Show me the evidence!

Hundreds of research studies demonstrate that cooperative efforts result in higher individual achievement than do competitive or individualistic efforts.

We estimate the learning benefit from extra doing (1 SD increase) to be more than six times that of extra watching or reading.

Markedly different theoretical perspectives (social interdependence, cognitive-developmental, and behavioral learning) provide a clear rationale as to why cooperative efforts are essential for maximizing learning and ensuring healthy cognitive and social development as well as many other important instructional outcomes.

The data reported here indicate that active learning increases examination performance by just under half a SD and that lecturing increases failure rates by 55%.

The heterogeneity analyses indicate that

1. these increases in achievement hold across all of the STEM disciplines and occur in all class sizes, course types, and course levels
2. active learning is particularly beneficial in small classes and at increasing performance on concept inventories