’ “I really like it when we can talk in class,” says Kelly in Year 8, grinning from ear to ear when I suggest a group activity on a grey Monday morning. Although I suspect that she might like it for the wrong reasons, I know that there is a lot for her - and the other 29 students in the class - to learn in a structured co-operative learning context.’ Gael Luzet’s Pocketbook about small group work focuses on how ’the power of more than one’ can transform learning. Like all good teaching and learning strategies, successful collaborative learning relies on meticulous planning and careful delivery, both of which are discussed here. Ideas for basic collaborative activities are included as well as practical examples of how to use various high impact strategies in lessons. You begin to see what lies behind Vygotsky’s words: ‘The one who does the talking does the learning’. And assessing and evaluating? Process and product; individual and team contributions; formative and summative approaches - they’re all covered.
