Cooperative Thinking: The BUILD Strategy

The Cooperative Thinking Strategies are a group of strategies students can use to think and work productively together. These instructional programs provide ways to accommodate a diversity of learners in inclusive classrooms and enable students to learn complex higher-order thinking skills that they can use to work together harmoniously with others in school, leisure, family, community, and work setting.
BUILD Strategy Guidebook Cover Image

The purpose of the BUILD Strategy is to enable students to work together to make decisions using a process similar to a debate. Students learn to examine an issue and define opposing sides, gather information, understand the consequences of decisions, identify possible compromises, review facts, make a personal decision, and conduct a team vote.

Research results showed that in the experimental condition, the average score for students from the observational measure and products written by students as they discussed the issue was 21.4 percent on the pretest and 80.1 percent after learning the BUILD Strategy. The comparison group, which did not learn the BUILD Strategy, scored 15.1 percent on the pretest and 19.6 percent on the posttest.

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This product is available through Edge Enterprises, Inc.

Please note that professional development, coaching, and infrastructure support are essential components to effective implementation of SIM instructional tools and interventions. It is highly recommended that you work with a SIM professional developer. See the SIM Event list for sessions or email simpd@ku.edu to learn more.

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Author(s): D. Sue Vernon, Jean B. Schumaker, and Donald D. Deshler
Publication Info: Edge Enterprises, Inc.

Resources:

An accessible version of the documents on this site will be made available upon request. Please contact the KU CRL Professional Development Research Institute, at simpd@ku.edu to request the document be made available in an accessible format.