Cooperative Learning as a Means to Create Engaging Activities

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility and effectiveness of cooperative learning in inducing Japanese EFL learners’ active engagement with learning tasks. The first part of the paper shows how concepts of cooperative learning can be a useful tool to create a context where students feel an urge to work hard on learning activities. It is suggested that activities should incorporate two key principles of cooperative learning: positive interdependence and individual accountability. This is followed by a report of a case study in which Japanese college students in mandatory English classes worked on two different types of reading comprehension activities: comprehension questions (working individually) and a sentence reordering activity (working in pairs) incorporating the above-mentioned elements of cooperative learning. Intensity of the students’ engagement was compared between the two activities. Results showed that the pair-work activity incorporating cooperative learning induced more active engagement than the comprehension questions.