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Group based cooperative activities - models
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Group based cooperative activities - models
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Activities targeted on analysis and reflection on a theme
| Objective | who's involved | Percorso metodologico di analisi e riflessione a tema- description of activity and methodology | ||
| analysis and reflection: | teachers as student- simulators |  |
step 1 a specific theme is put on the discussion agenda. ex: comic force in hypochondriac characters | |
| - analysis of a topic (study of social - psychological - historical aspects)(forum) | ||||
| Step 2 students are encouraged to use search engines and document key search (ricerca delle fonti) on the topic | ||||
| - information retrieval | ||||
| Step 3 students are offered a number of questions on the topic as well as an appropriate series of links and materials in scrambled order | ||||
| - use of specific key search words | ||||
| Types
of net-based sources given to students:
links - bibliography - Multimedia materials features of sources - relevancy to the topic - redundancy -etherogeneous - scrambled order |
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| - comparison of information sources (publication on website) | ||||
| Step 4 groups of students compare their own independently found sources with the given sources | ||||
| - analysis of given questions(email) | ||||
| step 5 students select purposeful information and answer thequestions by restructuring theexistingmaterials | ||||
| - collaborative production of anwers to given questions (forum) | ||||
| when to use forum | when highly structured sequential thinking is required - leadership is shared and pre-planned | step 6 students write a simple webpage with their answers + names and emails and send it to paola.eb@romascuola.net or, alternatively, post it on SCOUT forum | ||
| when new learning in terms of content and declarative knowledge is needed | ||||
| when to use chat | when informal argumentative clarification of points is needed. | |||
| when conceptually dense brainstorming is needed - when TS (teaching sequences) are needed on a peer-tutoring basis | ||||
| when to use email or web-posting | when information is to be exposed for everyone to study, share and thing through | |||
Activities targeted on analysis and comparison - (collaborative) - scheduled 12 january 2002 time: 20:00pm CET
Nature: Follow up of activity targeted on analysis and reflection
| I chat event | II forum | III forum | IV 4 chat |
| Objectives | who's involved | steps and procedures | monitoring and assessment tools |
| -analyse materials | groups of students from 4 schools GR IT AU FR | 1 -browse the minimodules for seniors (Toto') (2-5 January) | conversational analysis sheet |
| - select relevant information | 2- look up 3 URLs different from the ones published on the minimodule on Toto' | process observation form | |
| - discard non-relevant information | 3- produce a word.doc list of 3 URLs on Toto' each with a short site review - circulate the .docs | teachers personal log | |
| - develop synthetic skills | 4- 12th January 20:00 pm CET - logon 15 minutes in advance for chat session (20 minutes) | students personal log | |
| - develop turn taking skills | 5 - chat opens with one of the group leaders launching 1 question on Toto' | talk dynamics form | |
| - develop analytic skills | 6 - participants in turn give their answers by citing their source | ||
| - develop self-observation skills | 7 - moderator moderates | ||
| 8- for each group an observer copies and pastes contributions for further conversational analysis | |||
| 9-self-assessment by participants via exchange of reports |
Theme-based forum activities
| theme: mask | 1- as a metaphor for social roles and social identities |
| 2- as a metaphor for characters and personality traits | |
| 3- as a metaphor for "false-self" | |
| 4- as a metaphor for ethical and moral values | |
| reflection on characters and study of typologies in | - theatre
- cinema |
| task | - look up and list universal characters (culture-free) |
| - look up and list culture-bound characters which contribute to the buildup of stereotyped "macchiette" | |
| - find visual or/and literary products designed to stress such stereoptypes (example: jokes) | |
| - find caricatures | |
| - select a specific cultural type and write a short description | |
| themes and traits for analysis: | |
| -narcissism | - gluttony or eagerness |
| - squeamishness | - paranoia |
| - hypochondriac traits | - stinginess |
| - hypomaniac traits | -grandiosity |
| - shyness | - stupidity |
| - absent-mindedness | - compulsion and obsessiveness |
| - antisocial tendencies | - connerie |
| - shrewdness | - mischievousness |
| - indolence | - despondency |
| - passivity | - generosity |
Example:Theme-based forum with analysis and comparison
| steps | what is done | who does it |
| step 1 | 5 days prior to the forum startup netiquette is circulated on the web among prospective participants | leader of group 1 |
| step 2 | 1 week prior to forum startup a web page with the program of the forum is posted. This includes: the theme + sources | leader of group 1 |
| step 3 | example of theme: hypochondriac traits | |
| step 4 | group 1 launches the following questions to the other two groups: | |
| 1. Does your theatre include hypochondriac characters? | ||
| 2. what is hypochondria? + 2 explanatory URLs | ||
| 3. which hypochodriac characters are most famous in your culture? | ||
| step 5 | 5 days are given to the other two groups to contribute their answers + net-based sources | |
| step 6 | the observer of group 1 collects notes and relevant infos from the forum | |
| step 7 | a second set of questions is launched by group 2 | |
| 1. why are hypochondriac characters funny? | ||
| 2. what other emotions do they stir? | ||
| 3. can you list 2 quotes from a famous hypochondriac character in your cultural tradition | ||
Outline of Phases in the forum
| phase 1 | phase 2 | phase 3 | phase 4 | phase 5 | |
| GRP 1 - manager & question-asker | launches 2 questions on character trait + theatre hero having that specific trait | launches 3 follow up questions | GRP 1 elaborates and makes a synthesis of what is said by producing a concept map | ||
| GRP 2 | answer the 2 questions: explain trait + gives culture-bound example in theatre or cinema tradition | answer | |||
| GRP 3 | answer the 2 questions: explain trait + gives culture-bound example in theatre or cinema tradition | answer |
Activity 1: MASK: WHAT DOES WEARING A MASK MEAN?
| Generating ideas & interpreting one's views on personality | cognitive objective & metacognitive objective | materials - targets | methods - implementation | statistics-results |
Generating ideas & interpreting one's views on personality
The activity is aimed at eliciting ideas and opinions from adolescents regarding what a mask may mean in their personal life. Since masks are usually symbolically associated to what a person appears to be like in his/her social roles (persona= mask= personaggio), a rough analysis of what wearing a mask in everyday life means to a student might give useful insights on how reflective the student can be.
cognitive objective & metacognitive objective
The following objectives are implied in the activity:
- analysing perceptions
- analysing ideas
- giving reasons for one's choice
- being able to carry out self-observation
- giving a meaning to one's emotions
students aged 13-19 coming from the school net of SCOUT -
| POSEIDON | classes: | age range: | n. students |
| ITIS EINSTEIN | classes: | age range: | n.students |
| LICEO ITALIANO Istanbul | classes: 3D - 2D - 2A | age range: | n.students |
| step 1(10 minutes) | class arranged in big circle. Teacher shows photos of masks, top models, actors and clippings with masks from a magazine or from a theatre review | each student picks a picture and describes it. Teacher takes notes. In turn students give their reasons for choosing their favorite picture. | a collective comparison is made between the pictures chosen most often, results and comments are put on blackboard. |
| step 2 (15 minutes) | teacher gives out the following questionnaire | students fill in their copy individually | questionnaires are collected and ordered |
| step 3 | in groups of threes students discuss and compare ideas |
a qualitative descriptive approach will be used to report the students' ideas.
| 1. What do you think a mask is? | |
| 2. what masks do you like best? why | |
| 3. what masks do you like least ? why? | |
| 4. in your opinion, what is a mask for? | |
| 5. in your opinion does wearing a mask ease or hinder communication? | |
| 6. to what extent does a mask make communication easier between people? find examples | |
| 7. to what extent does a mask make communication more difficult between people? find examples | |
| 8. analyse the
following masks:
- Pantalone - Brighella - Arlecchino - Balanzone - Colombina - Arpagone. Provide a verbal description for each of them. |
Add 1 more character specific of your cultural background and describe him/her. Find similarities and differences with any one of the mentioned characters. |
| 9. Find the most characteristic traits for each of them | |
| 10. Is anybody you know somewhat similar to any of the above characters? if yes, give a description of how successfully or unsuccessfully you relate yourself to them. |
acilitating Online Courses: A Checklist for Action
1. Be responsive. Especially at the beginning of an online course or
activity, ensure that every comment is responded to. If no one else replies,
either respond by message or by mentioning the author's comment in one of yours.
2. Don't "lecture." An elaborate, logically coherent but long sequence
of comments often produces silence. Use short comments that are open ended and
invite response.
3. Be clear about expectations of the participants, for the course as a whole and for each module, assignment, or time period within it. Establish a predictable weekly or bi-weekly cycle of activities; e.g., assignments posted on Mondays and due on Saturdays.
4. Be flexible and patient. Guide the conversation but don't dominate it.
5. Don't overload. Contribute no more than one long comment a day, or less if the students are actively contributing. Several short notes are more likely to be read and appreciated than a single long entry.
6. Monitor and prompt for participation. Read the status report offered by the system frequently. Send private messages to those who are falling behind, or who are reading but not writing. If they have not signed in for a week or more and do not reply to these messages, call them on the telephone.
7. For assignments, set up small groups and assign tasks to them. If the class is too large to have a single discussion space without overloading participants, divide it into two or more discussion groups.
8. Be a process facilitator, who makes sure that participants understand and abide by good netiquette by not insulting each other or getting way off the topic of the course.
9. Write weaving comments every week or two, or assign individuals or groups of students to take on this task of summarizing and focusing the discussion.
10. Establish clear norms for participation and procedures for grading online work that give credit for good participation.
11. Assign individuals or small groups to play the role of "teacher" and of moderator for portions of the course.
Adapted from: Harasim et. al, 1995, p. 191-192
Model examples
| type: reciprocal teaching - peer-teaching with 2 distant homogeneous groups of 4 students each working on ready made web-based content materials. |
| steps | student does what | teachers do what | how things are done | expected products | follow up | time frame |
| two teachers negotiate a theme to deal with: example LOVE AND DEATH in Romeo & Juliet | - | find a partner in the SCOUT list of authors (someone who has that topic in his/her curriculum) | browsing forum and
write backchannel:
"shall we work together?" |
email with synopis of ideas | rendez vous of both teachers on chat or via yahoo messenger or other | 2 weeks to find partner & complete negotiation |
| each teacher chooses 4 students from one of his/her class | explain to the students they are going to learn something about LOVE & DEATH in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet with some peers | posting of e-mail addresses | email accounts set up for sets of 3 students from each group | introductory
exchange of emails: "hello, my name is xx I'm from Geece"
"Hi, my name's YYY I'm from France" |
2 weeks | |
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diagnostic analysis |
prepare a diagnostic questionnaire for the students (to verify what they already know about the theme) | email or forum | 1 common questionnaire with a limited number of items | questionnaire is uploaded and results cgi emailed to both teachers | 2 weeks | |
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students take the questionnaire |
students access the SCOUT website and take the online questionnaire |
- | teachers read and compare results | definition of the mini syllabus of the unit the students will learn in tandem | instructions for guiding the students to structure their learning are issues | 2 weeks |
| pairs of distant students are formed | - |
teachers forms 4 groups of pairs. each student is paired up with a remote peer |
teachers set start day: each pair goes through the learning materials (modules for seniors) independently |
observation of student's pairs and collection of information (see questionnaire on students' behavior in online learning) |
information compared |
3 weeks |
| each pair splits the study work |
each student of the pair accesses and study his/her part only |
observe |
observe |
info compares |
1 week |
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| final step | each student of the pair webs up a summary of what he/she has studied |
chat session |
observe |
observe |
info compares |
1 week |
| cross-testing | each student of the pair produces a short questionnaire on the materials he has studied independently and loads it on the website. He/she can use the tools-links in SCOUT |
the pairs cross-test themselves |
observe |
observe |
info compares |
1 week |