SMALL GROUP LEARNING

By Dr Asim Pasha

GPVTS ST2 DPOW.

Introduction

Do you teach (or have you ever taught) small groups?

Identify small-group teaching situations

Small group teaching situations 75 => 15 => pairs Half day group work on the wards practicals role play field work seminars

What are the most rewarding features of small group teaching?

students can take risk involvement immediate feedback leveling of relationship/informality students can be responsible/no hiding opportunity for face to face interaction, everyone has a voice diagnostic equal opportunity to have a go space to think and give an opinion, explore own thinking and

ideas get to know students better motivation, works two ways encouragement can build confidence co-construction of group knowledge & identity student-centred/led learning

Small Group Structures

Rounds

Encourages everybody to contribute

Circle Trigger sentence

‘a question I would like answered today is … ‘

each person takes it in turn to offer a short comment

Buzz groups

Circular interviewing

Each person takes it in turn to interview the person opposite them in the circle

The role of interviewer and interviewee is passed round the circle until everybody has had a turn at each role

‘what have you read ..’

Fish Bowl

Members in the inner circle are involved in discussion /role-play/ group activity

Members on the outside have the role of observer

Environments for small group teaching

seminar lecture theatre online small room with moveable furniture construction site breakout rooms canteens work sites laboratories art room book shops library conference centre

How do time scales affect small group work?

How do time scales affect small group work? initial awkwardness, students need clear briefs time needs to be managed staff schedules may constrain small group activity tasks might go from 2 min to 30 min

or over a semester! or as long as it takes

different groups work at different speeds time it takes depends on the aim/outcome intended needs time built in for sharing/feedback/hearing others groups may persist longer than the tasks they do

Differences between pairs and larger groups include:

Differences b/w pairs & larger groups

pairs reinforce ideas, larger groups get diversity of ideas allocate roles in fours people can hide, pairs force interaction bigger group more hiding possibilities roles emerge, leader, spokesperson, domination and

submission group dynamic becomes fore grounded:

teachers/facilitators need to know when students need help with role emergence

role differentiation becomes important bigger group may force consensus; can this be

damaging? sub-groups emerge

Groups

A gathering of people is a group when its members are collectively conscious of their

existence as a group; when they believe it satisfies their needs; when they share aims, are interdependent, like to join

in group activities, and want to remain with the group.

Though groups occur in many forms and sizes, there seems to be a set of characteristics fairly common to them all.

From: Small group teaching by David Jaques http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/small-group/index.html

Characteristics of groups

A definable membership Group consciousness A sense of shared purpose Interdependence Interaction Ability to work as a single unit

Good education practice

1. encourage student-tutor contact2. encourage student-student co-operation3. encourage active learning4. give prompt feedback5. emphasise time on task6. have and communicate high expectations7. respect diverse talents and ways of

learning(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

Activity

Self organise

Four groups As near as possible along discipline lines

Identify the common features of your disciplinarily

FeedbackIdentify groups and common features/goals

Odds & sods: Business & technology, arts, professional common features

skills as well as theory applied theory

Humanities text based subjects not factual but negotiable study social relationships past present and

future ability to detach oneself from the field of study

Identify groups and common features/goals

Science,

quantification and measurementtheory-based / evidence-based

falsifiable

predictive

critical thinking

Activity (simulation)

develop a short group learning activity

relevant to your discipline

prepare a presentation of this activity using the flip chart paper

Design for Learning

Background reading

Individual task

Group task

Plenary

Follow through

Design for Learning

(distribute) background reading

Individual task: write one sample

examination question and

explain why this is a good question.

Post to discussion area

Plenary: presentation by groups

Follow through: collate and distribute all questions & criteria

Framing: final examination will be composed of your questions

Group task Evaluate

Critique on discussion board

Compile sample examination paper

and post

Produce assessment criteria

For n Groups

Plan

Activity

Form groups In groups

Identify topic Write objective(s) Plan session

Plenary Present Debrief

Brief overall

Brief groups

Group work

Objectives

Identify topicDetermine approach•Inductive•Deductive

PresentDebrief

Aims of your session

Agree your activity

then

Using circular interview technique to ensure each person contributes

Identify the aims of your session

Activity (simulation)

In your groups develop a short group learning activity

relevant to your discipline

prepare a presentation of this activity using the flip chart paper

20 minutes

FeedbackGroup presentations of

outputs key points … …

Why work in a group?

Summarising

“How do I know until I hear myself say it?”

“Academic knowledge is articulated knowledge”

Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching - a conversational framework for the effective use of educational technology. London, RoutledgeFarmer.

“Constructivism has at its heart the view that individual students construct or build their own knowledge and understanding rather than simply acquiring it pre-packaged and ready-made. The knowledge that they build will depend on several factors including what they are formally taught…the culture of their discipline”

Phillips, D.C. (2000) Constructivism in Education The National Society for the Study of Education, Chicago

Factors to consider

Group size Preparing learners Structure of groups &

communication patterns Learning environment

Ground rules

Implicit ground rules in every social situation

Individuals will come with their own assumptions

Make ground rules explicit for group

Rules will help the group to be effective & reduce conflict

Rules!

Terms of reference

What is the purpose to the group? What are the expected outcomes from the

group? Is the group work assessed? How? Criteria? What are the main components of the project? What are the deadlines? Are there any guidelines? Are you suppose to do it on your own? Do all group members share the same

understanding of the above?

Things to Consider

Communication Social Decision making Roles & responsibility Time management Task management Managing group processes Commitment

Learning environment

Physical and virtual arrangements have a powerful effect on interaction

Lecturer is standing or sittingDistance between lecturer and groupPosition in a group is important:

Sitting nervous students opposite sympathetic tutor or encouraging peerA dominating student can be quietened by being seated immediately next to the tutor (Griffths & Partington 1992)

Effective groups

Contain a balanced range of members whose strengths complement each other

Are not small or too large Members take time to form a ‘group’ Members are clear about their own role and that of

others Members understand and abide by a set of

mutually agreed ground rules Share out the tasks fairly Are organised & self disciplined Tackle problems within the group effectively

Facilitator/Teacher Behaviours

Teachers’ style and approach influences the approach taken by the learner

Students taught by teachers with a Student Focussed approach characteristically take a deep approach to their learning - attempting to make sense of the content of their course (Sheppard and Gilbert, 1991).

Thank you