The Jigsaw Classroom: Overview of the Technique Overview of the Technique The jigsaw classroom is a cooperative learning technique with a three-decade track record of successfully reducing racial conflict and increasing positive educational outcomes. Just as in a jigsaw puzzle, each piece--each student's part--is essential for the completion and full understanding of the final product. Here is how it works: The students in a history class, for example, are divided into small groups of five or six students each. Eventually each student will come back to her or his jigsaw group and will try to present a well-organized report to the group. To increase the chances that each report will be accurate, the students doing the research do not immediately take it back to their jigsaw group. Once each presenter is up to speed, the jigsaw groups reconvene in their initial heterogeneous configuration. What is the benefit of the jigsaw classroom?
Jigsaws Developed by Barbara Tewksbury, Hamilton College "When efforts are structured cooperatively, there is considerable evidence that students will exert more effort to achieve - learn more, use higher-level reasoning strategies more frequently, build more complete and complex conceptual structures, and retain information learned more accurately" (Johnson and Johnson, 1999, Making Cooperative Learning Work). Over the years, the jigsaw technique has been the most popular cooperative learning strategy among faculty who have participated in On the Cutting Edge Course Design workshops. The jigsaw technique is a simple, well-structured cooperative learning structure that emphasizes both individual accountability and achievement of group goals, both of which are critical for improved student learning in cooperative settings. What are jigsaws? In a jigsaw, the class is divided into several teams, with each team preparing separate but related assignments. Learn more about jigsaws Why use jigsaws?
'Academically Adrift' Uri Treismans Dolciani Lecture Performance Enhanced Interactive Learning PLTL Community 2013 Murray Scholars REU Summer 2014 June 2 through August 8, 2014 University of Maryland College Park, MD The application deadline is Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014. Special note: This program is funded by the National Science Foundation, a federal agency. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply and to participate. Program Introduction The Maryland Robotics Center, with support from the National Science Foundation, is offering exciting research opportunities for undergraduate students in the area of miniature robotics. Miniature robots, defined as small robots with overall sizes between 1 mm and 100 mm have the potential to significantly enable or enhance capabilities in manufacturing, medicine, reconnaissance, exploration, food safety, and search and rescue. 2013 REU Student Participants Program Goals The Miniature Robotics REU Site aims to: All participants receive a $5,000 stipend for their summer work and funding is available for on-campus housing and travel support.