Group Puzzle
| Type | Team Size | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Me, Myself and I | Group Collaboration | The Academic System | Software | 1 | 2-10 | 11-30 | 30+ |
In short: Group puzzles are a teaching method used in classrooms to promote cooperative learning.
What, Why & When
The group puzzle, also commonly referred to as jigsaw method or jigsaw teaching technique, was developed by Elliot Aronson in the early 70s. The original idea was to improve racial conflict among students after the desegregation of schools in the US. It is a group exercise that is frequently used in teaching to promote cooperative learning. As a result of the specific design, each student’s contribution is required to complete the “puzzle”.
Goals
- comprehension of a new topic
- cooperative learning
- improve communication skills
Getting Started
Preparation: For preparation, the topic to be learned must be divided into a number of subtopics (the “puzzle pieces”) that are equal in extent. For each subtopic, learning materials are prepared.
- The class is divided into groups where the number of students in a group equals the number of subtopics to be covered. Each student in the group is assigned one of the subtopics, so that all subtopics are represented in each group. For example, if you have divided the topic for the day into four subtopics, students should form groups of four, where each of the four group members gets to explore a different subtopic. Next, everyone gets time to get familiar with their topic on their own, using the prepared materials.
- The students now form new groups. All students that were assigned to the same subtopic form “expert groups” to discuss the materials. They might be asked to prepare notes, a presentation or a handout for the other students that were working on different subtopics. It is important that each student must be able to present their subtopic on their own, e.g. each student must have their own notes.
- Then, the students return to their original groups. Each group now has one expert per subtopic, who presents their topic to the rest of the group and answers questions. Once everyone has presented, each student has knowledge of all topics and the puzzle is complete.
The class can be ended by testing the newly acquired knowledge with a quiz or discussing the topic / open questions again with all students.
Strengths & Limitations
There are some practical challenges when using cooperative learning approaches, that can be considered.
- Dominant students: To avoid that single students dominate the group too much, it is possible to choose a leader on a rotating bases, that has the additional responsibility to ensure equal participation. The teacher can additionally encourage students to keep questions or comments for after the presentations of their fellow students.
- Differences in learning pace: To address differences in individual learning pace, the formation of expert groups may help to make sure that everyone is on the same page and has materials to present. Faster students may benefit from the additional challenge of teaching their subtopic to the other students.
- Experiences with cooperative learning: If students have little prior experience with cooperative learning, this approach might be more difficult for them. One possibility to address this challenge could be to prepare the students for the cooperative learning process, for example by working on their social skills first (Vives et al. 2024).
When it comes to the scientific evidence for the benefits of using group puzzles in teaching, the results are rather mixed. Compared to its popularity, there are relatively few studies addressing the outcomes for academic performance and psychosocial variables (Vives et al. 2024). Crone et al. (2013) have found that using the teaching technique in a university setting when conducted regularly, had positive effects on student’s confidence in communication, teaching class materials to others and in themselves as scholars, but found no positive effect on academic performance. Moreno (2009) compared the jigsaw approach to individual and cooperative learning approaches in a multimedia learning approach with college students and found that students in the jigsaw group were less able to transfer their knowledge to novel problems, possibly because only the experts engaged deeply with the respective material. A systematic review conducted by Vives et al. (2024) found mixed outcomes on academic performance. Positive effects were mostly observed in subjects related to language, arts and social sciences. However, there might be an enhanced retention of knowledge. For the psychosocial variables, they found that group puzzles improved students attitudes towards the learning context and increased feelings of competence and motivation, but there were mixed results for effects on self-esteem and prejudice reduction. Generally, positive effects could be observed compared to a traditional teaching approach, but not in comparison with other cooperative learning approaches.
Links & Further Readings
- Aronson, Elliot. 2000-2024. “The Jigsaw Classroom”. https://www.jigsaw.org/ [13.12.2024].
- Crone, Travis S., and Mary C. Portillo. 2013. “Jigsaw Variations and Attitudes About Learning and the Self in Cognitive Psychology.” 'Teaching of Psychology' 40 (3): 246–51. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628313487451.
- Moreno, Roxana. 2009. “Constructing Knowledge With an Agent-based Instructional Program: A Comparison of Cooperative and Individual Meaning Making.” 'Learning and Instruction' 19 (5): 433–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2009.02.018.
- Vives, Eva, Céline Poletti, Anaïs Robert, Fabrizio Butera, Pascal Huguet, and Isabelle Régner. 2024. “Learning With Jigsaw: A Systematic Review Gathering All the Pieces of the Puzzle More Than 40 Years Later.” 'Review of Educational Research', March. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241230064.
The author of this entry is Hannah Metke.
