Universal School-Based Substance Use Prevention Using Technology-Supported Cooperative Learning.

Substance use in adolescence is a significant public health issue, particularly in early-to-mid adolescence, which represents a window of risk in the etiology of substance abuse and dependence. Substance use during this development period often results from affiliation with deviant peers, who model, facilitate, and reinforce use. Existing school-based substance use prevention programs have historically aimed to build adolescent knowledge regarding the dangers of substance use and/or enhance peer refusal skills. Research finds that these programs have had some success in reducing substance use, but meta-analyses report that average effect sizes are small. In a small one-year cluster randomized trial (12 middle and high schools; N = 813 students; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04478240), cooperative learning (CL) was implemented with the support of specialized technology and evaluated for its ability to reduce deviant peer affiliation and, in turn, reduce substance use. CL is a structured approach to small-group learning that provides at-risk youth with the opportunity to build friendships with more prosocial youth, interrupting the process of deviant peer clustering. Multi-level modeling revealed intervention effects for deviant peer affiliation and alcohol use across the sample, while tobacco use was significantly reduced among non-White students; intervention effects for marijuana use were only marginally significant. Effects for dosage were found for all outcomes, suggesting that every lesson taught had a significant impact. We conclude that CL, delivered with the aid of specialized technology, represents a viable option for universal substance use prevention. Future research should attempt to combine this approach with evidence-based prevention curricula.

Technology-supported cooperative learning as a universal mental health intervention in middle and high school.

BACKGROUND: Adolescent mental health issues are a major public health concern, highlighted by the US Surgeon General as a crisis. Traditional school-based interventions show inconsistent success, creating a demand for effective solutions. AIMS: This study evaluates the impact of technology-supported cooperative learning (CL) on adolescent mental health, focusing on positive peer relations and peer victimization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants included 813 adolescents (50.2% female; 70.7% White) from 12 middle and high schools in the Pacific Northwest. The study used hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) to assess the effectiveness of CL facilitated via PeerLearning.net. RESULTS: Implementing CL led to significant improvements in peer relations and reductions in victimization and mental health problems, with moderate-to-large effect sizes observed across different demographics. Positive peer relations significantly predicted lower victimization and improved mental health. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the potential of technology-supported CL in addressing adolescent mental health by enhancing protective factors and reducing risks. Such interventions offer a scalable and sustainable approach for schools to address mental health challenges. CONCLUSION: Technology-supported cooperative learning offers a promising strategy for improving adolescent mental health, demonstrating significant benefits in peer relations and reducing victimization. This approach provides schools with an accessible and effective tool to tackle the mental health crisis among students.

Outcomes of jigsaw technique in nurse education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To determine the effect of Jigsaw technique in nursing education by meta-analysis method. BACKGROUND: Innovative methods actively engage students in the learning process, contrasting with the traditional memorization-based methods. Jigsaw technique, as one of these approaches, allows students to collaborate in small groups with the aim of accomplishing a shared learning objective. DESIGN: A meta-analysis of observational studies. DATA SOURCES: Google Scholar, Science Direct, Pubmed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Medline, CINAHL and Cochrane Library electronic databases in English was systematically searched from inception from January 2011 to December 2022. METHOD: This review used the preferred reporting items for meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The Cochrane Risk-of-Bias (RoB) Tool was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. Statistical analysis was conducted with the Comprehensive Meta Analysis (CMA) software. RESULTS: In the study, 11 studies from 6 different countries were examined. It has been determined that the Jigsaw learning technique in nursing students is a method that enables students to increase their academic success compared with traditional learning methods. In addition, it has been determined because of studies that Jigsaw learning technique is effective in students; interpersonal relations, critical thinking, communication and clinical skills, as well as increasing motivation, self-concept and attitudes such as self-confidence. Funnel plot, Classic Fail-Safe N, Begg-Mazumdar Rank tests showed no publication bias. CONCLUSION: As a result of the meta-analysis, it was determined that the Jigsaw technique had a positive effect on the academic achievement, skills and attitudes of nursing students.

A cord of four strands: Perspective of pre-medical and medical students on combined teaching modalities in undergraduate biochemistry.

Despite being a traditional coursework for pre-medical and medical students around the globe, biochemistry education suffers from a lack of positive appreciation due to the nature of the subject combined with deficiency of teaching modalities. A first semester biochemistry course was designed to include four different teaching modalities: lectures, recitations, case studies, and student presentations. A multi-item, anonymous, and voluntary questionnaire was distributed to students who had just completed the course and to those who had taken it the previous year. The questionnaire asked students to evaluate the course and how the different modalities affected their learning. These questionnaires took place in a two-year period between 2020 and 2021. Eighty-six (46%) of 186 total students responded. The vast majority of respondents agreed with the use of multimodal teaching techniques with respect to its impact on overall preparedness for future coursework, understanding, and enjoyability. Lectures and recitations were found to be the most useful in information retention and learning, although the same were found to be less enjoyable than other modalities. Although case studies and presentations were found to be enjoyable, most students ranked them low in terms of information retention and were the most voted to be removed from the course. There was general agreement between premedical and medical students' perception on the usefulness of the multimodal teaching techniques with respect to medical biochemistry modules and standardized exams. The agreement between cohorts suggests the premedical students accurately evaluated the usefulness of the course for the following year and validates the usefulness of the premedical student surveys. Use of multiple modalities in biochemistry education can be of substantial benefit in engaging and preparing students for further education.

Tangible digital collaborative storytelling in adolescents with intellectual disability and neurodevelopmental disorders.

BACKGROUND: Collaborative storytelling can be a helpful tool to promote cognitive and social skills in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. AIMS: The current study aimed to explore the benefits of collaborative storytelling using traditional (TST), digital (DST), and tangible digital (TDST) methodologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen Spanish students with mild to moderate intellectual disability and other neurodevelopmental comorbid disorders participated in collaborative storytelling sessions in the classroom, following an experimental, mixed, and cross-sectional design. The study comprised three individual assessments of narrative skills and eight collaborative storytelling sessions using different storytelling methodologies. Individual and collaborative stories were videotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analysed for formal and content characteristics. Behaviours and interactions during the collaborative storytelling were analysed for each group and session. RESULTS: The results show a positive effect of collaboration on students' stories, compared to individual performance, regardless of the methodology used. CONCLUSION: Collaboration, technological device handling, and shared storytelling did not present a barrier for the participants.

Motivational climate dimensions predict youth soccer players' psychosocial well-being over time.

OBJECTIVES: This study tested a longitudinal model of relationships, based on self-determination theory, to determine whether motivational climate dimensions predicted young athletes' psychological need satisfaction and, in turn, personal and social responsibility. DESIGN: We used a longitudinal design. METHOD: Youth soccer players (N = 161; M = 10.8 years-old, SD = 1.0 year) completed a survey at two time points, spaced 4 months apart, on average. RESULTS: Several significant direct effects emerged. First, greater perceptions that coaches punished for mistakes predicted decreases in relatedness with coaches and teammates. Second, greater perceptions of relatedness with coaches and teammates predicted increases in personal and social responsibility. Indirect effects also emerged: (a) punishment for mistakes predicted decreases in personal responsibility and social responsibility, and (b) cooperative learning predicted increases in social responsibility, through effects on coach and teammate relatedness. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that coaches who provide opportunities for collaborative learning and minimize mistake-contingent punishment will foster athletes' sense of connection and enhance their psychosocial well-being.

Integrating Scientific Growth and Professional Development Skills in Research Environments to Aid in the Persistence of Marginalized Students.

Here, we describe strategies for integrating transferrable professional development (PD) skills into research learning environments for marginalized undergraduate students. The undergraduate research experience evolved to include the competencies students need to be successful and to gain a sense of belonging in the chemistry community they are seeking. These asset-based transferrable PD skills are part of the "hidden curriculum" not taught in traditional classrooms and yet are an integral part of student learning and success. Furthermore, current practices, or lack thereof, tend to promote inequity and fail to amplify key asset-based skills for marginalized students to navigate academic, industrial, and professional settings effectively. Consequently, many students leave STEM communities. The following six PD skills are core competencies that have been implemented in a diverse undergraduate research environment to equip students with the skills needed to navigate various STEM environments. These include: (1) Effective Communication, (2) Negotiation, (3) Leadership, (4) Networking, (5) Interpersonal skills, and (6) Active Listening. Learning topics for each of the PD skills enable mentors to help preprofessional, marginalized students gain a sense of belonging, build a network, connect with mentors, develop self-advocacy, implement interpersonal skills, manage conflict, and navigate spaces that do not fully represent them. The inclusive integration of scientific and PD skills into research experiences serves as a template that can be extended to high school and graduate students. These integrated transferrable skills are one way to increase diversity in STEM professions and bridge the gap in leadership in academia and industry.

Focusing on the value of cooperative learning in physical education: a bibliometric analysis.

The shift toward cooperative learning has highlighted the growing advantages of individual learning modes during the transition. Nevertheless, a systematic compilation of the precise classification and developmental dynamics of cooperative learning in PE has been absent. This study aimed to organize the existing progress and significance of collaborative learning. The study entailed a meticulous systematic review process, examining 169 articles in this domain with the aid of visualization software. The results of the study indicate that the overall use of cooperative learning in physical education is on the rise and will reach its highest level in 2021; Second, the keywords, major core scholars, journals, countries, and major research topics; the visual knowledge map reveals the major research topics of intrinsic motivation, cooperative learning, motor skills, self-learning, written expression, and pedagogical models. The research primarily centers on primary and secondary education, followed by teacher training and higher education. At the primary and secondary school levels, there is a specific focus on aspects such as motivation, teacher-student relationships, and the group atmosphere. This research also explores sustainable development and training for PE teachers, model integration, and its influence on students' intrinsic motivation; and finally, the future directions of cooperative learning in PEare summarized. This study provides meaningful and valuable information on how cooperative learning models can be used and developed in various teaching and learning environments, physical education teacher education, and overall student development.

Enhancing anatomy education through cooperative learning: harnessing virtual reality for effective gross anatomy learning.

The advent of virtual reality (VR) in education offers unique possibilities for facilitating cooperative learning strategies, particularly in fields demanding intricate spatial understanding, such as gross anatomy. This study investigates the impact of integrating cooperative learning strategies within a VR-based gross anatomy curriculum, focusing on enhancing students' anatomy knowledge and skills. We analyzed the performance of two cohorts of first-year nursing students across five semesters (2016-2020), where traditional learning methods were used in the first three semesters (2016-2018), and a VR-based cooperative learning approach was adopted in the last two semesters (2019-2020). Our findings suggest that the VR-based cooperative learning group achieved significantly higher scores in their gross anatomy laboratory courses compared to their counterparts learning through traditional methods. This research provides valuable insights into how the integration of VR technology and cooperative learning strategies can not only enhance learning outcomes but also improve the VR learning experience by reducing motion sickness. It accentuates the potential of VR-based cooperative learning as an impactful educational tool in anatomy education. Future research should further explore the optimal integration of VR and cooperative learning strategies in diverse course types and their potential to enhance educational outcomes and the learning experience.

The effect of Jigsaw technique on nursing students' psychomotor skill levels and academic achievement: A quasi-experimental study.

AIM: To determine the effect of Jigsaw Technique on students' psychomotor skill levels, academic achievement and retention of knowledge on local drug applications and their opinion on Jigsaw Technique. BACKGROUND: It is thought that the use of teaching methods and techniques that will increase the student's participation in the lesson and increase the satisfaction level in the learning process will affect the achievement of the expected outputs at the end of the lesson. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental educational intervention study. METHODS: The study was conducted with 98 first-year undergraduate nursing students in Turkey. The students in the intervention group (n=49) learned the subject with the jigsaw technique and the students in the control group (n=49) learned the subject with the traditional method. Data were collected using "Questionnaire for Local Drug Applications", "Skill Assessment Form", "Jigsaw Opinion Scale", "Kolb Learning Style Inventory-III" and demographic questionnaire. Percentage, frequency, independent sample t-test, ANOVA were used in data analysis. RESULTS: The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the local drug application knowledge mean scores of both groups (A: 64.72 SD 11.66; B: 65.89 SD 13.13; p>.05). The difference between the skill point averages of both groups (A: 69.18 ± 15.99; B: 52.35 SD 19.85; p<.05) was found to be significant. In the first and second measurements to determine the permanence of knowledge, the mean score of the intervention group (78.23 SD 13.26; 73.37 SD 14.28) was compared to the control group (67.64 Sd 14.87; 54.42 SD 12.82) was found to be significantly higher (p<.05). It was determined that the Jigsaw Opinion Scale mean score of the students was 55.80 SD 7.49. CONCLUSIONS: In the results of the study, it was determined that the Jigsaw Technique is an effective teaching method to improve the psychomotor skill levels of nursing first year students and to increase the retention of knowledge.

Process oriented guided inquiry learning: A systematic review using bibliometric analysis.

Process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL), is a group-learning method that contributes to the active participation of learners in learning/teaching environments. However, a standard process for using the POGIL in classes is not available. In addition, no systematic reviews using bibliometric analysis in the literature examine the studies concerning POGIL in terms of content and research trends. From this viewpoint, this study aimed to examine the documents related to POGIL with the bibliometric analysis method to contribute to the development of POGIL. It analyses the publications made about POGIL in the period between 1999 and 2023. A total of 179 publications available on the Web of Science were included in the study. It was found following the analyses that the publications were made in various research areas and were published in several journals. They were mostly published in the USA and the researcher with the greatest number of publications was Clifton L. Kussmaul.

'We work together as a group': implications of jigsaw cooperative learning.

BACKGROUND: Modern clinical practice increasingly relies on collaborative, cooperative and team-based approaches for effective patient care. Recently, Jigsaw cooperative learning has gained attention in medical education. There is a need for studies in Southeast Asian context to establish its effectives in developing various core competencies expected of health professionals such as interpersonal, communication, collaborative, and teamwork skills. This current study explores the impact of using Jigsaw Cooperative Learning on undergraduate medical students. METHOD: An explanatory mixed method research design was carried out on first year medical students at a private university in Malaysia. In Phase I, a survey was conducted to explore the effectiveness of jigsaw learning. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS. In Phase II, a focus group interview was conducted to explore their in-depth experiences. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: Fifty-seven students participated in the survey and seven students took part in the focus group interview. Quantitative data analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in the student's individual accountability, promotive interaction, positive interdependence, interpersonal skill, communication skill, teamwork skill, critical thinking and consensus building after jigsaw learning sessions. Qualitative data explained their experiences in-depth. CONCLUSION: Jigsaw cooperative learning improves collaboration, communication, cooperation and critical thinking among the undergraduate medical students. Educators should use jigsaw learning methods to encourage effective collaboration and team working. Future studies should explore the effectiveness of the jigsaw cooperative learning technique in promoting interprofessional collaboration in the workplace.

Effects of the Jigsaw method on student educational outcomes: systematic review and meta-analyses.

Introduction: Cooperative learning methods are particularly interesting for building more inclusive schools; however, they have not been widely implemented. Among cooperative learning methods, the Jigsaw strategy is attractive for teachers, as it seems to be easy to implement and follow its four-step teaching structure; in addition, this method is believed to improve students' socialization and learning. To identify the effects of the Jigsaw method accurately, a systematic review of studies that have tested the effects of this method on important student educational outcomes was proposed and completed using a meta-analytical approach. Methods: A total of 69 Jigsaw studies were analyzed, and three major outcomes were retained following inductive and deductive thematic analyses: learning (including achievement and motivation), social relations, and self- esteem (including academic self-esteem and social self-esteem). When possible, complementary meta-analyses were conducted to quantify the Jigsaw effects on achievement (n = 43), motivation (n = 5), social relations (n = 4), and academic self-esteem (n = 4). Results: The primary results of our review focused on the inconsistency of Jigsaw effects and the high degree of variability among studies with regard to all retained student educational outcomes (i.e., achievement, motivation, social relations, and academic self-esteem) with the exception of social self-esteem, for which only three studies concluded that the Jigsaw method had positive effects. Moreover, homogeneous results were observed within studies. Our review highlights several factors that may explain this variability among studies: the sample size, the diversity of students in the classroom, and the type of content taught. Discussion: The moderating roles of these factors must be tested empirically, as they suggest ways of implementing the Jigsaw method more efficiently.

A Subtraction-Average-Based Optimizer for Solving Engineering Problems with Applications on TCSC Allocation in Power Systems.

The present study introduces a subtraction-average-based optimization algorithm (SAOA), a unique enhanced evolutionary technique for solving engineering optimization problems. The typical SAOA works by subtracting the average of searcher agents from the position of population members in the search space. To increase searching capabilities, this study proposes an improved SAO (ISAO) that incorporates a cooperative learning technique based on the leader solution. First, after considering testing on different standard mathematical benchmark functions, the proposed ISAOA is assessed in comparison to the standard SAOA. The simulation results declare that the proposed ISAOA establishes great superiority over the standard SAOA. Additionally, the proposed ISAOA is adopted to handle power system applications for Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC) allocation-based losses reduction in electrical power grids. The SAOA and the proposed ISAOA are employed to optimally size the TCSCs and simultaneously select their installed transmission lines. Both are compared to two recent algorithms, the Artificial Ecosystem Optimizer (AEO) and AQuila Algorithm (AQA), and two other effective and well-known algorithms, the Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO) and Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO). In three separate case studies, the standard IEEE-30 bus system is used for this purpose while considering varying numbers of TCSC devices that will be deployed. The suggested ISAOA's simulated implementations claim significant power loss reductions for the three analyzed situations compared to the GWO, AEO, PSO, and AQA.

Gamification and cooperative learning: effects of a hybridization in physical education / Gamificación y aprendizaje cooperativo: efectos de una hibridación en educación física

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar el impacto de una unidad didáctica de Educación Física (EF) sobre la satisfacción en las clases de EF, la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas, la motivación, el clima social escolar y el rendimiento cognitivo. Se utilizó un diseño cuasi-experimental con grupo control para una muestra total de 120 estudiantes de Educación Secundaria (M = 13,48; DT = 1,36) a los que se les administró un cuestionario para analizar las variables de estudio. Se aplicó la unidad didáctica basada en la hibridación de la gamificación y el aprendizaje cooperativo (GF + CL) durante 8 sesiones. El programa mostró mejoras en el índice de mediadores psicológicos, la función ejecutiva de la planificación, la satisfacción de los alumnos de educación física y el clima social escolar, lo que podría ser adecuado para mejorar el rendimiento de los profesores de educación física en los centros educativos. (AU)

The present study aimed to assess the impact of a Physical Education (PE) teaching unit on PE satisfaction classes, basic psychological needs satisfaction, motivation, school social climate and cognitive performance. A quasi-experimental design with a control group was used for a total sample of 120 students of Secondary Education (M = 13,48; SD = 1,36) to whom a questionnaire was administered to analyse the study variables. The teaching unit based on the hybridization of gamification and Cooperative Learning (GF + CL) was applied for 8 sessions. The programme showed improvements in the psychological mediators index, executive function of planning, the PE students satisfaction and the school social climate, which would make it suitable for the improvement in the performance of PE teachers in educational centres. (AU)

A Multistep Science Literacy Training Framework in an Introductory Biology Classroom: Teaching How to Find, Evaluate, Comprehend, and Cite Scientific Evidence.

Today's undergraduates are tomorrow's decision makers. Many of these decisions in biological sciences can influence whether the vaccines for the next pandemic will be effective, whether the mitigation efforts will have any impact on climate change, or whether we can produce enough food for the rapidly increasing human population while fighting the next pest outbreak. These informed decisions will need to be made by scientifically literate humans, including health professionals, politicians, and media personalities, who are currently undergraduates in our courses. Students in introductory biology classes can build a strong science literacy foundation by learning how to find, evaluate, read, discuss, and cite scientific evidence. An interconnected, multistep framework that uses library guides, active learning methods, group discussions, and collaborative learning is being used for nearly a decade in Investigative Biology and has been shown to significantly improve students' perceived science literacy and science communication skills. In this article, we share basic guidelines about how to implement this framework in one long laboratory session or in consecutive lectures. The flow of the proposed exercises has been tested and adjusted based on students' feedback and the authors' experiences, and a wide variety of resources are being shared to help the successful implementation of this framework in courses that would like to train the next generation of science-literate biologists.

Aprendizaje cooperativo, necesidades psicológicas básicas e intencionalidad de mantenerse físicamente activo / Cooperative learning, basic psychological needs and intention to be physically active

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluarlos efectos de un programa de larga duración de Aprendizaje Cooperativo en las necesidades psicológicas básicas de los estudiantes y su intención de ser físicamente activos. Un total de 109 estudiantes (12-14 años) de cuatro clases diferentes de primer curso de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria aceptaron participar. Los estudiantes fueron organizados en un grupo experimental (n=56),que desarrolló un programa de intervención de Aprendizaje Cooperativo en Educación Física durante cinco meses (cinco unidades didácticas, 40 sesiones),y un grupo de control (n=53) que experimentó, durante el mismo periodo, las mismas unidades didácticas bajo un enfoque de Instrucción Directa. Se siguió un diseño cuasi-experimental de medidas repetidas, empleando una comparación de grupos pretest-postest. Los resultados evidenciaron mejoras estadísticamente significativas en la intención de ser físicamente activo y las necesidades psicológicas básicas de autonomía y relación solo en el grupo de alumnos que experimentaron el Aprendizaje Cooperativo. (AU)

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of a long-term Cooperative Learning programme in students’ basic psychological needs and their intention to be physically active. A total of 109 students (12-14 years old) enrolled in four different Year 8 classes of Secondary Education agreed to participate. Students were organised into an experimental group (n=56), who experienced a Cooperative Learning intervention programme in Physical Education for five months (five learning units, 40 sessions) and a control group (n=53) who experimented, during the same period, the same learning units under a Direct Instruction approach. A quasi-experimental repeated measure applying a pre-test, post-test comparison group design was followed. The results evidenced statistically significant improvements in the intention to be physically active and the basic psychological needs for autonomy and relatedness only in the group of students who experienced Cooperative Learning. (AU)

A Historical Review of Collaborative Learning and Cooperative Learning.

Collaborative learning and cooperative learning are two separate approaches developed independently by two groups of scholars around the same period of time in the 1960 and 1970 s. Due to their different origins and intertwined paths of development, they have their own distinct features while sharing many similarities. The relationship between collaborative learning and cooperative learning can be confusing. Therefore, this paper provides a brief historical review of collaborative learning and cooperative learning to identify the origins of each, where they diverge from each other, and where they are aligned. This paper examines the definitions of the two terms and compares their characteristics. This is followed by a discussion of their historical development in the last fifty years: early development between the 1960 and 1970 s; maturation in the 1980 and 1990 s; convergence in the mid-1990s; and the emergence of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) in the late 1980s. Finally, this paper summarizes the four paradigms of mainstream research on collaborative and cooperative learning, namely, the "effect" paradigm, the "conditions" paradigm, the "interaction" paradigm, and the "design" paradigm.

Three heads are better than one: cooperative learning brains wire together when a consensus is reached.

Theories of human learning converge on the view that individuals working together learn better than do those working independently. Little is known, however, about the neural mechanisms of learning through cooperation. We addressed this research gap by leveraging functional near-infrared spectroscopy to record the brain activity of triad members in a group simultaneously. Triads were instructed to analyze an ancient Chinese poem either cooperatively or independently. Four main findings emerged. First, we observed significant within-group neural synchronization (GNS) in the left superior temporal cortex, supramarginal gyrus, and postcentral gyrus during cooperative learning compared with independent learning. Second, the enhancement of GNS in triads was amplified when a consensus was reached (vs. elaboration or argument) during cooperative learning. Third, GNS was predictive of learning outcome at an early stage (156-170 s after learning was initiated). Fourth, social factors such as social closeness (e.g. how much learners liked one other) were reflected in GNS and co-varied with learning engagement. These results provide neuroscientific support for Piaget's theory of cognitive development and favor the notion that successful learning through cooperation involves dynamic consensus-building, which is captured in neural patterns shared across learners in a group.

Costs and benefits of cooperative learning as a universal school-based approach to adolescent substance use prevention.

Substance use during early adolescence implies a greater likelihood of abuse and dependence in later adolescence or adulthood. In turn, substance abuse and dependence are linked to a variety of maladaptive long-term health-related outcomes that imply significant individual and societal costs. In this paper, we evaluated an approach to substance use prevention that relies on the vital role of peers, who comprise a key risk factor for adolescent substance use. This approach (i.e., cooperative learning, CL) focuses on interrupting the process of deviant peer clustering and providing at-risk youth with the opportunity to build social skills and cultivate friendships with low-risk youth. In addition to testing the efficacy of CL in reducing the number of students who become regular substance users, we also conducted a cost-benefit analysis. Using four waves of data from a cluster-randomized trial (N = 15 middle schools, 1890 students, 47.1% female, 75.2% White, 13.9% of students were receiving special education services), we found that significantly lower percentages of students in the intervention (CL) schools became regular users of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana. We estimated that the reduction in substance use associated with the implementation of CL resulted in total lifetime benefits of between $1027 and $4621 per student (in 2019 dollars), or between $8.79 and $39.54 for each dollar invested in CL. Benefit/cost ratios would go up to $22.54-$101.39 per dollar invested with the continual implementation of CL, assuming retraining every 5 years. Implications and future research directions are discussed.