Teaching large groups
Which method of instruction do you recommend for groups larger than 40 students?
Laura,
I think you will like the results you get with this approach as it spreads out the responsibility as well as the opportunities.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like this idea and will use it next term. The problem in the last has always been one student doing all the work of the group. INdividual speakers makes each responsible for their own work within the group
Split them up really help me also. It hard to get everyone engage when it more than 15.
FRANCES,
I set a time for each group presentation and the time is based upon how many groups I have and how long my class sessions are. Generally I will limit the presentations to 10 minutes. This time limit forces the students to zero in on the key points and limits their stress of trying to fill a lot of time. I would rather they struggle to limit their content to a time span than try to expand shallow content to fill a time slot. I give each group time to talk and discuss the topic, generally around 10 minutes. I have found this is enough time because with more time they start to go off topic and not focus on their work. Then I pull them back together as an entire group and each group reports out. So no one person has to do all of the talking I have three members of the group come up to the front of the class and sit behind a table. This reduces a lot of their fears of being in front of people because there are three of them, they are sitting, and are behind a table. Then each person shares for 3 minutes. I keep the students in the same group so the next time a presentation is made another three students come up so each student contributes to the discussion. As you know it is easy for groups to let one person do all of the work and talking and the others just sit back and take credit. This approach does not allow that to happen.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Do you have each group or presentation have the same topic and then each group moves to next topic, etc.? How do you plan for time for each presentation? Do you set time limits for each group and then there is a report back time to the group at large?
I tend to split them into groups. Sometimes that helps. My classes are no bigger then 10 due to accredidation. But when I have 10 I even break them up into groups for labs. Lectures I teach them no different then if I have 4 people
Alman,
With a class this size information will be shared via lectures as well as a number of other delivery methods. I teach classes in the 35-70 range and I use role playing, small groups, case studies and student presentations to provide variety in the learning process and help to make my students active and not just passive learners.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
