Using cooperative learning strategies in social work education

Cooperative learning strategies employ formally structured groups of students working together to maximize their own and other students’ learning. This educational approach changes the classroom environment from one in which students are passive recipients of the instructor’s knowledge, to one in which they are active participants in their own education. Cooperative learning strategies have received little attention in the social work education literature, despite proven educational benefits elsewhere. This article defines cooperative learning, reviews the educational theory and research that support it, demonstrates its relevance to social work education, and provides case examples for use throughout the social work curriculum.