2. SMALL GROUP
Any teaching and learning occasion with
between 2 and 20 participants
Where students are encouraged to take
responsibility – along with tutors – for
their own learning
It can take place online

3. Types of small group work activities
Numerous
methods for
teaching small
groups
Well known:
Tutorials,
Laboratories
and Problem-
Solving Class
Q – What
small group
teaching do
you have
experience of?

4. Potential Difficulties
• Students don’t prepare beforehand
• Students don’t engage
• One person dominates (either student or tutor)
• Students want to be given the solution rather
than discussing the problem
• High cost method due to small numbers
• Where more tutors involved – parity is
important
• Fear of losing control of the classroom

5. people
have to
take part
develop
verbal
skills /
develop
key skills
get to know
the students
and them
you /
establish
closer
contact with
academic
staff
see the
way you
view
problems

6. Effective Small Group Teaching
• Does not happen by chance!
• Helping to ensure effective small group teaching.
1. Planning the session
2. Preparing the students for working in groups
3. Agreeing ground rules
4. Significance of the setting
5. Tutor facilitating skills

7. Significance of the setting
Physical
arrangements
have a
powerful
effect on
interaction

8. Tutor Facilitating
Skills

9. 1. Listening
• What? content
• How? tone, feelings
• When? time, priority
• Where? place, environment
2. Questioning
• Prepare
• Open ended
• How
• Body language

10. 3.Responding
• Body language
• Direct response or use group to answer?
• Shape rather than reject contributions

12. Using Large Groups in Classes
• Strategies that can work:
• Well-defined activities
• Bring the class together for discussion
and/or clarification at about15 min.
intervals
• Group products
• Look for signs of behaviors that undermine
group function
• Use undergraduate (peer) group facilitators

13. Purpose:
Committed to it
based on research
and observation
Simulates the
“real world” - use
of teams

15. • List 5 behaviors or actions that
can undermine good group
Function.
• Report out in 5 minutes.

16. Planning for Large Group
• Big Ideas
• Units of Study
• Anchor Texts
• Storytelling,
• singing, music

17. Example:
• A variety of genres lend themselves to
Readers Theater. Many are available on
Teachers Pay Teachers.
• Bring your Thinking Maps or graphic
organizers to life.
– Have children hold the boxes and
arrows printed on paper to make a flow
map.
– The tallest child can be the main idea of
a tree map. Shorter children can be the
supporting ideas. Others can kneel or sit
for the specific details.

18. Final aims:
Functional groups are
ones in which
members work
effectively to enhance
their own and each
other’s learning