·        The second element of a cooperative lesson is face-to-face, promotive interaction where students help, assist, encourage, and support each other’s efforts to learn.  Students promote each other’s learning by orally explaining to each other how to solve problems, discussing with each other the nature of the concepts and strategies being learned, teaching their knowledge to each other, and explaining to each other the connections between present and past learning.

·        The third element is individual accountability, where the performance of each individual student is assessed and the results given back to the group and the individual.  It is important that group members know (a) who needs more assistance in completing the assignment and (b) they cannot “hitch-hike” on the work of others.  

·        The fourth element of a cooperative lesson is social skills.  Groups cannot function effectively if students do not have and use the needed leadership, decision-making, trust-building, communication, and conflict-management skills.  These skills have to be taught just as purposefully and precisely as academic skills.

·        Finally, the fifth element of a cooperative lesson is group processing. Such processing enables learning groups to focus on group maintenance, facilitates the learning of social skills, ensures that members receive feedback on their participation, and reminds students to practice the small group skills required to work cooperatively.