CLIM : Cooperative Learning in Multicultural groups



The CLIM method was introduced as a new learning project in Flemish primary schools in 1995 to support intercultural education by promoting partnership within heterogeneous groups. It combines both an educational approach based on the problem of "living together" and the learning of academic content based on interaction between pupils. It is therefore part of a socio-constructivist approach. Interaction is considered to be a major part of the learning process. The participation of all students in the same class in interactions within working groups is considered a necessary condition for equal access to knowledge. In other words, working in small heterogeneous groups helping each other to carry out a task is supposed to motivate students to learn by increasing their self-esteem, making them learn more and better than they could learn individually. Students can also develop real interpersonal relationships and overcome the communal issues that are currently developing in our schools.

However, working in groups is not enough to guarantee the effective participation of each student. The status given to the student within the group is one of the key factors of CLIM's success. Thus, within each group (generally comprising 4 to 5 individuals), students have a role assigned to them, supported by the tasks expected during the process. These roles allow the group to function independently without the teacher's assistance. They are of varying degrees of difficulty in order to allow each person to express his or her skills without being in a situation of failure. It is however necessary that a student is not systematically assigned the same role when the CLIM method is periodically used by the teacher. On the contrary, he or she must be able to gradually become familiar with the different roles, the most frequently proposed being those of facilitator (person who leads the group and promotes the accomplishment of the different tasks assigned by the teacher), presenter (in charge of making syntheses and leading the presentations in plenary), material manager, time manager and harmonizer (who generally intervenes as a mediator in case of conflict within the group). The teacher must therefore be vigilant in setting up the groups (aiming for the greatest possible heterogeneity of level) and in assigning roles (so as to enable each student to experience the different roles). He must also agree to delegate his responsibility as facilitator to the groups.

The central principles of CLIM activities are to include an intellectual challenge and the performance of tasks centred on learning a particular concept. The different tasks should lead to the mobilization of multiple abilities in the students in order to ensure the participation of everyone. The concern to value the different intelligences (initially defined by Howard Gardner) is often cited by users of the method as a guide to the choice of different tasks to be proposed to students. If CLIM places particular emphasis on language skills, logical, artistic and physical skills must also be mobilized.

All the tasks proposed by the educator are summarized on a resource sheet. The different tasks should stimulate the student to learn a given notion or concept. It is recommended by the creators of CLIM to allow a rotation of roles after the completion of each task but also to form new work groups to avoid inter-group competition. However, this implies a rather heavy organization, and we think it is preferable to ensure this change of group and role from one CLIM to another (it is then a question of foreseeing several CLIMs during the year and of keeping the memory of the groups formed and the roles assigned). We also consider that competition can be a favourable factor in motivating people to learn. It is above all a question of not creating groups in a sustainable way that would lead to perennial competitive behaviour.
Among the different tasks that make up a CLIM, we distinguish the following steps:

1. The introductory task: it is short and aims for the teacher to specify the notions/concepts to be acquired, to constitute the groups, to specify the roles of each pupil, to explain the framework in which he/she can intervene in the process, the possible role rotations, or group reconstruction, and finally to distribute a task sheet to be carried out.

2. The expression of the students' conceptions of the notion/concept to be acquired: this task can be divided into two parts: (1) an individual expression by the pupil using an ad hoc medium (discarded words, drawing, coat of arms, qualitative-sort, photo-language, etc.) then (2) an exchange within each group showing the different conceptions in the presence, or not, of a confrontation or a debate. This first task is supposed to encourage a first level of reflexivity on the notion/concept to be acquired, and to increase the student's motivation.

3.. Individual reading of different complementary resource sheets proposed by the teacher, each of them offering a certain insight into the concept/notion. If the cards are similar from one group to another, they are different from one student to another within the same group. The teacher should therefore provide 4 to 5 cards (depending on the number of pupils per group) highlighting certain knowledge, reflections, practices, etc. relating to the concept/notion to be acquired.

4. Cross-referencing between students who have read the same resource sheet. This task should increase understanding.

5. Return to the groups (or form new groups, making sure that all the resource sheets are present in each group) and share the key knowledge at stake in each text with the students.

6. Solving a situation-problem involving the mobilization of the knowledge acquired during the previous tasks, but also of the knowledge of experience and values (according to the concept, the notion to be learned) at stake, which the pupils can testify to.
Each problem-situation is different from one group to another.

7. Presentation in plenary of the conclusions reached in each of the problem-situations. The teacher will have taken care to motivate the students to imagine original presentations (theatre, role-playing, etc.).

8. A conclusion by the educator. He/she will be able to summarize the key points to be retained from the concept/notion, answer the questions that remain unanswered, highlight the difficulties encountered during the group work and question the behaviours that are favourable or not to cooperation....

It is rare for the teacher to have to intervene during steps 2 to 7. He/she can answer certain questions according to the needs of the groups, or be led to regulate the time (if he/she realizes that the time recommended for certain tasks is too long or too short).

INSTRUCTION


The individual tasks are the same for each participant.

ROLES within the group

NR 1 is the facilitator. You are responsible for organizing the work within the group. You read instructions aloud and make sure that everyone has understood the activities to be implemented. If someone has not understood, you invite the group to stop for a moment and give further explanations. Only you are allowed to raise your hand to ask for more explanation if your group does not understand the activities to be carried out. Warning: this can only happen after discussion within the group and if the whole group asks for it. You make sure that everyone has the opportunity to give their opinion and you should encourage anyone who does not contribute to the activity to do so. You should also encourage people to listen to each other.

NR.2 is the presenter. You take notes for the group and organize the presentations that the working group will have to make. Your role is to make sure that everyone is involved in the presentations. You will introduce the presentations and introduce the group members.


NR 3 is the Materiel Manager. You look after the materials to be used by the group. Your job is to look for the material needed by your group and also to bring it back to who it belongs to or where it was. You are the only one allowed to leave the group.

NR 4 is the time manager. Your task is to ensure that the group finishes its activities within the allotted time and to advise your group in case of delays during the activities.

NR 5 is the harmonizer. You will encourage your group members and compliment anyone who has a good idea or has done a good job. Your role is also to manage conflicts within the group if necessary.


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Everyone will take on a specific role in the group, but everyone is responsible for the whole process and the results achieved.



Human-animal relationship


Group 1



Individual task: 5 minutes

Follow the suggested Q-spell.

Group work: 20 minutes

Compare your answers with the other members of the group. Define 5 items that are unanimously true and 5 that are unanimously false; make an inventory of the discrepancies (20 minutes).

Individual work then inter-group work: 60 min.

1. The Materiel Manager will pick 5 items to distribute to the group members. Each member of the group has one item and reads it (20mn). After reading it, he/she will meet with the group of specialists who have the same article. Discuss within the group of specialists (20mn).


2. Go back to your original group, and each specialist should present the key elements of their resource (20 minutes).


Group task: 40 minutes

The facilitator reads the following issue to the group:

You are invited by a school teacher to raise awareness of the issue of meat nutrition among his fifth-grade students. The group consists of 30 students. You have half a day. What would you propose?


Plenary presentation: 5 minutes
Present your ideas in the way you find most appropriate.




Group 2



Individual task: 5 minutes

Follow the suggested Q-spell.

Group work: 20 minutes

Compare your answers with the other members of the group. Define 5 items that are unanimously true and 5 that are unanimously false; make an inventory of the discrepancies (20 minutes).

Individual work then inter-group work: 60 mn

1. Materiel Manager will pick up 5 items to distribute to his group members. Each member of the group has one item and reads it (20mn). After reading it, he will meet with the group of specialists who have the same article. Discuss within the group of specialists (20mn)


2. Go back to your original group, and each specialist should present the key elements of their resource. (20 minutes).


Group task: 40 minutes

The facilitator reads the following issue to the group:

You have been asked to host a public evening on the issue of our relationship with production animals. The event is to take place in an amphitheatre, with about a hundred people expected to attend. You expect to have a mixed urban-rural audience. What would you propose to do?


Plenary presentation: 5 minutes
Present your ideas in the way you find most appropriate.



Group 3



Individual task: 5 minutes

Follow the suggested Q-spell.

Group work: 20 minutes

Compare your answers with the other members of the group. Define 5 items that are unanimously true and 5 that are unanimously false; make an inventory of the discrepancies (20 minutes).

Individual work then inter-group work: 60 mn

1. Materiel Manager will pick up 5 items to distribute to his group members. Each member of the group has one item and reads it (20mn). After reading it, he will meet with the group of specialists who have the same article. Discuss within the group of specialists (20mn)


2. Go back to your original group, and each specialist should present the key elements of their resource. (20 minutes).


Group task: 40 minutes

The facilitator reads the following issue to the group:

You are invited to lead a day at the agricultural high school on the issue of the man-animal production relationship at the request of the principal. The audience consists of about 100 people (teachers, students, adult trainees). The headmaster would like people to stop considering the question of animal welfare, the concern being not to make people suffer received as a single constraint coming from Brussels. You have 1 day at your disposal. The exploitation of the school can be put at your disposal. What would you propose?


Plenary presentation: 5 minutes
Present your ideas in the way you find most appropriate.



Group 4


Individual task: 5 minutes

Follow the suggested Q-spell.

Group work: 20 minutes

Compare your answers with the other members of the group. Define 5 items that are unanimously true and 5 that are unanimously false; make an inventory of the discrepancies (20 minutes).

Individual work then inter-group work: 60 mn

1. The Materiel Manager will pick up 5 items to distribute to his group members. Each member of the group has one item and reads it (20mn). After reading it, he/she will meet with the group of specialists who have the same article. Discuss within the group of specialists (20mn)


2. Go back to your original group, and each specialist should present the key elements of their resource. (20 minutes).


Group task: 40 minutes

The facilitator reads the following issue to the group:
You are invited to facilitate a meeting with farmers on the issue of meat feeding in French society. You are to invite them to question their practices. How could you do this?


Plenary presentation: 5 minutes
Present your ideas in the way you find most appropriate.