In this article Raymond Benton, Jr. describes how he implemented a variation on Eliot Aronson's (Aronson et al. 1978) "jigsaw classroom" activity. While there are similarities between Aronson's jigsaw classroom and what is described here, there are differences as well. In Aronson's system, the classroom was divided into subgroups. Each…

Group-based learning is common practice in university classrooms. Despite the frequent student complaint of social loafing from teammates, methods for teaching students how to address teamwork issues are rarely incorporated into group assignments. Students are instructed on their final product, rather than their group process. In this article, an…

Despite decades of successful implementation at the K-12 level, cooperative learning (CL) has been slow to catch on at the college level. Resistance by instructors and students alike has slowed its diffusion. Some resistance stems from poor experiences with CL, but potential adopters often fail to realize that effective CL rests on a set of…

Suggests the use of the "tribal" metaphor to foster team building and collaborative learning in college classes. Offers examples of how linking students in the classroom in tribes builds identification and interdependence through such activities as creating a group myth and participating in membership rituals. The tribal metaphor has also led to…

Like their counterparts in other disciplines, accounting educators are gradually moving away from talk-and-chalk lectures to project-based learning, real-world problem solving, and team collaboration. Slower to change are the ways in which the impact of these innovative teaching methods have been assessed, with student reactions and traditional…

It is proposed that, in the current constructivist approach to learning, the teacher's role is less that of transmitting knowledge, more that of facilitating learning in less directive ways. Techniques for promoting active learning, guided reciprocal peer-questioning, and cooperative learning in the college classroom based on this approach are…

A college teacher's survey of 100 freshmen found only 11 who planned to study in groups, and that most would do so for subjects they believed the most difficult, particularly those requiring quantitative problem-solving and those in which assessment was more frequent. Most believed that reading and writing were solitary, not group, tasks. (MSE)

A large introductory anthropology course at Utah State University was organized to promote collaboration among and between students and faculty. Students were divided into and worked in "clans" for the entire term. A study of the course suggests that learning and a sense of community resulted directly from this organization. (MSE)

In one college course in colonial history, students read and review one of several designated books, then share their reviews with small groups at the culmination of study of that topic. Discussion groups then answer and discuss synthesis questions about the books. Student response to the approach has been positive. (MSE)

If dynamics of gender and race in the science classroom are understood and used effectively, group work may enhance learning for all students, especially women and students of color; if ignored or misunderstood, group work may detract from or inhibit learning. Group size/selection, roles/leadership, assignments/grading, student resistance, and…