Applying Informal Cooperative Learning Groups Techniques In The Classroom

Numerous papers and workshops have been presented on cooperative learning (CL) by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) [1 ,2,3,4]. The resulting benefits fr6m” such research, as well as anecdotal examples, have motivated many engineering management educators to examine the use of CL techniques instead of the traditional lecture approach to teaching engineering courses. However, the true challenge is how to apply these techniques. The majority of the literature deals with theories and principles rather than application; what examples are included have tended to be drawn from other fields. Thus, engineering management educators who desire to incorporate these techniques are faced with a challenge; which is how to apply them, while minimizing the associated time demands and addressing students’ resistance to change.