooperative learning.

 

We are planning this summer’s training and are looking forward to the Minneapolis Trainings the third week in July. They include Foundation, Advanced, Conflict Resolution, Assessment, Leading the Cooperative School, and Leadership Trainings for all the courses. The summer schedule is included in this newsletter.

 

Interest stays high in the research on both cooperative learning and conflict resolution. This year at AERA there are several sessions dedicated to those topics.

 

Zara Hovhannisyan, Gary Varrella, David W. Johnson, and Roger Johnson

 

Creating a lasting peace in troubled areas of the world involves the coordinated action of economic, political, and educational institutions. Economic well-being, self-determination, and access to education all work together to ensure a peaceful society. Education is a key factor in improving economic well-being and ensuring a healthy democracy. In addition to making education available to all citizens, however, countries need to pay attention to the pedagogical methods used in their schools. Some pedagogical methods are more congruent with democracy than others. More specifically, to socialize children, adolescents, and young adults into the competencies and values they need to be effective citizens in a democracy, cooperative learning becomes an instructional method of choice.

 

Democracy thrives only when the citizenry has the competencies and values needed for self-determination. The place where future generations best learn these competencies and values is in school (if cooperative learning dominates learning situations). There are a number of important parallels between being an effective member of a cooperative learning group and being an effective citizen in a democracy (see Table 1).

 

Table 1: Partial Comparison Of Cooperative Learning & Democracy

Cooperative Learning	Democracy
Work with others to achieve mutual goals, for example, members are expected to learn and to help groupmates learn	Work with others to achieve mutual goals, for example, citizens are expected to prosper and to help fellow citizens prosper
Each member is responsible for participating in the group, doing his or her fair share of the work, and maintaining good working relationships among members	Each citizen is responsible for participating in democratic process, doing his or her fair share in achieving the society’s goals and maintaining good working relationships among citizens
All members are considered to be equal regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion; equality does not mean doing the same things or making equal contributions to the group; it means having the same value and being given equal consideration.	All citizens are considered to be equal regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion; equality does not mean doing the same things or making equal contributions to society; it means having the same value and being given equal consideration.
All members have the right and obligation to express their ideas, conclusions, and opinions (including opposition to others’ ideas) and to be listened to with respect and consideration	All citizens have the right and obligation to express their ideas, conclusions, and opinions (including opposition to others’ ideas) and to be listened to with respect and consideration
All members are expected to provide leadership, build trust among members, ensure effective decisions are made, ensure conflicts are resolved constructively, and agreed upon tasks and decisions are carried to completion.	All citizens are expected to provide leadership (including running for office), build trust among citizens, ensure effective decisions are made, ensure conflicts are resolved constructively, and agreed upon tasks and decisions are carried to completion.
Decisions are made by a combination of consensus and majority rule after a thorough discussion considering the merits of all points of view and focusing on reasoning and information	Decisions are made by majority rule with safe guards for minority opinions after a thorough discussion considering the merits of all points of view and focusing on reasoning and information
Members value contributing to the well-being of groupmates and the common good	Citizens value contributing to the well-being of fellow citizens and the common good

 

A cooperative learning group is a microcosm of a democracy. A democracy is, after all, first and foremost a cooperative system in which citizens work together to determine their future. Similarly, in cooperative learning groups students work to achieve mutual goals, are responsible for contributing to the group’s work, have the right and obligation to express their ideas, and are obligated to provide leadership and ensure decisions are effective. All group members are considered equal. Decisions are made after careful consideration of all points of view. Group members adopt a set of values that include contributing to the well being of their groupmates and the common good. All of these characteristics are also true of democracies.

 

Cooperative learning is being used in several parts of the world as a part of teaching children, adolescents, and young adults to be productive citizens in a democracy. One example of such a democracy project is taking place in Armenia. The International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX) began a Project in 1998 to strengthen education in Armenia. The Project is headed by Zara Hovhannisyan (Senior Program Officer, IREX Education Programs Division) and Gary Varrella (Academic Advisor and Consultant).

 

Armenia is a country with a rich and important history. The Project was first established to strengthen Armenia’s elementary education and then expanded to include Armenia’s middle school, high school, school administration, and preservice teacher preparation. Besides modifying teaching and administrative practices according to the latest research-based practices, IREX is promoting cooperative learning as a pivotal way of teaching students how to live in a democratic and peaceful society. Various schools are also implementing student involvement in democratic activities such as electing class presidents and a student council (which are new to the Armenian school systems).

 

The Project began with 18 pilot schools and has since expanded to over 300 schools and teacher training institutions across all regions of Armenia. Over 2,500 teachers, teacher educators, and administrators have received training so far in cooperative learning. The Project has published fourteen different handbooks to help teachers implement cooperative learning and other research-based pedagogical and curriculum development procedures. Thanks to the hard work of many people, the Project is very successful.

 

In 1748 Baron Charles de Montesquieu published, “The Spirit of Laws,” in which he explored the relationship between people and different forms of government. He concluded that while dictatorship survives on the fear of the people and monarchy survives on the loyalty of the people, a free republic (the most fragile of the three political systems) survives on the virtue of the people. Virtue is reflected in the way a person balances his or her own needs with the needs of the society as a whole. Motivation to be virtuous comes from “a sense of belonging, a concern for the whole, a moral bond with the community whose life is at stake.” This moral bond is cultivated by “deliberating with fellow citizens about the common good and helping shape the destiny of the political community.” Cooperative learning groups, as a microcosm of democracy, require students to balance their needs with the needs of groupmates and the group as a whole. It provides a sense of belonging and a moral bond with groupmates as they work together to maximize members’ learning.

 

There are many countries throughout the world in which large numbers of people have made great sacrifices to create democratic societies. There is far more to establishing a democracy, however, than having an election. Having elections is important, but if a democracy is to thrive and endure, careful attention must be paid to teaching future generations the competencies, patterns of effective collaboration, and concomitant values necessary to be productive citizens. Cooperative learning is a useful procedure for doing so.

 

David W. Johnson & Roger Johnson

 

Democracy requires making decisions about difficult issues that reflect the best reasoned judgment of its citizens. A decision implies that some agreement prevails as to which of several courses of action is most desirable for achieving a goal. In democracies, conflict among opposing points of view about what course of action should be followed is resolved through a process involving advocacy, challenge, and integration of the best information and reasoning from all sides. This is known as political discourse.

 

Political discourse is the formal exchange of reasoned views as to which of several alternative courses of action should be taken to solve a societal problem. It is intended to involve all citizens in the making of the decision. Citizens are expected to persuade one another (through valid information and logic) as to what course of action would be most effective. Political discourse is aimed at making a decision in a way that ensures all citizens are committed to (a) implement the decision (whether they agree with it or not) and (b) the democratic process.

 

Citizens have to be taught how to engage in political discourse. Children, adolescents, and young adults may be taught how to engage in political discourse through their experiences in school. An instructional procedure for doing so is constructive controversy (Johnson & Johnson, 1995).

 

Academic controversies may be structured by assigning students to groups of four, dividing each group into two pairs, and assign one pair the pro position and the other pair the con position on an academic issue. Each pair then:

1. Develops the best case possible for the assigned position.

2. Presents it to the opposing pair and listen to the opposing pair present.

3. Engages in a discussion in which they continue to advocate their position, attempt to refute the opposing position, and rebut attacks on their position.

4. Reverses perspectives and present the best case possible the opposing position.

5. Drops all advocacy and seek a synthesis that takes both perspectives and the best information and reasoning into account.

 

The controversy process results in significant increases in academic achievement, the quality of decision making (including higher-levels of cognitive and moral reasoning, perspective taking, creativity, and attitude change about the issue), motivation to learn more about the issue, positive attitudes toward the controversy, more positive relationships, and higher self-esteem.

 

Any time students participate in the controversy procedure, they are getting a lesson in democratic political discourse.

 

David W. Johnson and Roger T. Johnson

 

In an era emphasizing performance on standardized tests, it is easy to forget that there are many other important purposes of schooling. Through the use of cooperative learning, teachers have the power to ensure that no student is isolated or alienated from peers.

 

Isolated and alienated students tend to engage in antisocial behavior, be deficient in social-cognitive skills, and have psychological problems. Since views of reality are constructed within relationships, isolated and alienated students may have distorted views of reality. Social and cognitive development depends on engaging in cooperative efforts with peers. Thus, the development of isolated and alienated students may be abnormal. When isolation and alienation are based on (or cause) rejection and abuse from peers, the isolated students may engage in violent retaliation.

 

There are so many negative consequences of isolated and alienation from peers on both physical and psychological health that all students are accepted and supported by their peers is an important part of schooling. Constructive relationships among students are enhanced by:

 

1. Using cooperative learning the majority of the time.

 

2. Ensuring all students are involved in base groups where the same students interact all year long.

 

3. Loading groups that contain an isolated or alienated student with accepting and supportive peers.

 

4. Giving the isolated or alienated student structured roles to guide their behavior in the group.

 

5. Having groups frequently process, emphasizing positive feedback about members’ contributions to one another’s learning.

 

6. Teaching social skills (leadership, trust, communication, decision making) in every lesson.

 

7. Teaching students how to resolve conflicts constructively (i.e., regularly use the controversy procedure and implement the Peacemakers Program).

 

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. (2005). Teaching students to be peacemakers (4^th Ed.). Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company.

 

Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, F. (2006). Joining together: Group theory and group skills (9^th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

 

Johnson, D. W. (2006). Reaching out: Interpersonal effectiveness and self-actualization (9^th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

 

The Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers Program is now listed as a model program by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. See their web site: www.samhsa.gov

 

Minneapolis, Minnesota

July 18 to July 22

Foundations Of Cooperative Learning

Advanced Cooperative Learning

Creative Conflict (Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers, Constructive Controversy)

Leading Cooperative School

Foundations Leadership Training

 

Contact: Linda Johnson, Interaction Book Company

(952) 831-9500, (952) 831-7060

FAX: (952) 831-9332

Johns010@umn.edu

 

Jacksonville, Florida

Florida Community College

May 16 to May 19

Foundations of Cooperative Learning

Advanced Cooperative Learning

 

Contact: Sally Nielsen

(904) 646-2339

SNIELSEN@fccj.edu

 

Members of the American Educational Research Association should ensure they are members of the Cooperative Learning and/or Conflict Resolution Special Interest Groups.

 

 

 

Interaction Book Company

7208 Cornelia Drive

Edina, MN 55435

(952) 831-9500

FAX: (952) 831-9332