Comparing the Quality of Students' Experiences During Cooperative Learning and Large-Group Instruction

The authors compared the experiences of college students during cooperative learning and large-group instruction. Undergraduate educational psychology students were assigned to small groups to discuss how they could apply important psychological principles to teaching-learning projects. Students were interrupted during cooperative learning and large-group instruction so that the authors could measure perceptions of their experiences with the experience sampling method (M. Csikszentmihalyi, K. Rathunde, benefits occurred specifically for thinking on task, student engagement, perceptions of task importance, and optimal levels of challenge and skill. Students were more self-conscious and reported more difficulty concentrating during cooperative learning. Quality of experience did not differ across instructional contexts for high- vs. low-achieving students; high-achieving students experienced greater overall quality of experience in both instructional contexts, particularly in the areas of engagement, perceived skill, and self-esteem.