JigSaw in the Classroom

There are many approaches and methods used to engage students in learning cooperatively in the classroom, an effective one is the JigSaw method.

You begin by dividing the students into small home groups of about 5-6. Each home group member then attends or participates in an expert group on a given topic. They research and share within their expert group until they feel comfortable enough to go back to their home group and share their expertise.

This strategy teaches students how to work effectively in a team. It provides variety for the students and the teacher from direct instruction. They appreciate the hard work and the depth of knowledge required to become a subject matter expert and have a responsibility to their home group to provide them with all of the necessary information. This cooperative environment also makes students appreciate and value the work that other members of their home group contribute. They must rely on the other members of their home group to provide them with the necessary information.

The JigSaw method does have its challenges as well. If an expert group member does not learn their topic completely then the entire home group will suffer. Members of the home groups will also have varying degrees of retention for the information that their other home group members presented depending on their engagement and the expert members effectiveness.

Technology can be incorporated into the JigSaw approach as well. An example of this would be... A class would be divided into 5 groups, each expert group would work together to create a PowerPoint presentation outlining their assigned expert topic, when they return to their home groups each expert would present their PowerPoint to the home group.