first impressions
On the first day of class, it is obvious who knows who based on who the students sit next to in class. How do you propose to use the influence that the "cliques" have on each other for good performance in the class?
We havr had several instructor changes and the students have expressed their dissatisfaction and anxiety with this. Knowledge of group dynamics is helpful as you understand that with time a new instructor will be accepted as part of the group. The groups are called cohort groups. It's a good idea to evaluate and separate them if necessary. I agree.
Hi Michael,
I let the class go for a couple of meetings and see how the cliques function. Some are totally social so they don't impact the class at all while others can be divisive. It is at this point I break the students into work or learning groups. I preset the groups in manner that makes it appear the assignments are random but I make sure the students are located in the groups I want formed. This way I have control of the groups and can suppress clique programs while the class is in session.
Gary
