Research findings also are helping educators recognize the need for students to take an active role in the learning process. When students are responsible for their own learning, they actively plan, organize, and evaluate their progress. At-risk students can become more active, strategic learners when they develop metacognition, or the ability to think about their own thinking and learning. With metacognitive awareness, students can actively plan how to learn, monitor their progress, and evaluate their own achievements. Cooperative learning allows students of varying abilities and interests to share responsibility for learning as they work together in small groups to research topics, solve problems, and improve their understanding of subject matter. Cooperative learning has been shown to increase retention and boost the performance of at-risk students.