RESEARCH BASE
CPM is Built Upon Three Pillars
The Three Pillars are:
Collaborative Learning: Students learn ideas more deeply when they discuss ideas with classmates.
Problem-Based Learning: Students learn ideas more usefully for other arenas when they learn by attacking problems—ideally from the real world.
Mixed, Spaced Practice: Students learn ideas more permanently when they are required to engage and re-engage with the ideas for months or even years.
These pillars were synthesized from NCTM standards and research on constructivism in the early 1990s. The Three Pillars are still reflected in current NCTM standards and research in mathematics education; what we know about their benefits for mathematics learning continues to deepen and expand but not shift.
Dr. Tom Sallee, a mathematician and co-founder of CPM, reviewed and synthesized the research on mathematics learning in relation to each of The Three Pillars. Read CPM’s research base reports listed below to learn more about the evidence.
2023 CPM Research Base Report
Original CPM Research Base Report
1CPM originally used the term “cooperative learning” rather than “collaborative learning.” As research emerged showing the powerful difference between cooperative and collaborative learning for student outcomes, CPM has shifted it’s language to reflect the research. For more information, please see the Cooperation v. Collaboration Research Brief (PDF).