Abstract: Tertiary education aims to develop specialist knowledge and the graduates' ability toapply the knowledge and skills to function effectively in their chosen career or work.Employers have criticised tertiary education when graduates cannot workco-operatively or independently in the work setting and teachers look for alternativesto lecturing to help develop these abilities. Cooperative learning (CL) is one suchmethod and this paper reports on a literature review and pilot study which exploredthe use of CL in a tertiary setting. The study was guided by three questions: 1) Whatarea the teacher's conceptions of effective learning and teaching? 2) How are theyusing CL and what is their role? 3) How are they assessing CL classes?Data was collected through in-depth interviews, using semi-structured questions,with three female and one male teacher from different disciplines in an urbanpolytechnic. Responses to each question were analysed thematically for recurringcodes and these were grouped into categories. Effective teaching was seen aswhere teachers facilitated the learning process by selecting appropriate teachingmethods, fostering classroom climate and monitoring learning. Effective learning waswhere students were actively engaged in the learning process and demonstratedtheir understanding and application of knowledge and skills. CL was used in avariety of ways and their role was to use strategies to foster the learning processand monitor learning. Assessment involved both individual and group presentations.Issues related to cooperative learning are discussed and recommendations forteaching made