Jigsaw

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Jigsaw

Julie Taylor

Description

The jigsaw classroom strategy was designed to replace some of the competitive behavior in the classroom with cooperative behavior. Students are divided into groups where each student is identified as an "expert" on a particular part of the lesson. The experts are responsible for teaching their concept to members of their group. Students in a group depend on each other for knowledge, and mutual cooperation is necessary for the group members to successfully learn the material (Aronson & Patnoe, 1997).

The following steps are used when implementing the jigsaw strategy:

• Divide the students into groups of 5 or 6 people. Diversity in groups is strongly encouraged.

• Choose one person in each group to serve as the leader. The teacher should make this choice the first time that the strategy is used so that a mature learner can be chosen.

• Divide the lesson for the day into 5 or 6 numbered parts. (Ex. Part 1- Adding Integers, Part 2- Subtracting Integers, etc.)

• Assign one part to each student - students should not have access to more than one part. (Each group should contain one student assigned to each part.)

• After students have looked at their assigned part, send them to "expert" groups. (All of the students assigned Part 1 form the Part 1 expert group.)

• Give the expert groups time to discuss and agree on the major points of their part, and to practice how they will "teach" their group members.

• Send the students back to their original jigsaw group.

• Each student should present his or her part to the group. Group leaders encourage other group members to ask questions of the expert if they do not understand. The expert is the main source of information about his or her part for the group. The instructor should be moving between groups observing and ensuring that the groups are on track.

• Give a quiz on the material taught in the jigsaw so that students realize this is truly instruction for which they are responsible.

Jigsaw can be used in virtually any discipline. The course content affects only the content of the lesson parts. Jigsaw has been used effectively in math, history, sociology, psychology, and science classes. The concept of cooperative learning can have a positive impact in almost any course.

For more detailed instructions and many more references on the Jigsaw classroom, go to www.jigsaw.org.

Major Concepts

The jigsaw classroom technique was developed in the early 1970’s during the time of the desegregation of the Austin, Texas public school system. The creator of the Jigsaw approach was Elliott Aronson, a social psychologist and a father of four children who were enrolled in the Austin public school system. Aronson’s goal was to develop an atmosphere in the classroom which allowed students to see each other as resources. The teacher would continue to be a learning resource, but would not be the only learning resource. He believed that a benefit of this approach would be improved interpersonal relationships between all students in the classroom (Aronson & Patnoe, 1997)

Although the origin of the jigsaw classroom is in an elementary school setting, the approach is very appropriate for adult learners. This approach values each student and implies that each group member is an essential learning resource for the group. This is very compatible with the assumption of andragogy that states, “An adult accumulates a growing reservoir of experience, which is a rich resource for learning” (Merriam and Caffarella, 1999, p.272) Although some students may be intimidated by the expert responsibility, the interaction with other experts will provide an opportunity to stregthen their skills before presenting to their group. Documented benefits of the approach are positive impacts on academic achievements, interpersonal skills, and attitudes toward school and classmates (Adams & Hamm, 1990)

The ideal jigsaw group includes students of different ages, races, and academic abilities. Cooperation between these group members will hopefully result in cooperation skills that will transfer to the individual’s interactions in a work or social situation. Aronson (1997) declares the teaching of “cooperation as a skill” (p.123) to be the ultimate goal of the jigsaw approach. An additional benefit of this approach is the deeper understanding that the students receive when they are required to teach a concept to other students. When the experts are preparing to teach, they may be more motivated to thoroughly understand a topic because they want to feel confident in their ability to communicate their knowledge. (Barkley, Cross, & Major, 2005)

Information about using this and other collaborative strategies in a college setting is available in Collaborative Learning techniques, A Handbook for College Faculty by Barkley, Cross, and Major (2005). The authors include variations and extensions, suggestions for online implementation, and additional references.

Relationship to Teaching Perspective

The jigsaw technique relates well to the developmental perspective as described by Pratt (1998). The jigsaw strategy expects students to discover, instead of just being told, an effective way of teaching their assigned concept to the group members. That teaching then reinforces the experts’ own learning and they develop a deeper knowledge of their material than they might from listening to a lecture. Students may activate prior knowledge in preparing to teach, and are actively involved in the teaching and learning.

Pratt’s (1998) “Principle 7: The Guiding Principle” (p.131) states that teaching should have a goal of promoting learner autonomy, ultimately making students less dependent on the teacher. This strategy has the teacher functioning as a facilitator - intervening only when necessary to help groups function effectively - not serving as the primary learning resource for students. Students begin to learn by cooperating and working with other learners instead of just receiving knowledge from the teacher.

The jigsaw approach could also be used in other teaching perspectives. The nurturing teacher described by Pratt (1998) is kind, honest, sincere, and compassionate teacher. This teacher would welcome the benefits of increased cooperation and improved interpersonal skills in the classroom. A nurturing instructor might monitor group interaction more closely, providing assistance more often than a developmental instructor. A nurturing teacher might also use a lower-stakes closing activity or discussion instead of a quiz or test.

Benefits

Benefits of using the jigsaw strategy as documented by Aronson & Patnoe (1997) include:

Improved attitudes toward school (when surveyed).

Increased self-esteem (when surveyed).

Improved academic achievement.

Improved perception of support from peers for academic efforts.

Lower absenteeism.

Drawbacks and Cautions

Some students may be very resistant to the jigsaw classroom. Students who typically do not participate in a traditional classroom setting will be required to speak and interact with other group members. Some shy individuals will be very uncomfortable at first. Students' may perceive that teachers are being insensitive to their concerns when they are required to participate. With encouragement, the students will hopefully see the advantages of the jigsaw approach and become more comfortable with their new role.

Another drawback to the jigsaw classroom is the fact that non-motivated students may not take their responsibilities seriously. The learning that occurs is dependent on the teaching that is provided by the experts. The closing quiz is provided to signal students that the content in this activity is important. If no graded assignment is associated with the jigsaw activity, some students may not take it seriously and motivated students will become frustrated.

Finally, it is a rather time-consuming strategy. Activities must be planned in advance.

Final Thoughts

The jigsaw classroom teaching strategy offers students an opportunity to develop much needed cooperation skills. This technique can be applied in any discipline. Barkley, Cross, and Major (2005) even provide suggestions for adapting the technique to an online course environment. This process allows students to become less dependent on the teacher, more self-directed, and more capable in using learning resources. The skills that are learned can be applied in the context of students' lives outside of the classroom.

References

Adams, D. M., & Hamm, M. E. (1990). Cooperative learning: Critical thinking and collaboration across the curriculum. Springfield, Illinois: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

Aronson, E. (n.d.). The jigsaw classroom: A cooperative learning technique. Retrieved Mar. 17, 2007, from http://www.jigsaw.org

Aronson, E., & Patnoe, S. (1997). The jigsaw classroom: Building cooperation in the classroom. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques:a handbook for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Merriam, S. B., & Caffarella, R. S. (1999). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Pratt, Daniel D. & Associates (1998). Five perspectives on teaching in adult and higher education. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing Co.