 Think about the way you prefer to learn. Do you like to bounce ideas of other people and engage in conversation and debate? Or do you prefer to learn by yourself and seek help only when needed? Our students need to be engaged in learning in a variety of ways, but cooperative learning has been identified as a necessary skill for success in the 21st century and also an essential component of deep learning. Cooperative learning involves students working together to accomplish shared goals and it is this sense of interdependence that motivates group members to help and support each other. When students work cooperatively they learn to listen to what others have to say, give and receive help, reconcile differences and resolve problems democratically. However, placing students in small groups and telling them to work together does not guarantee that they will work cooperatively. Groups need to be structured to ensure that members will work interdependently if they are to reap the academic and social benefits widely attributed to this approach to learning. The role the teacher plays in establishing cooperative learning in the classroom is critically important for its success. This involves being aware of how to structure cooperative learning in groups, including their size and composition, the type of task set, expectations for students' behaviour, individual and group responsibilities and the teacher's role in monitoring both the process and the outcomes of the group experience. The five key elements that are critically important for successful cooperative learning include positive interdependence. Positive interdependence exists when group members are linked together so that one cannot succeed unless others do so they must coordinate their efforts to ensure everyone completes their specific task. In effect, they seek or swim together. Individual accountability Individual accountability involves group members accepting personal responsibility for their contributions for completing the group goal. This includes not only being responsible for completing one's individual task but also ensuring that others complete theirs. Interpersonal and small group skills Placing students in groups and telling them they are to cooperate does not ensure that they will unless they use the interpersonal and small group skills needed to work effectively together. The skills that are known to facilitate students' interactions include actively listening to each other, stating ideas freely, accepting responsibility for one's behaviours, providing constructive comments, taking turns, sharing tasks, trying to understand the other person's perspective, clarifying differences, making decisions democratically. Promotive interaction Promotive interaction involves students encouraging and facilitating each other's efforts. Students do this when they provide information and assistance, offer constructed feedback to improve performance ensure that all members have access to the materials and resources needed to complete the tasks. When students interact constructively with each other they learn to use language to explain their ideas and experiences, negotiate meaning around a task, develop new ways of thinking and behaving that they may not have considered previously. Teachers can facilitate students' interactions in groups by ensuring that they sit in close proximity to other group members so they can hear what is being said and see each other's faces and participate in discussions with their peers. Group processing Group processing is critically important for student learning as it allows members to discuss how well they are achieving their goals and maintaining effective working relationships. The opportunity that group processing provides to focus on metacognitive thinking has been demonstrated to increase students' abilities to achieve as well as gain insights into how to interact appropriately with others, provide and receive constructive feedback and celebrate the success of the group. Other issues to consider in establishing cooperative learning and classrooms include Determine the size, ability and gender composition Generally, students work better in groups that are no larger than four members and are of mixed ability and gender. Ensure that the task that is set will allow the students to interact together. Tasks that are open and discovery based where there is no right answer are ideal as students need to interact with each other to resolve the problem they are working on. Discuss expectations for group behaviours before students begin working together. What I've outlined in this video today is the five key elements that teachers need to incorporate in their classrooms in order for successful cooperative learning to take place and to encourage deep learning for their students.