Cooperative learning is grounded in the principle that students achieve deeper understanding and develop essential skills through active collaboration and shared responsibility within a group. This methodology can be implemented in two primary forms: non-role-based and role-based. The non-role-based approach offers flexibility in task distribution, fosters natural leadership, encourages individual initiative, and promotes a more organic group dynamic. However, it also presents challenges such as unequal participation, dominance by more assertive members, difficulty in evaluating individual contributions, and a potential lack of structure and focus. Conversely, the role-based approach ensures active participation from all members, provides clear individual responsibilities, facilitates the assessment of contributions, fosters skill development within specific roles, and enhances group structure and organization. Nevertheless, it may also limit individual creativity, introduce rigidity into group interactions, and cause frustration if roles are not well-matched to students’ abilities or preferences. This study investigates the impact of cooperative learning with role assignment on student engagement and academic performance. The research was conducted with first-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Agroalimentary Engineering & the Rural Environment program. Students were divided into groups to prepare an oral presentation, either with predefined roles—such as coordinator, presenter, evaluator, and critic—or without assigned roles. Student perceptions were collected through surveys, and academic performance was analyzed. Additionally, peer assessment was incorporated to encourage student involvement in the learning process. Findings revealed that the role-based approach was well received, with over 90% of students expressing strong interest. However, 66.7% found the time commitment excessive, and 58.3% reported frequent difficulties. Despite these challenges, the structured use of roles led to a 14% improvement in academic performance compared to groups without assigned roles. Another notable finding was that students tended to underestimate their peers’ performance, often rating them lower than the instructor. This discrepancy may stem from increased awareness of task-related difficulties, an incomplete understanding of assessment criteria, or elevated self-expectations. These results underscore the potential benefits of role-assigned cooperative learning in enhancing student engagement and academic achievement, while also highlighting the need for thoughtful implementation and support strategies to mitigate challenges and foster accurate self-assessment.

Keywords: Role assignment, cooperative learning, active participation.