Designing Groupwork

Use Complex Instruction, a popular pedagogical approach used in many countries, to respond to challenges and organize your classroom so that all students participate equitably (K–12).

Today’s diverse classrooms include students who have a wide range of previous academic achievement and different levels of receptive and productive proficiency in the language of instruction. Complex Instruction (CI), a popular pedagogical approach used in many countries, provides access to learning opportunities for all students.

Designing Groupwork, Fourth Edition incorporates current research findings with new materials on how to implement the specific conditions necessary to ensure that CI strategies reach their expected goals of equity and excellence. This updated edition addresses new classroom technologies that impact teaching and learning; challenges that arose from the global pandemic; and students’ vulnerable social-emotional states. Readers will learn how to respond to challenges and organize their classroom so that all students participate equitably.

This classic text remains a valuable and sensible resource for educators in K–12 classrooms, for teacher candidates, and for anyone working in the field of education.

Book Features:

• Easy-to-follow examples and research-based teaching strategies.
• The advantages and dilemmas of using groupwork in academically, linguistically, socially, and culturally heterogenous classrooms.
• Step-by-step approaches to successful planning, implementation, and assessment of the quality of the group tasks.
• Identification of interventions to remediate social processes that impede equitable access to academic and social resources in the classroom.
• Research findings from the work of the Program for Complex Instruction at Stanford University and other scholarly studies.

Elizabeth G. Cohen was a professor of education and sociology at the School of Education, Stanford University. Rachel A. Lotan is professor emerita and the former director of the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP), Stanford University.

Praise for Previous Editions of Designing Groupwork—

"One of the most useful and well-researched books on the topic. One of the best resources for teachers seeking to build communities of learners within their classroom walls. Designing Groupwork has earned its place in the library of anyone seeking to create high-achieving, equitable classrooms."

—Horace

“I have no doubt that this important book will be of enormous practical value, while it offers solid theoretical insights and well-documented empirical evidence as well. There is nothing as practical as a good theory, experts often say. Complex Instruction is surely one terrific theory, and Designing Groupwork is certainly one terrific book.”

—From the Foreword by Linda Darling-Hammond

“In this updated version of the now-classic text, Rachel Lotan demonstrates, once again, her virtuosity at combining enormously practical guidance for effective pedagogy with solid theory and evidence. Hugely respectful, this book doesn’t simply tell educators what to do, but explains why and how their practice of groupwork can be both deeply educative and powerfully equitable.” —Jeannie Oakes

“ Designing Groupwork has become a well-thumbed mainstay on teachers' and teacher educators' book shelves. The new edition updates a classic text for those who want both theory and practice on using this tool for daily lessons in diverse classrooms.”

—Larry Cuban