Cooperative Learning

Today more than ever, educators are being asked to teach students to be "great thinkers", to be able to solve complex problems which our sophisticated society creates. The goal of education has changed in the last 20 years. The emphasis has changed from one of memorizing information and being a source of knowledge, to knowing how to find information and to use it effectively. Advancements in science and technology are made daily. What is learned today becomes obsolete very quickly.

To develop students' cognitive thinking abilities, they must be challenged through the questions they are asked and the activities they do. A recent study by the National Science Foundation reports six of the most commonly used standardized tests are impeding America's effort to improve math and science education. "Both standardized tests and textbook tests emphasize and reinforce low level thinking and knowledge and were found to have extensive and persuasive influence on math and science instruction nationwide."

Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive processes provides a hierarchy of thinking skills. The following "cue chart" illustrates the increasing complexity of thought, beginning with Knowledge which is acquiring and recalling information, then progressing to the most complex, Evaluating, which is being able to make judgments and decisions based on chosen criteria.

Teachers and tutors can develop students' power to think by simply using the verbs provided on the right side of the "cue chart" when asking students questions, both oral and written. Questioning is the heart of teaching. It is one of the most effective means of stimulating thinking and learning.

Study the chart and try to incorporate into your students activities, those verbs found in the Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluate levels. You will find that the activities and questions are not only more challenging but more interesting for your students and you.