When Neil Davidson, president, gave a keynote address at the 1990 Conference of the International Society for the Study of Cooperation in Education, he emphasized that cooperative learning--because of its fulfillment of basic human needs, its growth as a grassroots movement, its solid research base, its endorsement by numerous state and national educational commissions, and its compatibility with virtually every sound pedagogical practice in education--was far from a passing fad.

While we were in agreement with Neil's viewpoint, we certainly did not anticipate the staggering growth of interest in cooperative learning at the postsecondary level within the past seven years. Our first attempt at collaboration, a paper on cooperative learning and accounting that was later published in the Journal of Accounting Education, also began at that conference. With Barbara's Ph.D. in English literature and background in faculty development, and Phil's Ph.D. in accounting and background in college teaching and research, we made an unlikely pair. On the patio of the Baltimore Convention Center, Barbara painstakingly reshaped Phil's often cumbersome prose and jokingly told him that, as a writer, he was a great accountant. Phil, on the other hand, patiently explained terms such as "fixed assets" and "accrual accounting," and dazzled Barbara with his creative accounting applications for cooperative learning. Just as we could not have predicted the surge of interest in cooperative learning, we likewise did not anticipate that our initial collaboration would lead to more co-authored articles, joint workshop presentations, an ongoing friendship between our two families, and, finally, this book.

This book has been a genuine labor of love as the two of us, in our respective disciplines, have explored the efficacy and the enjoyment of using cooperative-learning approaches. We are thrilled at the opportunity to share with readers what we and our cooperative friends and colleagues have discovered. We are putting into this book all the things we wish someone would have told us earlier. We are trying to address all the questions, issues, and concerns that faculty have raised at workshops, in e-mail messages, or even on airplanes. Since we find faculty both curious and hesitant, we go into detail about essential matters, such as classroom management. We also carefully provide examples of many cooperative structures in a variety of disciplines, so that faculty can "connect" with the abstractions. Chapters cover the theory and research base of cooperative learning; assessment and faculty development issues; technology compatibility; and the use of cooperative learning with teaching approaches such as the case method, problem-based learning, and cooperative games.

There is also much more.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this book lies in its thorough grounding in what is known about student learning. Too often, cooperative learning is viewed as a series of quick gimmicks, or, worse, it is simply equated with other less-structured approaches to group work. It has been confused, for example, with the ubiquitous group project, where students struggle to find mutual meeting times outside of class to produce a product, unified only by the click of a stapler, for which they all receive the same grade, regardless of effort or merit.

This book emphasizes the two key characteristics of cooperative learning. The first is its ability to create genuine communities within classrooms. Both research and practice converge on this point: when students, however diverse, work together on cooperative tasks in an atmosphere of cooperative civility where they contribute their fair share, they grow to like and respect one another.

The second characteristic is equally compelling. Deep learning is promoted by well-structured, sequenced assignments where students learn independently outside of class and then "process" the material cooperatively, in meaningful ways, to receive feedback on learning. Cooperative-learning activities allow students to internalize information, linking it in personal ways to what they already know. Thus, cooperative learning promotes both positive affective outcomes and academic achievement. Students connected to each other and to the topics they study are more motivated to learn.

Phil and I have witnessed, firsthand, the power cooperative learning has to transform students. Between us, we have taught both traditional and nontraditional students in a variety of settings, including a liberal arts college, a state research institution, a community college, an international school, a continuing education program, and a U.S. service academy. In our community service efforts, we have also seen cooperative-learning approaches have an impact on Sunday school students, Slim for Life teachers, sheriff's deputies, and Girl Scouts. We have also seen the rejuvenating influence cooperative learning has had on us. It has prompted reflection, creativity, and laughter, and has created touching memories, such as the poignant end-of-course comment by a young Vietnamese daycare worker in Barbara's literature course: "In this class, I have found true friends."

We sincerely hope that, as it moves you toward cooperative classrooms, this book will have an impact on you as well. We wish you joyful success.