Self-made materials as a resource to enhance the cooperative learning model

*Each number represents one slide of the powerpoint presentation included in the final section of this

article.

SELF-MADE MATERIALS AS A RESOURCE TO ENHANCE THE COOPERATIVE LEARNING MODEL

Javier Fernández-Río and Antonio Méndez-Giménez

*1. Physical Education´s curricula in Spain have been modified as recently as 2006. The most

relevant aspect of this change has been the inclusion of a new pedagogical framework: the key

competences, which all students must develop by the end of their secondary education.

Among these competences, we would like to highlight the development of: social values,

autonomous learning and communication skills. These important features are embedded in

the two topics of our proposal: Cooperative Learning and self-made materials.

*2. The quantity and quality of a school’s equipment can detrimentally affect the excellence of

its physical education curriculum. Unfortunately, Hardman, in a recently published study,

reported that 50% of the teachers evaluated worldwide considered that the quantity of their

physical education materials was limited or insufficient.

*3. Traditionally, PE teachers have used commercial equipment in their classes. In the

seventies, in an effort to overcome budget constrain and the limitations that they provoke,

some professionals decided to develop homemade materials that could be constructed by

teachers or parents. Our proposal, Self-made materials, goes beyond this perspective. The

goal, now, is to actively involve students in the process of construction of the equipment that

they are going to use, following the constructivist Theory of Learning.

*4. Considering Hardman´s findings, self-made materials will provide teachers with a larger

amount of equipment, which, in turn, will allow them to introduce a wider variety of games

and tasks.

Indeed, self-made equipment can help students experience many different quality physical

activities in school, because, it holds several advantages: increases active participation, creates

inclusive contexts or promotes problem solving skills.

*5. Our proposal links cooperative learning and self-made equipment, because we believe that

the process of constructing, using and sharing materials foster the five elements of CL in PE.

*6. Let us show you some examples of how the five key elements of CL are implemented

through self-made materials.

*7. Students are forced into a face-to-face interaction at different times: during the

construction process, during the assessment of the materials and while using them.

*8. From an interdisciplinary perspective, involving teachers from other subjects in the

construction process could also be very rewarding for students and teachers as well.

Unfortunately, collaboration among teachers is not always possible in schools.

*9. When materials are easy and simple to construct, it is worth to invest a few minutes of the

physical education class to develop the resources they are going to use immediately. This

connection is very exciting and motivating for students and teachers.

*10. If the students have enough autonomy or the requirements of the construction allows it,

working in groups outside of school as homework is a great alternative. This cooperative task

helps establish bonds among peers. Adults are also encouraged to help children complete the

task to strength family links.

Fernandez-Rio, J., & Mendez-Giménez, A. (2011). Self-made materials as a resource to enhance the cooperative learning model. In

B. Dyson (coord.) Symposium: Cooperative learning in physical education: An international perspective. AIESEP International

Conference. Limerick (IR): University of Limerick.


article.

*11. The cooperative interaction continues during the evaluation process of the finished

materials, as this should be a peer-assessment process. The goal is to monitor their

characteristics and the requirements for their use. Particular emphasis should be placed on

assessing their safety, consistency and efficiency, as well as their aesthetic and creative assets.

*12. Finally, the interaction process occurs when students use the self-made material in

physical education, during recess, or in their leisure time outside school. On these different

settings, they share the equipment they have constructed increasing the promotive face to

face interaction.

*13. The essence of cooperative learning lies in the necessity of linking personal success with

the success of the partners through common goals, shared resources, or complementary roles.

The process of constructing materials can fortify this key element: positive interdependence.

The slide shows some of the roles that students can perform while constructing self-made

equipment.

*14. The challenge of cooperating to construct equipment feeds each student’s individual

accountability, because they have to create low-cost, efficient equipment for his/her group.

Teachers can hand out to the student’s guidelines for building the materials or upload them

into a web page to hold them and their parents responsible for the task at home.

*15. Teachers can use peer-assessment as an evaluation tool to promote students’ individual

responsibility. Strategies such as assessment sheets for the reviewers emphasize the student’s

commitment with this role, and help them feel accountable for it. On the other hand, the fact

that one member of the group must present the material to the rest of the class makes

him/her feel accountable for that presentation.

*16. Social skills such as learning to transmit information, to work together, to share ideas, or

to provide feedback can be practiced through the construction or the evaluation process.

Children should be told to emphasize the positive aspects of each piece of equipment

evaluated, stressing the things that have been done well, and politely showing which aspects

could be improved.

*17. Groups should systematically reflect on the quality of the equipment they have

developed. They should assess the safety of the material prior, during and after using it. Then,

students could discuss possible improvements of these materials. Finally, students could be

challenged to invent games using these new resources.

*18. Over the last decade, we have conducted several action-research cycles around self-made

materials and Physical Education. At this point, we are interested in several research

questions:

- What are the effects of self-made materials on the different instructional models and their

hybridizations?

- What is the psychological impact of self-made materials on primary and secondary PE

students?

- How these resources influence future teachers?

- Manufactured versus self-made materials: What are the advantages and the disadvantages?

- Can self-made materials help include students with special needs?

*19. We are currently conducting several research projects that use qualitative techniques

such as interviews, diaries, and video analyses, as well as quantitative tools, such as


article.

questionnaires, heart rate monitors, or pedometers. Some references of this work are outlined

in this slide.

*20. Perkins considers that the three tenets of constructivism are the active learner, the social

learner, and the creative learner.

In conclusion, the purpose of this presentation has been to show the audience how the use of

homemade materials can also contribute to extend these three tenets of constructivism within

the cooperative learning framework. Through an increase in the students’ activity learning

time, they have more opportunities to practice the skills and the games (in and extracurricular

settings), becoming active learners. Students interact with their peers constructing materials

and assessing their effectiveness. Therefore, they grow as social learners. During the process

of constructing materials, students must solve problems (find a more functional design,

negotiate rules, share information or develop a new game). Consequently, they act as creative

learners. Finally, the construction and the usage of homemade materials can help the students

develop responsibility for their own and their peers’ equipment.

Physical Education in schools: a global perspective (Hardman, 2008)

Global/Region Extensive Above Average

Sufficient Limited Insufficient

Global 7 11 32 30 20

Africa 7 7 20 13 53

Asia 6 12 29 35 18

Central/Latin America

- -

13 37 50

Europe 10 14 36 27 14

Middle East - - 43 57 -

North America - 25 50 25 -

1

Table 1. Amount of equipment: globally/regionally (%)

2

Homemade Equipment: Advantages

l Increases active participation

l Develops creativity

l Creates an inclusive context

l Is low cost

l Promotes problem-solving skills

l Builds respect for the equipment

l Encourages multidisciplinary work (Méndez-Giménez, 2003)

3

l Safety (construction and use)

l Extra time for construction

l Extra space for storage

l Initial teachers/students opposition

l Greater teacher/student involvement

Homemade Equipment: Possible problems

4

Connections

COOPERATIVE LEARNING

HOMEMADE EQUIPMENT

Students are challenged to build their own equipment in small groups

Constructing, using and sharing homemade materials can foster the five

elements of CL in PE

5

1. Promotive interaction

3. Individual accountability

4. Interpersonal skills

5. Group processing

2. Positive interdependence

Cooperative Learning

6

Cooperative

Learning

1. Promotive interaction

Students are forced into a face-to-face interaction

process at three different times:

1. During the construction process

2. During the assessment of the materials

3. While using them

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Constructing materials from an interdisciplinary perspective: arts,

technology, maths...

Spilt proyect. Zaurín High School in Ateca, Zaragoza (Spain)

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9

Constructing materials only in PE

9 9

Soft balls: plastic bags, paper, masking tape

Soff

Materials easy to construct

10

Badminton raquets (time: 10 minutes)

Coat hangers, old panty hose, and some masking tape

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Constructing materials outside of

school: peers, parents, tutors help...

The assessment process of the finished materials

l Safety

l Consistency

l Efficiency

l Aesthetic value

l Creative assets

12

Use of the homemade material

13

PE classes Leisure time

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2. Positive interdependence Linking personal success with our partners’ success: Common goal, shared resources and complementary

roles

Information searcher

Equipment manager

Constructer

Presenter

Reviewer

Photographer

ROLES

15

Guidelines to build a ringo

l Cardboard

l Cúter o scissors

l Masking tape (different colours)

1 2

3

4

5


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Homemade material assessment sheet

Material:

Builder:

Evaluator:

Check and use the material with your peers. After a few minutes, evaluate it using this scale:

NOT ANY FEW SOME MANY MOST

1. Safety. It is not dangerous. I trust it. 1 2 3 4 5

2. Robustness. It is hard. It does not break easily. 1 2 3 4 5

3. Utility. It works well. It is useful. 1 2 3 4 5

4. Adequacy. It is developmentally appropriate. 1 2 3 4 5

5. Aesthetics. Design and finishing are attractive. 1 2 3 4 5

Total score: __________________

Observations:__________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1

2

3

4

5

4. Interpersonal skills

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Transmit information Work together

Provide feedback Share ideas…

5. Group processing

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l Reflect on the material’s quality

l Assess the safety of the material

l Discuss how to improve it

Constructivism Perkins (1999)

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Active learner Involved in tasks that stimulate decision making, critical thinking, and problem solving

Social learner Construct knowledge through social interaction with their peers

Creative learner Discover knowledge by themselves, and create their own understanding of the subject matter

Final thoughts

Contribution of homemade materials to extend constructivism within the

CL framework

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Active learner Increase activity learning time, more opportunities to practice the skills and to play the game (in and extracurricular settings)

Social learner Interact with their peers shaping materials and assessing their effectiveness

Creative learner During the process of construction, students must solve problems (find a more functional design, create different designs or develop news games)

Self-made materials as a resource to enhance the cooperative learning model

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