I-CANS Chapter 1 - Overview of Selected Cooperative Learning Structures

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adapted from "The Structural Approach to Cooperative Learning" by Spencer Kagan in Educational Leadership, Dec. '89

Structure	Brief Description	Academic/Social Functions
Team Building
Roundrobin	Each student in turn shares something with his or her teammates	Expressing ideas and opinions, creation of stories. Equal participation, getting acquainted with teammates
Class Building
Corners	Each student moves to a corner of the room representing a teacher-dertermined alternative. Students discuss within corners, then listen to and paraphrase ideas from other corners.	Seeing alternative hypotheses, values, problem-solving approaches. Knowing and respecting different points of view, meeting classmates.
Communication Building
Match Mine	Students attempt to match the arrangement of objects on a grid of another student using oral communication only.	Vocabulary development. Communication skills, role-taking ability.
Mastery
Numbered Heads Together	The teacher has students number off within groups. (1,2,3 and 4). The teacher asks a high consensus question. The students put their heads together to make sure everyone on the team knows the answer. The teacher calls on a number (1,2, 3 or 4) and only the student with the number can raise his/her hand to respond.	Review, checking for knowledge, comprehension.
Color-Coded Co-op Cards	Student memorize facts using a flash card game.The game is structured so that there is a maximum probability of success at each step, moving from short-term to long-term memory. Scoring is based on improvement.	Memorizing facts. Helping, praising
Pairs Check	Students work in pairs withing groups of four. Within pairs students atlernate-one solves a problem while the other coaches. After every two problems the pair checks to see if they have the same answers as the other pair.	Practicing skills. Helping, praising
Concept Development
Three-Step Interview	Students interview each other in pairs, first one way, then the other. Students share with the gorup information they learned in the interview.	Sharing personal information such as hypotheses, reactions to a poem, conclusions from a unit. Participation, listening
Think-Pair-Share	Students think to themselves on a topic provided by the teacher; they pair up with another student to discuss it; they then share their thoughts with the class.	Generating and revising hypotheses, inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, application. Participation, involvement
Team Word-Webbing	Students write simultaneously on a piece of chart paper, drawing main concepts, supporting elements, and bridges representing the relation of ideas in a concept.	Analysis of concepts into components, understanding multiple relations among ideas, differentiating concepts. Roletaking
Multifunctional
Roundtable	Each student in turn writes one answer as a paper and pencil are passed around the group. With Simultaneous Roundtable more than one pencil and paper are used at once.	Assessing prior knowledge, practicing skills, recalling information, creating cooperative art. Team building, participation
Inside-Outside Circle	Students stand in pairs in two concentric circles. the inside circle faces out; the outside circle faces in. Students use flash cards or respond to teacher questions as they rotate to each new partner.	Checking for understanding, review, processing, helping. Tutoring, sharing, meeting classmates.
Partners	Students work in pairs to create or master content. They consult with partners from other teams. They share their products or understanding with the other partner pair in their team.	Mastery and presentation of new material, concept development. Presentation and communication skills.
Jigsaw	Each student on the team becomes an "expert"on one topic by working with members from other teams assigned the corresponding expert topic. Upon returning to their teams, each one in turn teaches the group and students are all assessed on all aspects of the topic.	Acquisition and presentation of new material, review, informed debate, Interdependence, status, equalization.
Co-op Co-op	Students work in groups to produce a particular group product to share with the whole class; each student makes a particular contribution to the group.	Learning and sharing complex material, often with multiple sources, evaluation, application, ananlysis, synthesis. Conflict, resolution, presentation skills.