Many faculty are introduced to active/cooperative learning through the use of pre-designed strategies, such as Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw, or Academic Controversy. These strategies have been developed by researchers and practitioners of cooperative learning, and have been used successfully in a variety of courses for a number of years. They are convenient to use, in that they are content-free. For example, if using Think-Pair-Share, one could have students think about how to solve a problem related to dynamics, statistics, materials, or any other content before pairing up with a partner to discuss the relatives merits of their approaches, and sharing their ideas with the class as a whole.

Richard Felder and Darwyn Linder spoke highly of these methods as particularly useful for faculty who are just beginning with A/CL. Karl Smith also acknowledged their utility, but, in a conversation with Susan Ledlow, offered some caveats about relying solely on using pre-designed strategies without acquiring a full understanding of their underlying conceptual base.

      Interviews

   Richard Felder
         Hoechst Celanese Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemical Engineering
         North Carolina State University

   Darwyn Linder
         Professor and Chair, Department of Psychology
         Arizona State University

   Karl Smith
         Professor of Civil Engineering
         Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota

   Ron Roedel
         Professor of Electrical Engineering
         Arizona State University

   Richard Layton
         Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
         Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

   Jim Morgan
         Associate Professor of Civil Engineering
         Texas A&M University

      Related Article

      Using Think-Pair-Share in the College Classroom
      By Susan Ledlow

      An essay suggesting how this cooperative learning strategy can be adapted and implemented in the college classroom.

In Jigsaw, material to be learned is divided up among the team members, each of whom will be responsible for teaching their part to the other members of the team. In some variations students consult in “expert groups” with members of other teams who are responsible for learning the same content. The expert groups help to ensure that the students have a clear understanding before they return to their teammates and teach. When all the teammates have taught their respective parts of the assignment, the team is usually asked to solve a problem using their newly acquired information or skills. Click on the links below to get more information about why and how Jigsaw is used in engineering classrooms.

      Interviews

   Don Richards
         Professor of Mechanical Engineering
         Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

   Teri Rhoads
         Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering
         University of Oklahoma

   Jim Richardson
         Associate Professor in the Civil Engineering Department
         University of Alabama

      Related Article

      Using Jigsaw in the College Classroom
      By Susan Ledlow

      An article describing how to implement this popular cooperative learning strategy.

      Jigsaw Procedure
      By D.W. Johnson, R. Johnson and K. Smith

      An overview of the jigsaw cooperative learning approach.

In Academic Controversy, students learn complex ideas by debating different approaches, theories, or ethical stances related to engineering content. The debates happen within teams, with half the members being assigned one position, and have being assigned another. Unlike a traditional debate, however, at one point students switch position, and argue for the position of their opponents. In the end, they are required to come to consensus of the best solution – which could be one of the original positions, some synthesis of the positions or a totally new approach. Click on the links below to get more information about why and how Academic Controversy is used in engineering classrooms.

      Interviews

   Eric Guilbeau/Vince Pizziconi
         Eric Guilbeau: Chair, Bioengineering Department
         Arizona State University
         Vince Pizziconi: Associate Professor of Bioengineering
         Arizona State University

      Related Article

      Academic Controversies
      By D.W. Johnson, R. Johnson and K. Smith

      A brief article outlining the basic format for structuring the cooperative learning technique Academic Controversy.

More Information on Pre-Designed, Content-Free Structures