1st Edition

Cooperative Learning in Higher Education Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy

Edited By Barbara Millis Copyright 2010

    Research has identified cooperative learning as one of the ten High Impact Practices that improve student learning. If you’ve been interested in cooperative learning, but wondered how it would work in your discipline, this book provides the necessary theory, and a wide range of concrete examples.Experienced users of cooperative learning demonstrate how they use it in settings as varied as a developmental mathematics course at a community college, and graduate courses in history and the sciences, and how it works in small and large classes, as well as in hybrid and online environments. The authors describe the application of cooperative learning in biology, economics, educational psychology, financial accounting, general chemistry, and literature at remedial, introductory, and graduate levels.The chapters showcase cooperative learning in action, at the same time introducing the reader to major principles such as individual accountability, positive interdependence, heterogeneous teams, group processing, and social or leadership skills.The authors build upon, and cross-reference, each others’ chapters, describing particular methods and activities in detail. They explain how and why they may differ about specific practices while exemplifying reflective approaches to teaching that never fail to address important assessment issues.

    PREFACE LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS 1. WHY FACULTY SHOULD ADOPT COOPERATIVE LEARNING APPROACHES—Barbara J. Millis 2. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN ACCOUNTING—Phillip G. Cottell 3. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY THROUGH PROCESS-ORIENTED GUIDED INQUIRY LEARNING—Susan E. Shadle 4. COOPERATIVE LEARNING STRUCTURES HELP COLLEGE STUDENTS REDUCE MATH ANXIETY AND SUCCEED IN DEVELOPMENTAL COURSES—Theodore Panitz 5. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. MODELING SUCCESS FOR FUTURE TEACHERS—Margaret W. Cohen 6. PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENGINEERING EDUCATORS AND RESEARCHERS. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING PhD PROGRAM—Karl A. Smith, Holly Matusovich, Kerry Meyers, and Llewellyn Mann 7. THE INTERACTIVE LECTURE IN A RESEARCH METHODS AND STATISTICS CLASS—Pamela Robinson and James L. Cooper 8. WANT BRIGHTER, HARDER WORKING STUDENTS? CHANGE PEDAGOGIES! SOME EXAMPLES, MAINLY FROM BIOLOGY—Craig E. Nelson 9. SEQUENCING COOPERATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN LITERATURE CLASSES—Barbara J. Millis 10. IMPLEMENTING COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN INTRODUCTORY ECONOMICS COURSES—Mark H. Maier, Kim Marie McGoldrick, and Scott Simkins 11. COOPERATIVE LEARNING IN GEOLOGICAL SCIENCES—Edward Nuhfer 12. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THIS VOLUME—Barbara J. Millis BIBLIOGRAPHY THE CONTRIBUTORS INDEX

    Biography

    Barbara Millis is Director of the Teaching and Learning Center, University of Texas at San Antonio, having previously served as Director of faculty development at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Prior to that, she worked in faculty development at the University of Maryland University College. She frequently conducts workshops at professional conferences and campuses around the country. James Rhem