Kagan Cooperative Structures
Kagan Cooperative Structures refer to the teaching methods that have been built specifically to promote student involvement and collaboration in the classroom. These structures serve as tools for the learners to engage with one another in pairs or in a small group setting to facilitate learning through social interaction, active participation, and peer support.
Prominent Kagan Cooperative Structures consist of 'Think-Pair-Share', in which students reflect and discuss their ideas with a partner then share their thoughts with a whole class, and 'Jigsaw', in which each group member is accountable for learning and then teaching a specific part of a topic.In addition, the structures mentioned encourage collaboration and guarantee that all students are participating in the learning process.
Kagan Cooperative Structures are one of the prime sources of student learning where they are introduced to the community that they are able to do group work in. At the time of the pair work,students are not only learning critical thinking skills but also are improving their communication skills and are exposed to different kinds of attitudes toward the same subject. For instance, during a 'Round Robin' activity, the students each have their time of sharing the ideas which helps them put their findings into words and discuss with fellow students.
In Kagan Cooperative Structures the teacher handling is the most important entity since it is the one responsible to see to it that all students participate in the smoothly-running activities. Teachers are the process navigators who explicitly define the structures, follow the group dynamics, and supply the required help. A case in point, in a 'Numbered Heads Together' activity the teacher makes it a point that each member of the group comprehends the material first before they submit a joint answer to the class.
Certainly, Kagan Cooperative Structures are easily applicable in e-learning through the use of digital and online platforms. To illustrate, the Breakout Rooms feature in video-conferencing software can promote the mini-group discussions the same as in a traditional classroom. During the online Peer Review activity, learners may work together to giving feedback on each other's tasks, thus they create a cooperative learning atmosphere even in a virtual setting.