Design cooperation with visible individual contributions and complementary roles.
Practitioner frameworkA thinking tool for design. Direct tests of its effect are limited.
Example
Editorial example: a researcher and reviewer contribute different roles to one guide.
Why it works
Johnson and Johnson review social interdependence and cooperative learning, emphasizing interdependence and individual accountability beyond a shared score.
On the web
Offer a small shared goal and changeable roles, retaining a solo path. Check whether work concentrates on a few people.
When it backfires
Educational evidence is not a retention guarantee for every team feature. Avoid forced participation and pressure on nonparticipants.
Sources
Reviews connections among cooperative-learning theory, research and practice.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative Learning. Educational Researcher, 38, 365–379. Open source