Autonomy and Responsibility Journal of Educational Sciences

Cooperative Debate Can Provoke Multiperspectivity

George M Jacobs — 2024-06-26

The purpose of this article is to recommend the Cooperative Debate technique as a means of encouraging students and others to view the world via a multitude of perspectives. Cooperative debates are contrasted with traditional competitive debates, with cooperative debates recommended for their greater focus on growing understanding, rather than on winning a debate contest. A flexible, eight-step procedure for the Cooperative Debate technique in the cooperative learning approach is described. In this procedure, each person presents two or three different perspectives on the topic being discussed. Cooperative Debate can also include consideration of how debaters and their audience might seek to implement their views. Social Interdependence Theory and Piagetian Theory are used to provide insights into the workings of Cooperative Debate.

How Jewish Values and The Chavruta, Student Learning Groups, Support Cooperative Learning

Richard D. Solomon — 2024-06-26

While cooperation in education may seem to be a twentieth-century development, it has long-standing origins in many societies. For example, an ancient Jewish tradition of having a learning partner (Chavruta) with whom to study the Talmud is referenced as early as the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 63a). Cooperative learning is a specific type of active learning in which students work together on academic tasks in small teams to help themselves and their teammates learn together. The research on cooperative learning is extensive and compelling. When compared with other instructional approaches, such as individualized instruction and the lecture method, cooperative learning is positively correlated with a number of significant learning variables. Cooperative learning is supported by the Jewish middot (values or virtues) including derech eretz (thoughtful behavior and common decency), areyvut (mutual responsibility and accountability), kavod (honor and respect) and the inclusion of all students in both religious and public life.

Elaborated Peer Assessment of Academic Writing Between Postgraduate Students

Keith Topping — 2024-06-26

Peer assessment in higher education has grown enormously in the last decade, but is more commonly used with undergraduates. In this study, reciprocal paired peer assessment of academic writing was undertaken by twelve postgraduate students of educational psychology, who gave elaborated formative feedback on each other’s work, as did staff. Overall, staff and peer assessments showed a very similar balance between positive and negative statements, but this varied according to assessment criterion. However, only half of the content of detailed formative assessment statements made showed correspondence between staff and peers. Nevertheless, there was very little evidence of conflict between the views of staff and peers - rather, they focused on different details. Subjective feedback from students indicated that most found the process time consuming, intellectually challenging and socially uncomfortable, but effective in improving the quality of their own subsequent written work and developing other transferable skills. The reliability and validity of this type of peer assessment thus appeared adequate, and the partiality of overlap in detail between staff and peer assessments suggested that the triangulation peer assessment offers is likely to add value. However, caution is indicated regarding the generalisation of this finding. Implications for action are outlined.

Cooperative Learning and the Catholic Faith

Aidan Rooney — 2024-06-26

Cooperative learning is an educational methodology developed in a secular milieu, yet has strong roots in Western, Catholic, Christian beliefs and affinity with Vincentian (after St. Vincet de Paul) beliefs and expectations about our relationships with the impoverished of all kinds. Recognizing this truth can create a sense of the familiar amongst CL practitioners and their larger communities. It also places the emphasis on the moral and practical aspects of CL in perspective. What is more, culturally, we know that it “feels right” to work with diverse others respectfully and that we are all ultimately engaging in a common project. Using Cooperative Learning turns these beliefs and human intuitions into a daily reality. Cooperative learning research has shown distinct advantages in its application in secular education. These advantages can translate into the realm of Catholic education because the values and practices of cooperative learning are compatible with Catholic education.

Analysis of the Degree of Cooperativity of a Primary Education Classroom Group in Catalonia (Spain)

Gemma Riera Romero — 2024-06-26

Integration is one of the key challenges facing educational systems as they strive to offer quality education that not only promotes academic progress but also fosters coexistence in an increasingly plural and diverse society. From this perspective, one of the most significant changes that must be made involves shifting the traditional role of the teacher as a mere transmitter of information and granting a leading role to students in their own teaching and learning process. In this context, the importance of cooperative learning methodology is highlighted.

However, it is important to note that not all teamwork is truly cooperative. To determine the quality of cooperation, it is crucial to measure the degree of cooperativeness of teams. This degree refers to the effectiveness of teamwork, where the higher this degree, the more effective both the team and the work they carry out will be. Essentially, the degree of cooperativeness is evaluated considering two aspects: the frequency of teamwork and the quality of teamwork.

The present research focuses on explaining the procedure for calculating the degree of cooperativeness, as well as presenting the instrument designed for this purpose. Additionally, the results of its application are presented, which were carried out with a group of male and female students in third and fourth year of primary education. This instrument is the result of various projects developed in the Research Group on Attention to Diversity (GRAD) at the University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (Spain). The objective of this article is to present the analysis of the degree of cooperativeness of a primary education class group over two consecutive courses using an instrument (endorsed in subsequent studies, Pujolàs, 2009) with the purpose of identifying to what extent the students' work has the quality of being cooperative.

Researchers’ Reading Log – Two Books About Cooperation

George M. Jacobs — 2024-06-26

The Power of Us - Review

Van Bavel, J. J. & Packer, D. J. (2021).
The power of us: Harnessing our shared identities to improve performance, increase
cooperation, and promote social harmony.
Hachette Book Group

Econarrative - Review

Stibbe, A. (2024)
Econarrative: Ethics, ecology and the search for new narratives to live by
Bloomsbury.

Project Invitation, Religious and Spiritual Values Compatible with Cooperative Learning

Ferenc Arató — 2024-06-26

Cooperative learning is an educational methodology developed in the secular world. Its roots are in the fields of educational philosophy (Dewey 1916). Constructivism (Vygotsky 1934,2012) sociology (Cohen 1986) and psychology, e.g. Deutsch (1949), Sharan (1980), Slavin (1983), Johnson and Johnson (1989). Cooperative learning research has shown distinct advantages in its application in secular education including academic achievement, development of higher order thinking skillls, self-esteem and self-confidence as learners, intergroup relations including friendships across racial and ethnic boundaries, development
of interpersonal skills, and the ability to take the perspective of another person. After fifty-plus years of secular engagement with cooperative learning, some of us finally realized that the key concepts and values of CL have compatible values in spiritual
and religious traditions around the world. To explore this notion, we are assembling a small team of authors who each have enthusiasm for cooperative practices and personal knowledge of a particular religious or spiritual tradition. The goal is to write a series of articles on the spiritual/religious values consistent with CL (which might later comprise an edited volume).