7 - Managing Homework Teams

Summary

As we mentioned in Chapter 4, cooperative learning is gaining popularity as a pedagogical device in introductory collegiate mathematics courses. Instructors are encouraging students to learn in teams in or out of the classroom, and many instructors, ourselves included, have their students work cooperatively in and out of the classroom. Chapter 4 was primarily concerned with issues of the implementation of cooperative learning in the classroom, whereas in this chapter we explore issues of implementation for cooperative learning outside of the classroom.

In this chapter we discuss the management of “homework teams,” because we require our students to meet regularly outside of class to work on difficult, non-routine homework problems. Other instructors require their students to meet in teams outside of class to work on long-term projects, prepare presentations, do laboratory activities, etc. The issues discussed in this chapter arise in any setting where team efforts are required, especially outside of the watchful eye of the instructor. This meeting is easily adapted to address the kinds of activities mentioned above, so as you read consider the phrase “homework teams” to be more broadly defined.

In the introduction to Chapter 4, we pointed out that cooperative learning can have positive or negative effects, depending on how it is implemented. Much of the literature on the implementation of cooperative learning in a college mathematics class is connected with the implementation of cooperative learning in a classroom environment where the instructor is physically present.