Assessment in Cooperative Learning

Cooperative Learning Activities can be great tools to enhance the elementary classroom. Having focused objectives and goals for the activities are essential and helpful in guiding student learning and discovery. However, these activities can be difficult to assess. When students work together on projects or assignments, it can be hard to decipher who completed which task, and who understands the concepts the best. This post will aim to provide some tips for assessment when it comes to interactive learning activities.

To assess these activities, informal assessment strategies can be your best friend. Here are some tips that I use to informally assess my students:
1. Ask questions of each student during activities.
2. Check in with students who appear frustrated or overwhelmed.
3. Provide the group with different roles for each activity and assess them individually on their participation in these roles.
4. Evaluate their proper use of mathematical terms.

This link provides a good rubric for informal assessment.

Informal Assessment Rubric

This is another great rubric for assessing student progress informally.

Informal Assessment Rubric 2

Although informal assessment is useful, some formal assessment must be used to track student progress. Some tips for evaluating students formally include:

1. Have individual assignments due at completion of activity.
2. Tests/quizzes to assess learning.
3. Individual presentation of learning concepts.
4. Individual development of a similar problem utilizing the problem solving strategies learned.

This article provides great resources for assessing Cooperative Learning Activities.

Formal Assessment

Cooperative Learning can be a great tool to enhance your Math classroom. To be honest, it really enhances all content areas. By providing authentic and appropriate assessment, teachers can more accurately track their students' success.