I think cooperative learning is a great tool in the classroom. I have used it on many occasions-upcoming Civil War class project. The five defining elements: positive interdependence(sink or swim together), face-to-face interaction( helping each other learn), individual and group accountability(all contribute to a common goal, interpersonal and small group skills ( getting along, decision making, and group processing-synergy all add to positeve results.
I have always put students in homogeneous groups -basically- to help those students that struggle in class. Teaching at a Title I school necessitates I usually assign a number of tasks for the group-let each decided who in the group will do the task-then assess them as a whole.
In this way, tasks are usually given to the ability of the student.
Once in a science group, however, I needed to split up the "non-functioning" ( a polite way to say goof-offs) in a group because of constant complaints and the work load being forced on the others. I showed them!!! I put the students of this ilk-one from each group- into THEIR OWN GROUP. They had to perform at this point and it worked remarkably well.
I do agree that too much intervention from the teacher can stiffle the growth and learning. We need to back off and let students learn/teach themselves.
All in all, not a bad chapter to read and diseminate.
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I have done the same. I put all of the 'goofs' in one group for a week. They looked at each other and looked at me and they said, "Mrs. T, this is gonna be a fun group, but we'll probably always talk." I taught them the word sabotage then changed recess from a right to a privilege. The students had to earn their way out to recess by table. I smiled inside of myself and did a little jig.
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