Extensive research has compared cooperative learning with traditional classroom instruction using the same teachers, curriculum, and assessments. On the average: •Students who engage in cooperative learning learn significantly more, remember it longer, and develop better critical-thinking skills than their counterparts in traditional lecture classes.
•Students enjoy cooperative learning more than traditional lecture classes, so they are more likely to attend classes and finish the course.
•Students are going to go on to jobs that require teamwork. Cooperative learning helps students develop the skills necessary to work on projects too difficult and complex for any one person to do in a reasonable amount of time.
•Cooperative learning processes prepare students to assess outcomes linked to accreditation.