Jigsaw Learning

Activity Summary

The jigsaw technique is a method of organizing classroom activity that makes students dependent on each other to succeed. Each student of a “home” group specializes in one aspect of a topic meeting with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and, after mastering the material, returns to the “home” group and teaches the material to their group members.

Activity Plan

1

Preliminary

Split the topic you want to cover into 4-5 parts.

2

5 min

Split students into heterogeneous groups (called “home groups”) of 4-5 members each and assign each subtopic to one student in each group.

3

20 min

Each student reviews their material individually (without studying it in this stage).

4

20 min

Form temporary “expert groups” by uniting students who are assigned the same part. Give the experts time to discuss the main points of their paragraph and to decide how to present their material to their groups.

5

15 min

Each student, after discussion with the group of experts, studies their part individually (either while still in class or at home).

6

45 min

The experts return to their home group. Everyone presents their part in the group. Encourage others to ask clarifying questions.

7

Contextual

At the end of the activity, you can test the learning outcomes in any way you like.

Tips & Tricks

  • This activity can be used as an active method of learning the topic, where the students become responsible co-creators of the learning. This process can be an iterative activity during lessons and depending on the length of the material to cover, it can run over a number of classes if necessary.
  • It is important that expert groups are not left to their own devices but are given specific guidance on the most important points of the material they are to cover.
  • Time of the steps of the activity depends on the needs present in the classroom and of the level of complexity of the topic, so this activity can be shaped timewise for its context.

Additional Resources

Learn more about this method here: https://www.jigsaw.org/

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Group

Setup and materials

No particular materials are required.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Cooperative learning among peers
Listening, communication, empathy and problem-solving skills
Comprehension of the topic

Pillars insight

Creativity

The students practice creative thinking in regards to how they might best convey their knowledge to their “home groups”.

Co-creation

Students within “expert groups” are free to create the best way to present their material to “home” group mates. Thereby the students co-create their own learning while practicing their presentation and communication skills.

Well-being

Each student feels a part of a group and feels important and engaged because the success of the group depends on their participation.

Print or download

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