Cooperative Learning: Stories from the Campaign Trail
In Government, students will be divided into groups, where they will be assigned roles such as Candidate (participates in mock "debates" and gives speeches), Speechwriter (writes a stump speech covering the key beliefs of the campaign), Pollster (responsible for finding information on the demographic breakdown of the US and about the issues), Campaign Manager (coordinates the other team members), Media Expert (takes the lead on creating campaign promotional materials), Social Media Consultant (manages the campaign's online presence), and Platform Researcher (researches the issues that make up the campaign's platform).
This exhibits all of the qualities of a good cooperative learning experience. Students rely upon each other to fulfill their various roles and create the strongest possible campaign, constituting an experience of positive interdependence. Campaigns will be competing, creating a form of group accountability, but students will also have to turn in their own campaign diaries, which makes each individual accountable. Students will be required to respond collaboratively to various scenarios, requiring group collaborative processing. Debates and interactions require them to develop and exercise their social skills in face-to-face interactions. To ensure that they have a specific task, students will be required to create a campaign diary chronicling their decisions and experiences, tying each day together.
This exhibits all of the qualities of a good cooperative learning experience. Students rely upon each other to fulfill their various roles and create the strongest possible campaign, constituting an experience of positive interdependence. Campaigns will be competing, creating a form of group accountability, but students will also have to turn in their own campaign diaries, which makes each individual accountable. Students will be required to respond collaboratively to various scenarios, requiring group collaborative processing. Debates and interactions require them to develop and exercise their social skills in face-to-face interactions. To ensure that they have a specific task, students will be required to create a campaign diary chronicling their decisions and experiences, tying each day together.