Knowledge Bank

Born from dynamic discussions within Dr. Tzu-Jung Lin's ESEPSY 7405 Cooperative Learning: Theory and Practice seminar courses (Spring 2020 & 2025) at The Ohio State University, this handbook is a collective exploration of cooperative and collaborative learning as a vital educational approach. When this graduate-level course was offered in the spring of 2020 and 2025, it quickly formed a hub for critical analysis of research and practice of cooperative and collaborative learning. Each course discussion sparkled splendid argumentation, revealing both a renewed enthusiasm for cooperative/collaborative learning in K-12 and higher education. We, as a group of graduate students and faculty from multiple disciplines (educational psychology, counseling psychology, surgery and medical education, early childhood education), are committed to sharing our insights into key issues, common misunderstandings, and promising avenues for theory-driven and evidence-based education practices in this field through a collaborative writing process.

As we worked on this handbook, we were fully aware that the constraints of time and resources prohibit us from providing a comprehensive review of current theories and practices. However, we were dedicated to highlighting some of the most important and interesting issues, concepts, or practices for early career researchers and pre-service/in-service educators. We were also writing with the understanding that this course may not be offered in the short term given an ongoing institutional restructuring and reimaging process at both the department and college levels. Therefore, we wrote this handbook to collect and record useful resources for future graduate students and practitioners who may not have immediate access to this course.