By Li Hui Shanghai University of Sport A Report Based on the Experimentation of Cooperative Extracurricular Reading By Li Hui Shanghai University of Sport

Outline of the Paper 1. Background information 2. Theoretical basis 3. The development, traits and advantages of cooperative learning 4. An experiment: Application of the cooperative learning theory to the teaching of reading 5. Conclusion: Pedagogical implications of cooperative learning in practice

1. Background information difficult language points “Reading---response---examination” time-consuming and inefficient, greatly impaired the students’ enthusiasm researches and theories: reading strategy training The reader: “negative accepter” “active constructors” of knowledge, autonomous “meaning creator”, and “problem solvers”

2. Theoretical basis In 1986, Vygotsky came up with the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) theory: cooperative activities, which can accelerate children’s cognitive abilities, are better than individual ones. Feuerstein’s MLE (Mediated Learning Experience) theory justified this viewpoint from the aspect of environmental stimuli. MLE“arouse learners to a higher level of curiosity and to a level at which structural cognitive changes can occur”

3. The development, traits and advantages of cooperative learning The emergence and development the teacher-centered to student-centered shift in language teaching and the switch of emphasis from the mere imparting knowledge to the students’ active participation in learning. Because of the existence of information gap resulting from the differences in personality, motivation, sensibility, cognitive ability, etc. among college students, it is possible for cooperation among the students.

Five traits: Positive interdependence Face-to-face group interaction Individual and group accountability Development of small group social skills Group processing

Advantages: Communicative spirit Learner-centered: emphasizing the learning process and the use of personal experience Not limited to language itself or the grammatical spoon feeding, but more important, to develop the learners’ linguistic and social skills with the better and more interactive opportunity of using the language.

4. An experiment: Application of the cooperative learning theory to the teaching of reading 4.1. Goals 4.2 Subjects 4.3 Grouping principle 4.4 Results and findings of the experiment 4.5 Methods used to promote cooperative learning in the experiment

4.3 Grouping principle “Inside a group, the members are heterogeneous, but among groups, it is homogeneous” (“组内异质，组际同质” )

4.4 Results and findings of the experiment Items Pretest Posttest Standard Deviation Significance Comparison class(41) 80.7 81.2 1.225 0.351 Experimental class(38) 79.8 82.4 .4237 .003

P (comparison)=0.351＞0.05, it is obvious that the performance of the comparison class didn’t show much significance between the pretest and posttest. But because P (experimental)=0.03＜0.05, there is “great significance” between the two tests , which corresponds with the estimate before the experiment. That is to say, cooperative learning works in filling in the gaps among students.

4.5 Methods used to promote cooperative learning in the experiment 4.5.1 To specify the work or responsibilities divided among the group members of a cooperative task 4.5.2 Cooperative learning should take various forms 4.5.3 Combining with self assessment within a group to enhance the appraisal effect

important aspects in assessment : forms of group activities; the order of group activities; the involvement of group members; the report of group activities; the reflections and suggestions for other group activities; and learning effect of group members.

5. Conclusion: Pedagogical implications of cooperative learning in practice 5. 1. Cooperative learning is not omnipotent 5. 2. Think for oneself and then cooperate 5. 3. Promote the cooperative awareness of the students 5. 4. Promote the understanding of cooperative essentials

characteristics of an effective cooperative learning to specify concrete objectives of cooperative learning; to provide necessary information and observation for the students, the teaching acting as a promoter, supervisor and information resource; to be heterogeneous inside a group and homogeneous among groups in view of the learners’ peculiarities; to make sure every student plays a definite part in the group; to vary forms of cooperation.

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