Cooperative learning is learning by small groups of students who work together in a common learning task. Group learning if you may call it. The group should have a common goal, interdependence, interaction, individual accountability, and social skills. Group learning is advantageous since it encourages active learning, while motivating students, increases academic performance, promotes literacy and language skills and improves teacher effectiveness.
With the advent of the many uses of computers comes the fear that the computer may foster student learning in isolation that hinders the development of the student's social skills. But the computer may actually be used in group learning. In order to ensure collaborative learning, the teacher should assign students to mixed-ability teams, establish positive interdependence, teach cooperative social skills, insure individual accountability and help groups process information. The group will then realize that their group will not succeed unless everyone contributes to the groups success.
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