?I believe I will go out of this class actually knowing something?: Cooperative learning activities in physical chemistry

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to describe the structure of events during cooperative learning activities-Friday discussion sessions-in a graduate-level thermodynamics course and to understand what these activities meant to the students. First, we describe the structure of Friday discussion sessions in our classroom, which were used to focus student attention on conceptual issues rather than algorithmic problem solving. Second, we delineate findings which emerge from the perspective of the students. We found that cooperative learning activities move students away from rote learning strategies and toward more meaningful strategies which allowed them to integrate concepts over the entire semester. In addition, we discovered that the sharing of insights and ideas between students leads to the development of interpersonal skills and communication skills which the students perceive as an important component of the Friday discussion sessions. Implications for further classroom use, low-status versus high-status students, and assessment are discussed.

Student oriented approaches in the teaching of thermodynamics at universities – developing an effective course structure

“…In addition to providing multiple channels of guidance and feedback to each student in a timely manner (Johnson, 2001), this kind of collaborative problem-solving also enables students to learn from and share information with other students within the same zone of proximal development. In addition to increasing student learning and individual problem-solving capabilities, it also enhances students' motivation, positive affect towards the subject, confidence in solving problems, and even encourages females and students at risk academically (Scott and Heller, 1991; Heller et al , 1992; Towns and Grant, 1997; Johnson and Johnson, 1999; Springer et al , 1999; Lyon and Lagowski, 2008). Furthermore, it gives the TAs a glimpse into some facets of the student's reasoning that are not available by examination of the exercise solutions, thereby improving the quality of the feedback.…”

An Approachment to Cooperative Learning in Higher Education: Comparative Study of Teaching Methods in Engineering

“…Adams and Hamm (1996) cautioned that the following elements must exist for cooperative learning methods to work effectively: positive interdependence, face-to-face interaction, individual accountability, personal responsibility for reaching group goals, frequent practice with small group interpersonal skills, and regular group processing and reflection. So, effective implementation of cooperative learning involves specifying instructional objectives, create heterogeneous groups of students, explain the task and methods to be used in achieving the group goal, to monitor progress of the groups, to intervene to provide assistance when necessary, and to evaluate student achievements (Hamby & Grant, 1997). Researchers suggest that teachers should view the cooperative learning approach as being flexible and change teaching strategies depending on students' needs and interests.…”

Vikings: An Online Cooperative Game for Reviewing Thermochemistry, Chemical Equilibrium, and Chemical Kinetics

“…5 Cooperative learning, in turn, is a didactic strategy that emphasizes collaboration among learners. 6 In this method, students work in groups, sharing ideas, discussing concepts, and solving problems by collaborating with classmates to develop communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities while solidifying their knowledge. 6,7 Regarding educational games, they have been widely used in Chemistry teaching because they stimulate student engagement, making learning more enjoyable and captivating.…”

“…6 In this method, students work in groups, sharing ideas, discussing concepts, and solving problems by collaborating with classmates to develop communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities while solidifying their knowledge. 6,7 Regarding educational games, they have been widely used in Chemistry teaching because they stimulate student engagement, making learning more enjoyable and captivating. 8−10 Moreover, games promote the practical application of chemical concepts, allowing students to experience different scenarios and observe the consequences of their choices, reinforcing their understanding of the content.…”

“…Teachers have been increasingly committed to finding innovative educational methods to facilitate the learning of Chemistry. The most utilized approaches are flipped classrooms, , case studies, , cooperative learning, , and educational games. − In the flipped classroom approach, students have early access to theoretical content through educational materials such as videos, texts, or presentations. As a result, their pre-existing knowledge foundation enables the utilization of class time for engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and clarification of doubts.…”