Hi Mark!
It's true that students in learning groups can get off topic quickly. I have found that clearly defined objectives (desired learning outcomes) helps to keep students focused; I also guide the group to assign roles; one such role is the "evaluator" whose task is to keep the group members on task and on course.
I know you have successfully completed ED108, but I would be interested to hear what methods you have used to ensure that learning groups are effective.
Thanks!
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
A significant outcome of groups,I have found that students normally tend to speak up more. When in a large class,a student would not have the courage to ask a question or even answer a question. I find that when they are in a group they tend to be less shy. A significant challange that I have found with forming groups is that not everyone puts in as much work or effort into an assignment. What I have found with taking this course is that eventhough I put them in groups I need to assign different tasks to each group member.
keeping the students on topic and not just talking about todays events
Hi Phillip! Students can, with our guidance, be excellent mentors and teachers to other students - this tends to be the most powerful when used in hands-on activities and demonstrations, rather than one student "telling" another student about a concept or what to do in a specific application.
Just curious, short of taking them out of class, how do you typically handle disruptive students?
Thanks for all of your comments in the forums!
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
I agree, there are some groups that just don't work, I like to put an IEP person with a better student that has a good grip on the subject matter, so long as they are ok with it, however the disruptive students are kept to their own groups. Disruptive students are often times either disciplined in a way to make them less disruptive, or they are taken from the class to prevent them from causing the whole class to loose out. A slow learner usually isn't a problem, it's the bored students that are the problem if you don't keep them busy with a task, usually helping out the slower students.
Excellent response, Patricia! Just curious, do you ever let students in the learning group identify and post their own team ground rules and have them together draft a beginning statement as to their perception of the tasks for completion and desired learning outcomes?
Thanks,
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
There is always a challenge when you put students to work together in groups. There must be clear cut instructions as to the task the needs to be completed and expectations set that all individuals in the group contribute and are held accountable for the results.
Groups are a great way to get some creative solutions to learning the lesson accomplished. Distributing hand outs with information or holding an open forum for creative thinking to problem solving is a great way to generate discussion and energy.
Thanks for your comments, Aneesa! You are right on course with the elements of effective learning groups.
I haven't heard the term "synergy" in awhile and it is so important. When true synergy happens in the learning group setting, as participants are working through an assignment, project, or issue, solutions result that may be completely different from any of the individual contributions. What a wonderful result!
True, a mismatch of skills or personalities can undermine a group's progress, though it is a "dose of real medicine," so to speak, as representative of the workplace. As we help students work through this, perhaps they are developing critical workpalce skills as well as the subject areas at hand.
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Excellent information, Duane, thanks! Step-by step activities, clear expectations of desired outcomes, clearly communicated ground rules and established group members' roles and responsibilities all certainly create a workable foundation to learning group success.
Jay
ED106
Some of the most significant outcomes of using student learning groups are that they help in increasing opportunities for all to participate. The group forms a synergy which helps all members to brain storm deas and to "bounce" ideas off each other. Learning groups can also serve as a helpful resource for all members. Lastly learing groups creates the idea of a team and accountability.
One of teh greatest challenges of a learning group is having the wrong blend oof skills and personalities together.
The most commonly used and effective method of choosing a group is random assigment. This prevents questioning of why they were selected for a certain group
Keeping students on course in groups can be hard at times. When I first started using groups, I had a hard time keeping the groups focused or on task. I realized that my instructions were very fague and not well thought out. I have since changed my look at groups and have specific requirements for them to complete.
By having the assignments broken down into simple steps, it is easier to keep the groups on task.
There is usally a person that steps up to the plate to be the group leader. They will also help keep the group on task because that is the type of person they are.
Thanks, Harry, making sure that each group has a student, or students, that you know will take on the roles of initiator, motivator, harmonizer and evaluator is crucial to learning group success:
initiator: gets the discussion started
motivator: encourages participation and inclusion
harmonizer: helps to smooth group conflict
evaluator: summarizes and keeps the group on track and on schedule
Jay
ED106
Students can learn by teaching each other. The choosing of the groups can be very critical. Observing how they interact can be even more important. I have in the past sometimes let students pick their own groups. Most of the time however I end up with some groups of advanced, motivated students and others who are stuggling and can't help or motivate each other.
Every group I assign has an unnounced leader or two that I know will help teach and motivate others in the group.
The most significant outcomes are:
A) The weak a student learn and gain more in group setting
B) The Good student learn and keep the information longer by helping others
C)The group setting makes it easier for a shy student to interact with others
The significant challenges is the time limit where we have to cover the course content, the Group takes a lot of time.
The best way to keep student learning Group on course is to provide worksheets that related to the topics and ask challenges questions.
Also, give each group a pop quiz to be part of the grade to force them to stay the course.
In my experience teaching mathematics I found that you divide students into groups based on their knowledge of mathematics. By that I mean you pick at least one good student to be in each group, and then you choose students that range from weak to strong dividing them evenly into each group, and give them a practice sheet where the strong student will be the leader or the facilitator.
Thanks, Cheryl!
This is without question an OUTSTANDING outline of steps to ensure that expectations of desired outcomes are made clear and maximum learning value is achieved when utilizing student groups in the classroom. Bravo!
Perhaps of particular importance as you have stressed, is that using a learning group, as an instructional tool, is very much a planned activity rather than simply a way to spend class time. It takes thought and guidance in order for learning groups to achieve results, and can even be a way to authentically assess student performance.
Jay
ED106
1. Keeping groups balanced successful students working with struggling stduents. 2. Assign groups, do not let studnets choose their own groups because they tend to talk and play aorund more than work.3. have very clear directions for the groups, handout or write on the board exactly what they need to do ie, answer questions, read over something, start a project, bes ure that all of the steps for that day are there so that they can see it and follow it step by step. 4. Have very specific outcomes,what they need to turn in and how it should be formatted. 5. Points: how they will recieve points based on each step of the project and will they also be given a group grade and an individual grade. All isntructors should have this planned ahead of time so that they students willknow exactly what to do, what is expected and how they can get and A. So, that when they do not get an A they will know why and you can show them these steps and where they went wrong.
Also be sure to visit each group. Move around,stop by, and listen while the groups are working. Do not interrupt unless absolutley necessary, if they are working and do well, let them work. Be available for the group that is confused and may need some extra guidence. But do not give them too much, you want them to answer the questions and come up with their own ideas.
Thanks Cheryl for your comments and examples. I have found as well that students can get off track easily despite the real value of learning groups. As you referenced, participating in learning groups helps students see concepts and applications from different perspectives. Sometimes, in addition to moving around the classroomn I have the group select a "summarizer" whose responsibility is to capture and record group discussions and outcomes, and an "evaluator" whose role is to keep the team on track. The students usually know the right team members to select and the "appointees" tend to take their roles seriously.
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
Keeping students on task, is the most challenging. I have taught for many years not only in college but at the middle and HS levels. Group work is essential and can be very helpful with learning. Sometimes peers can say something or explain something in a different way and the student just gets it. I love that! But, when working in groups it is very easy for students, of all ages, to get off task and start talking about the upcoming holidays, family, and friends and not the subject at hand. I really try to move around the room and listen in on dicussions. I do not offer opinions unless asked and even then I will listen to the question and most often redirect it back to the group to answer. This way, I know that they are doing the work and that they are on track. If they are not I can redirect the entire group and get them back to where they may have fallen off. Sometimes they were confused or needed a little extra direction. Montioring the students allows me to catch the issue early before most of class has been wasted talking about movies and TV.
I find that if you make the group work slightly more difficult than individual assignments students have to focus and can't waste time. Especially if the assignment needs to be completed during that class and will be graded. Other students in the group will act as police if one or two are goofing off. This peer pressure is internal and natural and the students keep themselves on task. Plus, the students will see the benefits of working within a group as they have successfully completed a difficult assignment by utilizing the different expertise of each individual within the group!
