Researchers and education specialists endorse the view that student learning can be maximized, thus academic performance improved, by developing a sense of "we are all in the same boat together," a basic tenet of cooperative learning (CL). The effectiveness of CL principles and techniques in building a motivating, supportive learning environment is well known. As the benefits of collaborative learning are clear, using technology to facilitate CL is vital. Distance learning has made possible several innovative means to include CL in virtual pedagogical settings. Researchers have reported that group work through computer-mediated collaboration resulted in improved performance, interaction, and critical thinking. However, no known work has been done comparing student experiences in traditional online discussions and those structured with CL elements. Through structured synchronous and asynchronous group discussions, the CL goals of positive interdependence, individual accountability, development of social skills and group processing may be attained. Courses that facilitate productive online communities allow adult learners meaningful and long lasting experiences. With the rapid growth and demand for online education, virtual instructors are compelled to incorporate feasible instructional strategies and formats proven successful in traditional educational settings. Based on current trends in education which point toward increased use of distance learning, together with research on the benefits of cooperative learning, this study investigated the effectiveness of specific CL strategies in discussion boards, a commonly used distance learning tool which fosters student engagement. The purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of cooperative learning strategies in graduate online courses, with a majority Hispanic enrollment. Specifically, it examined the impact of CL on student performance through asynchronous interaction on discussion boards and student reactions to the effectiveness of cooperative learning and traditional discussion strategies in online discussion forums. Student participants (35 females and 21 males; total of 56 participants) were asked to complete a survey at the end of a 10-week session in which traditional and CL discussion boards were conducted. Participant ages ranged from 20 to 62+, with 25% of the sample aged 18-26; 26.8% aged 27-36; 25% aged 37-46; 21.5% aged 47-56; and 1 person over 62 years of age. Of the total sample, 29 participants ( 51.8%) were Hispanic, 26 participants (46.4%) were Caucasian, and 1 participant was from the Middle East. The survey contained two open-ended questions requiring qualitative analysis to provide data on students' reflections about cooperative and traditional learning strategies in online discussions. The qualitative data were coded and themed according to emerging categories and patterns. The results showed that both traditional learners and cooperative learners found benefits in their respective learning strategies. Traditional learners were less interested in the education angle and more interested in values that included support, independence, structure, and time management. Conversely, in the CL group, 98.82% of the benefits experienced were educational: brain-storming, collaboration, communication, engagement, feedback, participation and quality of learning. Also, different types of personalities in the class needed to be accommodated. Those that were independent minded (9.84%) and who wanted structure (11.48%) preferred traditional learning strategies. Among the CL participants, 30.59% were engaged in the activities, 21.18% valued communication, and 20% believed that quality of learning was an important byproduct. However, among the traditionalists, only 21.31% felt engaged, 8.2% valued communication, and 14.75% mentioned the quality of learning. The negative juxtaposed well with the above. First, 41.94% of the negative comments toward cooperative learning were from participants who faced issues with unreliable members, suggesting that faculty need to attend to group formation. However, many who noted problems with unreliable group members still preferred and found benefits in collaborative learning. Nearly 26% of the negative comments, offered by traditionalists who preferred structure and time management, were concerned with lack of structure and untimeliness in cooperative learning. Striving to understand and design coursework that maximizes opportunities for students to succeed is vital to the continuing growth of online education and Asynchronous Learning Networks (ALNs). In addition, determining which factors may significantly impact student achievement is essential to allow this growing course venue to maintain the highest academic standards and achievement for students. From an institutional and instructional design perspective, the need to consistently promote higher levels of student activity appears to impact performance. While CL has been validated and researched across the globe, the connection between online cooperative learning strategies has not fully been explored. This research will not only offer valuable insight into online learning, but with the unique minority student sample, this study can also delve into Hispanic student learning specifically and contribute to their success in online graduate programs. This research is expected to serve as a launching pad for a more extensive study on the topic, with a wider scope in training instructors in cooperative learning in distance education, use of appropriate technology, and assessment of online student performance. The researchers intend to use the results of this study to establish the need for further support through external funding. In this presentation, researchers will share the results of the study and specific techniques to incorporate online cooperative learning strategies in discussion boards. Following explanation of the study purpose and findings, researchers will actively engage participants through small group brainstorming activities focused on incorporation of a variety of CL strategies in discussion boards, with a specific focus on content areas. The researchers will demonstrate one or two online CL activities, solicit audience participation, and offer an annotated bibliography of useful online and print resources for online CL activities. Participants who teach online graduate courses, who teach minority student populations, and/or those who seek to implement effective online instructional strategies will benefit most from the presentation. To summarize, the goals of the presentation are to explain and promote CL in distance learning, discuss results of the study, actively engage participants in CL strategies, and to share information for future research in this area.
