Small groups 20 March November 2009 George Roberts Directorate of Human Resources

Introduction Do you teach (or have you ever taught) small groups? Identify small-group teaching situations

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

Identify small-group teaching situations

Feedback Small group teaching situations include:

Small group teaching situations include:

Feedback Small group teaching situations include: 75 => 15 => pairs on the wards practicals role play field work aggregate/disaggregate seminars

Small group teaching situations include:

75 => 15 => pairs

on the wards

practicals

role play

field work

aggregate/disaggregate

seminars

Activity In pairs for about 3 minutes What are the most rewarding features of small group teaching?

In pairs for about 3 minutes

What are the most rewarding features of small group teaching?

Feedback Rewards of small-group teaching include:

Rewards of small-group teaching include:

Feedback Rewards of small-group teaching include: students can take risk involvement immediate feedback levelling of relationship/informality students can be responsible/no hiding opportunity for f2f 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

Rewards of small-group teaching include:

students can take risk

involvement

immediate feedback

levelling of relationship/informality

students can be responsible/no hiding

opportunity for f2f 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

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 ..’

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

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

Members on the outside have the role of observer

Other Small Group Structures How else can you organise small groups?

How else can you organise small groups?

Activity double pairs (= 4) for about 3 minutes What are the environments in which small group teaching takes place? How do time scales affect small group work?

double pairs (= 4) for about 3 minutes

What are the environments in which small group teaching takes place?

How do time scales affect small group work?

Feedback What are the environments for small group teaching?

What are the environments for small group teaching?

Feedback What are the environments and time scales for small group teaching? seminar lecture theatre online small room with moveable furniture construction site breakout rooms canteens work sites laboratories art room Barcelona office book shops malls library reinvention centre/ASKE building conference centre

What are the environments and time scales for small group teaching?

seminar

lecture theatre

online

small room with moveable furniture

construction site

breakout rooms

canteens

work sites

laboratories

art room

Barcelona

office

book shops

malls

library

reinvention centre/ASKE building

conference centre

Feedback How do time scales affect small group work?

How do time scales affect small group work?

Feedback 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

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

Activity Back in your fours for about 3 minutes What were the differences between pairs and fours?

Back in your fours for about 3 minutes

What were the differences between pairs and fours?

Feedback Differences between pairs and fours include:

Differences between pairs and fours include:

Feedback Differences between pairs and fours include: pairs reinforce ideas, larger groups get diversity of ideas allocate roles in fours people can hide, pairs force interaction bigger group more hiding possibilitie roles emerge, leader, spokesperson, domination and submission group dynamic becomes foregrounded: teachers 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

Differences between pairs and fours include:

pairs reinforce ideas, larger groups get diversity of ideas

allocate roles

in fours people can hide, pairs force interaction

bigger group more hiding possibilitie

roles emerge, leader, spokesperson, domination and submission

group dynamic becomes foregrounded: teachers 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

With thanks to http://www.sweetmarias.com/articles.shtml

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

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 John Adair 1989 ‘ Effective team building ’ London, Gower

A definable membership

Group consciousness

A sense of shared purpose

Interdependence

Interaction

Ability to work as a single unit

John Adair 1989 ‘ Effective team building ’ London, Gower

Roles Task-based roles Personal attributes, styles and preferences

Task-based roles

Personal attributes, styles and preferences

Group (team) roles “ A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way” (Belbin) Everybody has a preferred role People are likely to take on more than one role team roles are not personality types; they are clusters of characteristics, Role orientation Action shaper, implementer, completer finisher People chair/co-ordinator, teamworker, resource investigator Cerebral plant, monitor/evaluator, specialist General group roles Group building & maintenance Group task

“ A tendency to behave, contribute and interrelate with others in a particular way” (Belbin)

Everybody has a preferred role

People are likely to take on more than one role

team roles are not personality types; they are clusters of characteristics,

Role orientation

Action

shaper, implementer, completer finisher

People

chair/co-ordinator, teamworker, resource investigator

Cerebral

plant, monitor/evaluator, specialist

General group roles

Group building & maintenance

Group task

Belbin: Team Roles Plant Resource Investigator Co-ordinator Shaper Monitor-Evaluator Teamworker Implementer Completer-Finisher Specialist

Plant

Resource Investigator

Co-ordinator

Shaper

Monitor-Evaluator

Teamworker

Implementer

Completer-Finisher

Specialist

Good education practice encourage student-tutor contact encourage student-student co-operation encourage active learning give prompt feedback emphasise time on task have and communicate high expectations respect diverse talents and ways of learning (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) independent of the mode of engagement

encourage student-tutor contact

encourage student-student co-operation

encourage active learning

give prompt feedback

emphasise time on task

have and communicate high expectations

respect diverse talents and ways of learning

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

independent of the mode of engagement

Activity Self organise Four groups As near as possible along discipline lines Identify the common features of your disciplinarity

Self organise

Four groups

As near as possible along discipline lines

Identify the common features of your disciplinarity

Feedback Identify groups and common features

Identify groups and common features

Feedback Identify groups and common features 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 Science, the ‘ologists’ quantification and measurement theory-based / evidence-based falsifiable predictive critical thinking

Identify groups and common features

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

Science, the ‘ologists’

quantification and measurement

theory-based / evidence-based

falsifiable

predictive

critical thinking

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

In your groups 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

Activity Form groups In groups Identify topic Write objective(s) Plan session Plenary Present Debrief Plan Brief overall Brief groups Group work Objectives Identify topic Determine approach Inductive Deductive Kolb position Present Debrief

Form groups

In groups

Identify topic

Write objective(s)

Plan session

Plenary

Present

Debrief

Identify topic

Determine approach

Inductive

Deductive

Kolb position

Aims of your session Agree your activity then Using circular interview technique to ensure each person contributes Identify the 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

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

Feedback Group presentations of outputs key points … …

Group 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.

“ 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

“ 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

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!

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

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?

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?

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

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 sitting Distance between lecturer and group Position in a group is important: Sitting nervous students opposite sympathetic tutor or encouraging peer A dominating student can be quietened by being seated immediately next to the tutor (Griffths & Partington 1992)

Physical and virtual arrangements have a powerful effect on interaction

Lecturer is standing or sitting

Distance between lecturer and group

Position in a group is important:

Sitting nervous students opposite sympathetic tutor or encouraging peer

A 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

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

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).

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