States that the combination of group rewards (based on group members' individual learning) and peer interaction on learning tasks is necessary to produce learning gains characteristic of effective cooperative learning methods. Discusses research on group contingencies and cooperative learning in the elementary school classroom.(NH)

This response to an article by Karen Tateyama-Sniezek (EC 230 117), which examined the effectiveness of cooperative learning with mildly disabled students, reconsiders a table by adding more comparison statistics, effect sizes, and standard individual measures of achievement. Noted are the scarcity of studies including individual accountability…

Reviews research on developmental and motivational perspectives on cooperative learning. Presents a theory which reconciles these perspectives and emphasizes the role of group rewards for individual learning in motivating students to provide high-quality assistance to their group-mates. (PCB)