The document describes various group activities that can be used for online education, including informal activities like Think-Pair-Share, Roundrobins, and Buzz Groups, as well as formal activities like Jigsaw and Three Before Me. It also provides instructions for implementing the activities and discusses how they can be used to engage students, encourage discussion, and improve skills like editing and providing feedback to others. Finally, it includes a template for planning online group activities that considers topics, goals, descriptions, groups, assessments, and tools.

1. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Advantages and Disadvantages of Group Work
My thoughts
Advantages Disadvantages
What others say
Advantages Disadvantages
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

2. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Informal Group Activities
Think­Pair­Share
Description:
Think Pair Share helps students clarify, reinforce, and/or apply the content of the lesson.
Useful for:
• Learning check - Break up a lecture after about 15-20 minutes (or after a major concept)
Instructions:
1. Ask a question of the class requiring critical thinking, application, synthesis or evaluation.
2. Think! (Individual activity) - Encourage students to think about the question and their answer for
2-3 minutes. Ask students to make notes of the question and their thoughts.
3. Pair! - Ask students to work with one classmate (can be students next to each other or in front or
behind each other) to discuss the question and answers. You move among students to assess
student responses and learning. Give students plenty of time to discuss the question in detail.
4. Share! - Ask volunteers to share their discussion with the class. Involve the entire class in a
summarizing discussion.
Ideas for implementing:
Roundrobins
Description:
The purpose of Roundrobin is to engage every student in the discussion by following a systematic structure
for sharing.
Useful for:
• systematic group discussions of key ideas from class
• developing listening skills and patience
Instructions:
1. Break students into group of 4-5. Assign one student to be the “recorder”.
2. Provide a question that asks student to think critically and to reflect.
3. Each student systematically take a turn around the circle while the recorder writes down key
words or phrases from each student as he/she shares points of view.
4. Students may offer new ideas or follow up on a previous stated idea. Or, students may “pass” if
they have nothing new to add at the time of their turn. Students may “pass” during one round and
then offer an idea on the next. Passing does not eliminate students from the discussion. Passing
simply indicates that a student has nothing new to add during this turn.
5. Continue the turn taking until the group exhausts all ideas and all students “pass” on their turn.
6. Conduct an open discussion after the Roundrobin.
Ideas for implementing:
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

3. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Buzz Groups
Description:
Buzz Groups engage students with each other and the content of the course. Buzz Groups provide a less
structured discussion.
Useful for:
• processing key ideas
Instructions:
1. Break students into groups of 4-5.
2. Ask students to discuss a text, an issue, clinical or technical concepts. The assignment can be
broad or specific.
3. Students discuss freely. They can argue, defend, explain, etc. their point of view.
Ideas for implementing:
Bookends
Useful for:
• Assessing learning during a lesson
Instructions:
1. Individual activity - At the beginning a class lesson or unit of instruction, ask students to take 4-5
minutes to write down all the questions they have about the lesson. Give them enough time to
think, write, and reflect.
2. Paired activity - ask students to share their questions, concerns, and issues with a partner. You
walk among students to assess the kinds of questions students are sharing.
3. Ask student volunteers to share their questions, concerns, and issues with the class.
4. The instructor should record the questions on the board or flip chart so everyone can see. DO
NOT ANSWER the questions at this point.
5. Conduct the lesson.
6. At the end of the instruction, ask students to review the questions with their partner or in larger
groups of 4-5. Encourage them to find the answers in the lesson just conducted.
7. Bring back to the entire class and discuss any questions remaining unanswered or needing
clarification.
Ideas for implementing:
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

4. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Three Before Me
Useful for:
• peer review of written assignments
• improving editing/proof-reading skills, knowledge of content, and ability to provide feedback to
others
• encouraging positive interdependence among team members
Instructions:
1. Break students into groups of 4. Ask students to “trade” written assignments with a team member.
2. One - Each group member does a peer assessment of the written assignment and returns the
assignment to the original author.
3. Using the feedback provided by group members, students edit/rewrite their assignments to
incorporate the peer assessment.
4. Two - After the first set of edits/rewrites, students trade papers with a second member of their
group. Again, this group member assesses the assignment and provides feedback to the original
author. The author edits and rewrites.
5. Three - group members trade written assignments with the remaining member of their four-
member group. This group member does a final check of the assignment for the original author.
Edits/rewrites are completed as needed.
6. Students submit their written work for instructor assessment.
Ideas for implementing:
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

5. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Formal Group Activities
Jigsaw
Description:
This strategy is designed on the philosophy that we learn something best by teaching it. Jigsaw requires
students to become experts on a sub-set of the content and then to teach the content to classmates. In this
way each member of the learning team becomes an important Jigsaw puzzle piece for the team’s
understanding of all the content of the lesson.
Useful for:
• encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning
• complex topics that can be divided
Instructions:
1. Assign students to groups of 4 - 5. Divide the lesson into 4 or 5 key modules. Individual students
in the group each become an expert on one of the key modules of the lesson.
2. Students first group together with their assigned group. Students identify the module for which
they will be responsible.
3. Ask students to number off. All the number 1’s from the groups gather together to study Module
1. All the students with the number 2’s gather to study Module 2, etc. Now the original group is
divided around the classroom with like-numbered students from other groups. Each student
becomes an expert on the module to which he/she is assigned.
4. Carefully monitor students as they work through the modules. Take care to clarify content and
check comprehension as students work to master learning.
5. When students believe they have mastered the content or skill of the lesson, ask them to develop a
plan for teaching it to their teammates. Ask students to prepare a visual aid as a part of their
teaching strategy.
6. Each student now returns to his/her original group. Students take turns teaching the content or
skill of their Jigsaw module to the students in their group.
7. Again, the instructor should students as they teach to ensure correctness of content and skill.
Provide ample time for questions and answers as groups move through the modules.
8. Optional activity - have students take a group quiz.
Ideas for implementing:
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

6. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Online Group Activity ­ Plan
Instructor Planning
Course:
Topic(s) (broad topic specific topics to be addressed by the activity)
Activity Goal (what do you want students to get out of this activity? This is your
reflection and plan)
Activity Type (project, discussion, case, jigsaw, etc.)
Activity Description (what do you want them to do ‐ be specific)
Group Description (how many members per group, will you require roles, will
students be assigned)
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

7. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Assessment (product, process, both? Grading scheme, rubric (will you provide
ahead?), etc.
Tool(s) (what tool in your CMS will you use? Why? How?, etc)
Additional thoughts?
Information for Students (formal statements to give to students)
Learning Outcomes (should derive from your goal(s) and be stated in formal terms)
Instructions / Activity Description (describe clearly the activity, including readings,
required assignments, etc)
BbWorld 2010, Orlando

8. Can I Really Do That Online? Effective Student Interaction with Groups
Rhonda D. Blackburn and Christine Salmon, University of Texas at Dallas
Group Design and Process (tell students why and how to work together, what to do
if group isn’t working, etc.)
Activity Submission (tell students where and how to submit their activity; include
any specific requirements about names, file titles, sizes, etc)
Grading (provide the grading scheme, rubric, etc.)
Other (anything else you need to tell students that doesn’t fit above)
BbWorld 2010, Orlando