The Use of Cooperative Learning to Acquire Basic Computer Skills
Darcy Lynch and Sandy Petruzzi
June 25, 1998
Purpose of Study
The Rhode Island Department of Education and Department of Human Services presently offers a statewide work readiness program called Project Opportunity that targets women with low income status. This program follows a project-based instruction model using SCANS (Secretary of Labor Commission on Necessary Skills) enriched material emphasizing teamwork, group activities, social and organizational skills and basic computer competency. Even with optimum classroom resources and solid program design, teaching a multi-level class of low income adults who need to acquire these skills is a juggling act. Computer instruction presents particular challenges including the learners' lack of motivation, varying levels of computer literacy, and shortages of time and equipment. Reflecting on these circumstances and challenges has caused us to ask the question: Would the use of cooperative learning facilitate the acquisition of basic computer skills among these transitional, economically disadvantaged adult women? Cooperative learning is defined as a type of learning that occurs when a group of individuals work together to attain certain skills and knowledge, the goal being, the more they work together, the more they learn.
To answer this question, we compared two Project Opportunity classes, one in Woonsocket and one in Pawtucket from January through May 1998. Each student in Woonsocket had unlimited access to a computer and worked primarily on an individual basis. The fourteen students in Pawtucket had access to only four computers, and often worked in a group situation. This study focused on the site in Pawtucket where the facilitators utilized a combination of observation, field notes, computer reflection logs, focus group interviews, exercises, and pre- and post-assessment tools to determine the progress being made by students. The results revealed that students at both sites achieved basic computer competency. However, the use of a cooperative learning approach among students in Pawtucket facilitated the mastery of computer skills beyond basic word processing. Working in groups these students became proficient in more advanced applications including spreadsheet and design programs that utilized a wide variety of tools for drawing graphs, clip art, layout, color coordination, and graphic placement. A cooperative learning approach to acquire certain skills and knowledge is supported by several models of learning theory. Adult learning theory endorses small group situations because they can increase participation by creating a less intimidating environment. This allows adults to contribute their ideas while overcoming their fear of risk (Zemke & Zemke, 1994). Susan Cowles observed that learning occurs when activities are not passive, but rather incorporate action, challenges, and interaction with others. (Focus on Basics, 1997). Charles Crook, in his book Computers and the Collaborative Experience of Learning (Bruce, 1995), emphasizes a need for a sociocultural perspective on learning with computers. He sees the greatest potential for computers as a "context for social interaction," and in creating an understanding of situations and the cooperative experience of learning.
Acquiring basic computer/technology skills can increase the employability and opportunities for economically disadvantaged adult learners. An instructor must find creative ways to teach computer literacy. A cooperative learning approach to exercises framed in a context of interest in the learners' life experiences, while simultaneously teaching basic computer skills, could improve student participation, increase the retention of the information presented, and provide a more satisfying teaching and learning experience.
Methodology
Research Site & Study Group
The Project Opportunity site in Pawtucket offers a twenty-hour per week course for female adult women who receive benefits through the Family Independence Program. At the time of this study, the class consisted of fourteen students, five of which were randomly selected to participate in a cooperative learning situation. The average age of the selected group was 32 and ranged from 29 to 46 years. All five women were single mothers with school-aged children One group member had English as her second language, another spoke four languages including Creole, Spanish, Portuguese, and English, and the other three were native English speaking. Educational levels included three high school graduates, two actively working on GEDs, and one who had received additional training at a business school. The reading levels of the five participants ranged from seventh to twelfth grade; language skills from sixth to twelfth grade and numeracy levels from fifth to tenth grade as tested by a TABE-D; and computer knowledge was below average to poor.
Previous work histories included positions as a travel agent, cashier, factory worker, and an entry-level banking clerk. These women had experienced domestic violence or been involved in an alcoholic relationship, and one had been sexually abused as a child. Participants took part in this program for economic reasons, to set a good example for their children, to raise their self-esteem, and to improve their academic skills.
Computer Curriculum
The computer curriculum (Appendix A) focused on selected SCANS areas: participating as a team member, working with cultural diversity, and the acquisition of basic computer skills. The following five computer skill areas were investigated: 1. Keyboarding Ñ The program utilized for keyboarding skills was MAVIS BEACON TYPING TUTOR, a self-paced, learner driven program designed to increase speed and accuracy. The learner becomes familiar and comfortable with finger placement and manipulation.
2. Differentiating between hardware and software : The goal was for students to become familiar/comfortable with computer terminology i.e.: CPU (Central Processing Unit); input devices (keyboard, mouse); and output devices (screen/monitor, printer, memory, floppy disks and hard drive).
3. Basic WORD literacy : The main software vehicle utilized was Microsoft WORD, a word processing program commonly used in window applications. Becoming proficient in WORD allows a learner to create documents, correspondence, graphs, graphics and assorted business applications. WORD also enables a student to create, edit, save, print, spell check and retrieve documents.
4. Using HELP topics: HELP topics enable students to problem solve independently while creating documents. HELP covers all WORD applications, and can be labor and time efficient.
5. Following computer cues and prompts :The goal was for students to learn to follow screen prompts regarding program steps and applications. New computer users tend to ignore screen prompts, which can result in not completing necessary program procedures. New users also tend to follow known program access paths; screen prompts and cues can encourage 'treasure hunts' to new access avenues. It also allows the student to demonstrate initiative and creativity with regard to problem solving.
Two facilitators implemented the curriculum. A full-time instructor designed the classroom lessons and integrated them into the computer curriculum. A computer instructor facilitated one day a week, executed the computer lessons, encouraged collaboration on computer projects, tracked students' progress, and administered the pre- and post-assessments related to computer competency. A computer assistant from a previous Project Opportunity class volunteered one day a week to gain further experience in the computer field. Students participated in groups of four to five and collaborated on classroom and computer assignments. As facilitators, we encouraged the teams to strive for higher productivity and product quality, as well as work together to reach common goals and achieve mastery of the required skills.
Methods Observation and Field Notes. Facilitators' observations and field note entries occurred on a daily basis and reviewed student involvement and progress on the computer, collaboration among group members, and overall attitude and motivation. Facilitators' from Pawtucket and Woonsocket met four times to discuss their observations and share their reflections.
Computer Reflection Logs. Student computer reflection logs were completed four times a week and included comments on the instructors' presentation of computer exercises, interest level in the material, individual progress, feelings about other group members, and attitude and motivation when using the computer. Written feedback was provided by facilitators and award stickers given for successful completion of an assignment or task.
Focus group interviews. Focus group interviews provided additional insight on how students felt about using cooperative learning to achieve basic computer competency. Each focus group session was videotaped for documentation. During the interviews students identified their expectations of the class, anxieties about using a computer, feelings toward the instructors, and opinions on the quality and relevance of the computer curriculum to job readiness training. These discussions provided an informal measure of students' attitudes toward themselves, the instructors, other group members, the computer, and learning in general.
Computer Exercises. In order to encourage collaboration among group members and maximize computer usage, classroom assignments were integrated into the computer curriculum. Since adults participate in learning activities in order to reach a productive end, contextualizing assignments can add relevance to training and increase student motivation to use the computer (Zemke & Gunkler, 1985).
Pre- and Post-Assessment Tools. A computer learning survey was a self-report measure developed as a pre- assessment tool to determine the entry-level knowledge and understanding of participants. The survey also revealed each student's ideal learning environment, and whether or not they had experience working in a group situation. (Appendix B). The post-assessment tools consisted of four exercises designed to rate competency in basic WORD literacy, using HELP, and following cues and prompts (Appendices C-F).
MAVIS BEACON TYPING TUTOR provided a progress file on each student that tracked computer keyboarding speed and accuracy.
Findings
From the observations and data collected in this study we identified that basic computer competency was mastered by the five group participants. The acquisition of these basic skills can not be entirely attributed to the use of cooperative learning, however, the exploration of more advanced applications that utilized higher computer functions was enhanced in a group situation.
Pre-Assessment: Computer Learning Survey. Two of the five participants in the study rated their computer knowledge below average, one rated her knowledge above average, and the other two gave themselves a poor rating. Only one participant had experienced working in a group situation. In regards to learning situations, one participant preferred one-on-one training, while the others preferred an environment where people worked together to problem-solve and complete assignments.
Observation and Field Notes. Students worked cooperatively during exercises or activities involving limited use of language. They collaborated on designs for greeting cards, banners for special occasions, or activity calendars. Playing games on the computer was also a popular group activity. In assignments requiring a certain level of language literacy, such as word processing or keyboarding, learners preferred to work in isolation and sometimes became resentful or angry if required to work in a group.
Over time group members became more comfortable and began to ask questions and interact more with each other. Certain members of the class who had achieved a higher level of computer skills were relied on to assist all the groups. Facilitators modeled cooperative behavior and asked for help when they didn't understand a computer problem or sought outside assistance. Modeling reinforced cooperative learning among group members. Even though students began to work more cooperatively on projects, the full-time facilitator was a key motivator for completing tasks. Often in her absence students neglected their projects, had a difficult time taking direction from the part-time computer facilitator, and sometimes left class early. Students related well to the computer assistant who had a similar background as their own and turned to her for help more often than the primary computer facilitator.
Computer Reflection Logs. Initially, quite a bit of fear and frustration was reflected in the computer logs. One student wrote, "I get nervous when I first get into a program. I worry that I will not remember all the terms and procedures that are involved." Another wrote, "I got on the computer this morning but it is frustrating and overwhelming because I couldn't get into the programs I wanted...I felt dumbfounded. I did MAVIS and started to learn about home rows. I made numerous mistakes and feel discouraged when it comes to computers."
Group members wrote they preferred working individually on the computer or with one other person. The students who avoided using the computer had a variety of excuses and stated that the programs were boring, or blamed their lack of involvement on the limited number of computers and the 'computer hogs' in their group.
However, as the semester progressed student attitudes shifted. They wrote more about individual achievements and how that increased their self-esteem. As the students mastered certain skills they expressed interest in investigating other aspects and capabilities of the computer. They were more willing to work cooperatively, although some still feared judgement from their peers, "With the help of Lillian and Candy, I was able to set up my 'Perfect Job,' type, save-as, and print. I am grateful for their help and patience, but I felt like a really dumb girl. I also felt nervous and didn't want to keep bugging them." They also expressed frustration with group members who were consistently absent and not pulling their weight on group projects and assignments.
Two of the women enjoyed keyboarding with MAVIS BEACON because they could track their progress. All of the women commented how comfortable the computer assistant made them feel - one even referred to her as a "security blanket."
Award stickers provided great reinforcement for the women by validating their reflections, and increased individual expression and participation in class and in their group.
Focus Group Interviews. Students openly commented about working cooperatively on the computer and the progress being made in certain skill areas. They expressed frustration with some classroom and computer assignments because they didn't understand the purpose or goals. They emphasized that acquiring basic computer skills was a hands-on experience and certain tasks had to be performed alone, such as keyboarding and word processing functions. The limited number of computers and the 'computer hogs' in the class made it difficult to get enough practice. The students did enjoy working cooperatively when designing cards or banners and developing tables and graphs. They welcomed assistance, suggestions, and support from other group members. These activities also increased their comfort level with peers. Once they realized everyone had similar knowledge and reservations about using the computer, collaboration became easier and members shared input and participated more on projects together.
Computer Exercises. Classroom assignments were successfully completed by the group, however, not always cooperatively. Assignments that required word processing were usually completed by a single individual in the group. Group members not actively involved got easily distracted and rarely completed other tasks or assignments without facilitator intervention. Participants also refused to work cooperatively on assignments if they didn't understand the relevancy to a job-related skill or if the assignments revealed parts of their personal life. In an assignment where the objective was to design a table, the facilitator attempted to contextualize the task by requiring students to develop a monthly budget. This assignment met a great deal of resistance. The women said it was impossible for them to develop a budget because welfare allocated a fixed amount of money per month. When told to create an imaginary budget, some still resisted. The assignment was modified and instead students developed a calendar of special events. The women enjoyed this activity and worked cooperatively, selecting a variety of different design tools to highlight different occasions.
The use of cooperative learning was high when creative non-verbal tasks were required, such as the calendar assignment. As students successfully completed projects or mastered a new skill, their increased confidence led them to explore new computer applications together. Two women in the class owned their own computers and would bring in graphics programs or games to install on the class computers enhancing group activity and involvement.
Technical problems throughout the term also contributed to frustration levels among students and progress with the computers slowed considerably. In January a computer was stolen and the class was temporarily denied access. Another computer went out of service and was never repaired so students fell behind on assignments. These setbacks eventually led to increased collaboration among students. With only three computers operational group members worked together in order to complete assignments on time.
Post-Assessment: All participants completed four exercises that tested their basic computer literacy skills. They demonstrated competency levels in basic WORD, differentiating between hardware and software, and following cues and prompts. The students did not demonstrate competency using the HELP function, possibly because their low language skills made it difficult to follow the HELP instructions. Students preferred to ask one another for assistance which demonstrated cooperation.
In the area of keyboarding speed and accuracy, improvement was shown in both areas. Mastery of this skill was accomplished on an individual basis.
This study illustrated that the use of cooperative learning can facilitate the acquisition of certain computer skills and knowledge; however, cooperation itself is a learned skill and if imposed too quickly a cooperative learning approach will meet resistance, take longer to implement, and/or fail altogether.
The five participants needed to be acquainted with the rational of how to function in a group before cooperative learning could occur. Most of these women had unhappy childhood memories, low education levels, and no experience in problem-solving, sharing, or cooperating. Current literature cites many factors that contribute to group success and effectiveness. The more common criteria include having a clear purpose and goals, a clear plan to achieve the end result, clear communication, empowerment, and training in group dynamics, which sometimes requires minimum literacy and numeracy levels. (Sholtes, 1988; Quality Progress, 1996). Some additional barriers existed that made the cooperative learning approach difficult to implement. First, a cooperative environment magnified individual insecurities such as low self-esteem, and low receptive and expressive language skills. Cooperative learning only took place when trust was established among group members and occurred more on subjective, non-verbal tasks where peers would be less judgmental.
Second, students had to see the relevancy of an assignment or task in terms of transference to the workplace. Failure to design transfer activities into the curriculum can result in lack of cooperation and ineffective training programs. The cultural-historical theory of learning suggests that people learn by doing and the key to constructing knowledge is contextualizing the information. "Activity must be seen as realized in relation to something definite. If the activity is not embodied in something corporeal, it cannot be real, but only possible...it is not an activity, but the opposite, inactivity" (Hedegaard, 1986).
Third, the part-time computer facilitator took longer to establish rapport with group members. Her presence one day a week made her inaccessible and too far removed from the students' life situations. As a result students resisted following directions and completing assignments cooperatively and had to be prompted by the full-time facilitator. Eventually, as students mastered certain skills and received positive feedback from the computer facilitator they applied themselves more to assigned tasks and would even contact her at home to troubleshoot computer problems over the phone.
Conclusions
The evidence in this study showed that certain computer functions were more easily mastered in a cooperative learning situation. However, such a small sample size requires additional research of this same population to help strengthen the validity of these findings. This study also revealed other factors that led to additional questions: Would formalized training in group dynamics increase the ability of this population to work in a cooperative situation? Should more time be devoted to teaching how to learn and work cooperatively? Does self-esteem affect cooperative learning? If so, how do you raise the self-esteem of this population? Should self-esteem testing occur? How important is it for a computer facilitator to be in class every day to encourage the use of cooperative learning? How do we know the skills that were taught are transferred to the workplace? Would tracking the progress of welfare-to-work participants help determine if revisions should be made to the existing curriculum?
In a workplace that is increasingly technology-driven and culturally diverse, not only do workers at all levels need technology training, they must be able to relate to co-workers that have language, cultural and lifestyle differences. The acquisition of computer skills along with training in teamwork will go a long way towards mainstreaming this population back into the workplace.
APPENDIX A will be posted shortly.
APPENDIX B
Computer Learning Survey
SECTION 2
Rate your skill level on a computer by using the following 5-point rating scale. If you have no experience proceed to Section 3. 1 2 3 4 5
Excellent Above Average Below Poor Average Average
Experience on a computer __________
Computer terminology __________ Typing on computer __________
Reading on computer __________
SECTION 3
1. What is your interest level in using a computer? ______ a strong interest in taking part? ______ some interest in taking part? ______ no interest in taking part?
2. What types of activities are you interested in using the computer for? ______typing letters & documents. ______games. ______internet. ______accounting.
2. How much time could you comfortably spend on the computer at one time?
______ 30 minutes ______ 1 hour ______ 2 hours ______ 3 hours ______ all day
SECTION 4
Please Comment
1. Have you ever taken part in a team or group (sports, community, or job)?
2. If you had to describe your ideal learning situation, what would it be like?
Appendix C
1.1 Creating a Document
As a parent and primary care provider for your children, you would like to prepare a monthly budget for household and miscellaneous expenses. To do this, you want to create a document for each week of the month. Each document will contain a table with an appropriate title and weekly itemized list of expenses. Some expenses would include food, rent, utilities, clothing, entertainment, transportation costs, schools supplies, etc. Print the documents on the printer and store the documents on a floppy disk.
Admission is $15 per adult and $8 for children under 10 years. Park is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day between March 1 and October 31.
Call 555-0762 for more information.
Problem: You are the marketing director for Water World Park. You want to prepare an announcement of the park and its activities for the public.
You are to create the following unformatted announcement. Below are some general guidelines:
1. Center the title. 2. Create a short list. 3. Use italics, bold, and underline to emphasize words or phrases. 4. Change font to emphasize the text. 5. Increase the font size of headline and title. Appendix D
2.1 Spell Checking a Document
Start Word. Open the document spell. This document is a short story that contains many spelling errors. You are to spell check the document one of two ways: 1) Right click on each error. Click on the ABC icon. Click the desired correction. 2) Right click the ABC icon. The spell check will automatically highlight every misspelled word in the document. Click on the desired correction for each word.
Besides correcting the spelling, make sure each sentence is using proper grammar. Save the corrected document on a floppy disk. Print the document.
Appendix E
3.1 Composing an Announcement from a Draft
Offering fun and entertainment for the whole family, Water World Park is both an amusement park and a water zoo. We have rides for children and adults of all ages. The water zoo has hundreds of aquariums and pools. Our arena has a water show every hour.
Admission is $15 per adult and 8$ for children under 10 years. Park is open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. every day between March 1 and October 31.
Call 555-0762 for more information.
Problem: You are the marketing director for Water World Park. You want to prepare an announcement of the park and its activities for the public.
You are to create the following unformatted announcement. Below are some general guidelines:
1. Center the title. 2. Create a short list. 3. Use italics, bold, and underline to emphasize words or phrases. 4. Change font to emphasize the text. 5. Increase the font size of headline and title.
Appendix F
4.1 Creating a Table
Develop a calendar highlighting special events or occasions celebrated by your family. Create a table using months, days, and a description or title of the event. Use your imagination and design the table with as many columns and rows as you'd like. Experiment with different font styles, bold, italics, and underlines to jazz it up. Feel free to work together to come up with ideas or for assistance. Have fun!
References
Adams, N. (1995). Lessons from a virtual world. Training, 32(6) 45-48.
Bruce, B. (1995). Book review: Computers and the collaborative experience of learning. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 2(3), 216-219.
Cowles, S. (1997). Technology Melts Classroom Walls. Focus on Basics, 2(A), 11-13.
Cox, C. R. (1994). "Customer training takes off at Boeing." Training & Development, 48(12), 39-42.
Fosnot, C. T. (1996). Constructivism: Theory, Perspectives, and Practice. (pp. 8-33). Teacher's College; Columbus University.
Hedegaard, M. (1986). Two approaches to thinking and knowledge acquisition. The Quarterly Newsletter of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition, 8(2), 59-63.
Horstrup, C. (1995). Teaching in the trades/adult learning. Pomfret, CT: Laborers- AGC Education and Training Fund. (Edited by P. Konarski & L. Thomas).
Job Skills Education Program (Computer program). (1995). Los Angeles, CA: Mergent Technologies Group.
John-Steiner, V. (1995). Cognitive pluralism: A sociocultural approach. Mind, Culture and Activity, 2(1), 2-11.
Kozma, R. B. (1991). Learning with media. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179-211.
RAND Corporation. (1995). Technology and Teacher Professional Development. Santa Monica, CA: Critical Technologies Institute. (Edited by J. Harvey & S. Purnell).
Salomon, G., & Clark, R.E. (1977). Reexamining the methodology of research on media and technology in education. Review of Educational Research, 47(1), 99-118.
Scholtes, P. (1988). The Team Handbook. Madison, WI: Joiner and Associates Inc.
Uhlfelder, H. (1994). "Why Teams Don't Work," Quality Progress, 28(9), 46.
Vygotsky, L.S. (1962). Thought and Language (pp. 262-299). Cambridge, MA: Institute of Technology. (Original work published 1934). 23
Weaver, Charles. (1993). "How to Use Process Improvement Teams", Quality Progress, 26(10), 65.
Wilson, A. (1994). The Invest program: A computer-based system for adult academic upgrading. Sackville, New Brunswick: Mount Allison University.
Zemke, R., & Gunkler, J. (1985). Twenty-eight techniques for transforming training into performance. Training, 22(4), 48-63.
Zemke, R., & S. (1994) Adult learning: What do we know for sure?" Training & Development, 32(6), 31-40.
Zemke, R., & S. (1981). Thirty things we know for sure about adult learning. Training, 18(6), 45-52.
back to inquiry 98