A study on the efficiency of cooperative learning - A case study of the dynamics in the engineer students

• Main Authors: Chen Yi-Ting, 陳奕廷
• Other Authors: Hsiung Chin-Min
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/70718268014255983457

碩士 === 國立屏東科技大學 === 機械工程系所 === 98 === Dynamics is an important courses in the university engineering education. According to previous investigations, most students considered that learning Dynamics was very difficult. They felt frustrated that they can’t follow the lecture and difficult to solve the problem. Recently the quality of university students got lower and lower due to the prevalence of college degrees. Besides, the style of study in college was very freedom. Less and less student like to paid more time for learning. Considering a good learning method not only reap significant benefits in their academic achievement but their learning efficiency. In this study, cooperative learning method was used in teaching the university basic course－Dynamics. And comparing the learning efficiency of the cooperative learning method with that of the individualistic learning method. A series of experiments are performed in which 42 sophomore mechanical engineering students are randomly assigned to the two learning conditions and are formed into mixed-ability groups comprising three team members. The academic performance of the students in the two learning conditions is then systematically compared in terms of their respective test scores. In conducting the experiments, the students have to took each 3 hours/week to attend both regular day-time teaching classes and additional out-of-hours homework sessions under the supervision. In this experiment, researcher divided the course of Dynamics into 4 units. Unit tests was executed in each ending of unit teaching and homework test in each out-of-hours homework sessions. The experimental results show the following：1. The teaching effectiveness in this class was helpful to all students. 2. It needed a period of time to develop the cooperative teams. 3. The improved academic performance of the students within the cooperative learning condition in completing the homework tests can be confidently attributed to the greater intrinsic efficiency of the cooperative learning approach. 4. Compared with the homework tests, these unit tests cover a greater amount of material and included more test items. As a result, they provide a truer indication of the real long-term benefits of cooperative learning.