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PART A: Strategies for Grouping Learners When building a collaborative learning experience, it is important that educators provide structures that provide cooperative group interactions. Here are a few strategies for grouping students, defining elements of cooperative learning, and active learning instructional strategies.

Q: How should I group my students? Student groupings have a significant impact on learning outcomes. There are numerous criteria that must be addressed when considering student groups for each situation has a unique set of circumstances. Here are four general categories for grouping students:   Source: Wagaman, J. (2008). Student Grouping in the Classroom . Teacher Tips Training: Suite 101. [|http://www.teachertipstraining.suite101.com]
 * 1) Grouping students by interest - allow students who are interested in the same topic work together.
 * 2)  Grouping students by ability - create heterogeneous groups in which students are able to assist one another in the learning based on mastery level.
 * 3)  Random student groupings - random groupings allow students interact in new social settings and can alleviate classroom management issues.
 * 4) <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 119%; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-default-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latin-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-greek-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-cyrillic-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latinext-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 119%; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-default-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latin-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-greek-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-cyrillic-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latinext-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Grouping by student choice <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 119%; font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-default-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latin-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-greek-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-cyrillic-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; mso-latinext-font-family: 'Century Gothic'; language: EN; mso-ansi-language: EN;">- providing students with the choice for who they want to work with holds them accountable.

** ACTIVITY: Random grouping **
Procedure: 1) pass out the puzzle pieces as the students are entering the room and refer them to the activity directions posted:

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