Cooperative learning was first proposed in response to traditional curriculum-driven education. It is a strategy in which small groups of students with different levels of ability engage in a variety of activities to improve their understanding of the topic. Each member of the group is responsible for learning what is taught, but also for helping other group members learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement for all. Students work through the task until all members of the group understand the concept. Inherent in cooperative learning is the assumption that learning is an active, constructive process that depends on rich context, that it is social in nature, and that it works best with diverse learners.

Cooperative learning is based on the social interdependence theories of Kurt Lewin ...