1. Florida 4-H Awards & Recognition Model
Cooperative Learning
Florida 4-H
Awards & Recognition Model

2. Ways to Organize Learning
Individual
“I’m learning on my own.”
Competition
“I’m learning to be the best.”
Cooperation
“I’m learning as part of a team.”
Individual learning: a 4-H’er works alone on own interests to achieve individual goals. The 4-H’er has, or should be able to get assistance from others – volunteers, parents, other 4-H’ers, and other resource persons, such as school teachers, friends, neighbors, etc. We often provide 4-H’ers with project materials to assist them in their individual learning experiences. Recognition for making progress toward self-set goals becomes relevant in this type of learning.
From the beginning of 4-H, we have had competition. There are many descriptions of competition; one says, “students engage in a win-lose struggle to be the best.” Another way to describe competition in a learning environment is that learners – 4-H’ers – work to achieve a goal that only a few can reach. It means they have to work harder, do more, be better, or in some cases spend more money or ask for “overinvolved” adult assistance to attempt to reach goals that may be inappropriate for their skill level or developmental age.
Competition motivates some youth but not others.
Competitive learning experiences do stimulate some young people to excel and go far beyond normal expectations. We need to remember to keep competition in perspective. As adults we need to check our own motivation for our youth’s success in competition.
Now, let’s look at the third approach to learning. Cooperation has always been a part of 4-H, but we have not always strongly advocated it as a way to help young people learn. In many respects, we’ve seen it as an “after the fact” result of learning.

3. Three types of Learning in 4-H
Competitive Learning
Cooperative Learning
Individual Learning
Youth Development in 4-H = growth

4. Cooperation Involves…
1. Interdependence
“We instead of me.”
2. Face-to-face interaction
“We work together.”
3. Group & individual responsibility
“We’re responsible;
so am I.”
4. Small group skills
“We learn to work together.”
Group processing
“We talk about how we did.”
Interdependence. This idea says that each person in the group has an important role in the process. Everyone is expected to be involved in identifying the group goal(s), developing ways to achieve them, and sharing in the completion of the activity. group members must work together cooperatively in order for a team to be successful
Face-to-face Interaction. means the young people meet together, share in the work, and encourage each other to achieve the goal. In other words, it isn’t something that the young people go home and do. A significant part of the learning is that all are able to work together. A 4-H’er might describe it as, “We work together.” They motivate and recognize each other – a very healthy, intrinsic motivational experience.
The third characteristic is group and individual responsibility. Each person in the group is responsible for making their own individual contribution and at the same time being responsible for helping the group to do the work. It is not fair or appropriate for one or more to assume more responsibilities than others or for some to let the others do the work. Being a valued individual on a team makes a person feel worthwhile.
Fourth is small group skills. Learning to work in small groups is a skill that young people can use throughout life. When young people cooperate to learn and achieve goals, they often need help in identifying skills they need to make the group work smoothly. Volunteers play an important part in helping them to identify the skills they need. It is a team experience. Together, everybody achieves more.
The last one is group processing. To be effective, a group needs to talk about how the group cooperated to learn, whether goals were achieved, and how they can improve their skills for working together . Group processing is an evaluation process – individuals evaluate their own efforts, group dynamics and successes, as well as the efforts of others
Recognition is a part of the group processing activity. The group should celebrate its success. Often the most meaningful recognition grows out of the discussion of how they did as a team and as an individual. A 4-H’er might say, “We talk about how we did.” All group members were recognized for their contributions to the group.

5. Thumbs-Up Activity: Reflection
1. Why did some teams end up with more money, or less money, than others?
2. What determined how much money partners came up with?
3. For those teams who earned the lowest amounts of money, what was your take on this experience? How did you interpret this activity and why did you interpret it this way?
4. For teams who earned higher amounts of money, how did you work to make more money and what was that experience like?
5. Were there any teams who shifted from a competitive to a cooperative approach during the activity? Reflect on that experience or shift from competition to cooperation.
6. What elements of the 5 characteristics of cooperative learning took place during this activity?

6. Cooperating to Learn Interdependence 1. Sets group goals
2. Agrees upon ways to reach goals
3. Makes a strong commitment to each other
4. “Sinks or swims” together
Face-to-face interaction
5. Meets together to learn
6. Stays on schedule but expresses concern for each other
7. Supports and encourages one another
Interdependence – everyone committed to one another and the group – must be goals the group agrees on as a whole – when things don’t work as planned – evaluation process is not about blaming one person, the group works together
Face-to-face interaction – a lot of that in 4-H – staying on schedule the challenge – but it’s not all about business, there is need for catch up time and letting others know what one has on his or her plate for this day, week, month – the goal is to support and encourage each other. A task one person may be overly burdened by, another can help with - the key is balance – not allowing one group member to take on too much – and being understanding of others’ responsibilities outside of the group – yet without underestimating a person’s role to accomplish a task, ability to let go and let another take on

7. Cooperating to Learn Group & Individual Responsibility
8. Doesn’t let one person do all the work
9. Knows group is responsible
10. Uses everyone’s abilities
11. Helps each other
Small group skills
12. Permits all to take turns to talk
13. Helps others get involved
14. Resolves conflicts
15. Encourages each other
What was shared in the face-to-face interaction section leads us directly to the concept of group and individual responsibility – each group member’s role is to support and encourage one another – understand what life responsibilities are occurring outside the group (if group member cares to share) without enabling someone to use that as a reason not to complete a task or fulfill a role – everyone’s ability counts – and if someone doesn’t pull their weight – another can assist (but not take on entire task) – inform those who don’t contribute of how this hurts the group (some learning occurs in the process)
Small group skills – Note the operative word small – an ideal group size is not always 20 people or even 10 – ideal is 4-5 for youth (according to educators) – and in event a club or 4-H gathering with a larger number of youth – can be broken down into subcommittees, to encourage a sense of small group community
“skills” think of life skills – communication, listening, ability to teach/explain to others about a concept. Reinforce each other positively – works out conflicts using I messages and active listening. In a group, conflict will invariably occur –conflict resolution skills – ABCD Address the problem, Brainstorm solutions, choose a solution and Do it Everyone needs to have a voice in the group – encouraging everyone to talk – even those who prefer not to voice opinions, ask direct questions in a nonconfrontational manner.

8. Cooperating to Learn Group Processing 16. Reviews goals and results
17. Identifies strengths
18. Discusses improvements
19. Celebrates success
Group processing is an evaluation of the group’s accomplishment – how well they worked together, what could have been improved, how problems were solved and how well goals were met – best to start out positive “sandwich approach”– reviewing strengths evaluating weaknesses and means of improvement, and celebrating success – a positive way to end the cooperative learning experience (the goal is for the group to continue working together on new tasks, perhaps related to larger goals)

9. Research Findings on Competition & Cooperative Learning in 4-H
Cooperation promotes achievement and productivity more than competition and individual learning
Cooperation, over competition, is linked with a youth’s sense of self-worth
4-H’ers first need to learn cooperation skills, before they become involved in competitive and individual learning experiences
Some youth prefer competition, others prefer cooperation, but it’s all about balance
Self-worth refers to how youth view themselves as competent overall, behaviorally, physical appearance, socially, and academically
Cooperation skills are the first thing youth need to learn in their early 4-H experiences – especially true for younger children – cloverbuds and juniors
FYI – females preferred non-competitive activities and males preferred competitive activities
The positive about competition is it helps people learn democratic values, combats juvenile delinquency and promotes physical fitness and learning

10. Youth who Score High on a Cooperative Learning Orientation
Like to work as a team to reach goals & win
Learn and feel better working in cooperation with friends
Want to be in 4-H for fun and to learn
See themselves as winners even if they do not win
Would bring their projects to the fair even if they were not judged
These were the findings on youth who scored high on a cooperative learning orientation: from Fetsch & Yang JOE 2002
Just because youth score high on cooperative learning does not mean they score low on competitive learning – they may score high on both
Especially, b/c it’s about balance between competitive and cooperative learning not one being a better form than another.
The ones of most concern and need for motivation are youth who score low on both competitive and cooperative learning orientations

11. Youth who Score High on Competitive Learning Orientation
Like to be in activities where only a few individuals win
Do 4-H projects to win prizes
Learn and feel better when they work in competition against others
Feel anxious when their project places 4th at the fair
It was found that having a competitive learning orientation was associated with lower self-worth in the areas of academic performance, social skills, physical fitness, and physical appearance for the 4-H youth surveyed in Colorado
Also those who scored high on a competitive learning orientation tended to perceive greater pressure from parents to win competitive 4-H events
(Fetch & Yang, JOE, 2002)
Just because youth score high on competitive learning does not mean they score low on cooperative learning – they may score high on both
(to repeat it’s about balance between competitive and cooperative learning not one being a better form than another.)
The ones of most concern to the researchers are youth who score low on both competitive and cooperative learning orientations – These youth are poorly motivated.

12. What this means for 4-H programs (Fetch & Yang, JOE, 2002)
4-H youth development program leaders are encouraged to create a system that rewards cooperation (team competition as an example) more than individual competition at county, district, state, & national fairs
4-H youth development leaders, specialists, and volunteers should model a balanced approach between cooperative and competitive learning opportunities and events
Encourage parents (& other guiding adults) to support 4-H youth unconditionally, regardless of how they place in competitive events
It’s about balance – for example, exposing males (who tend to prefer competitive activities) to cooperative activities in addition to competitive events
Youth leaders are encouraged to pay attention to whether a youth scores high or low on competitive or cooperative orientation – See Youth Orientation Measure - and try to help them balance skills equally (competition and cooperation)
4-H’ers, when supported unconditionally without pressure from parents to place 1st, will grow in self-competence and self-worth
The measure of youth orientation of competitive and cooperative learning orientation is available in JOE 2002 Volume 40 no. 3
Question: How can we create a system to reward cooperation more or at least equally to competition at the county, district, and state levels?