Lisa,
this is great awareness on your part & a great method for the student groups.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I tend to notice who sits together at the beginning of the class and what their preferred seating is. When I assign groups I move people around to give them exposure to new people this way they can experience new thoughts and ideas.
Beth,
this is an excellent point & I think more accurately mirrors the real work environment as we don't get to choose our coworkers.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Students should be organized into groups based on their diversity (experience, background, etc.) In addition, groups should be no more than 6-8 students, which will allow for everyone to participate. I find it beneficial to have somewhat smaller groups of about 4. It can also be helpful to include an icebreaker to help the groups get to know each other.
Depending on the class size, I put them in a 3 or 5 person group. I like the odds. I also put the most unlikely to form a group together. I love to watch the eye rolls, pouting and then seeing the outcome and how it brings the class closer.
I have used groups and pre-testing together. I have noticed that it builds a strong begining to new course work.
Laura,
yes I like the 3-4 numbers as this is a good manageable amount but not too much so everyone has something to do.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Informally or formally. I've used both modes with great success; after some initial objections!
The best way I've found in my teaching is to have students count off 1-2-3-4, etc. then have all like numbers organize into a group. If that grouping ends up with folks who know or work with each other I will make an adjustment.
Other times I simply use a spatial grouping. Left side, right side, back or room, etc. group together.
I like the idea of 3-4 students in a group and each having a portion of an engine to work on. I have at times allowed the students to evaluate or grade their team members as a portion of their overall grade. I believe that this helps motivate each student to fulfill their portion of the engine.
I try to limit the size of the group as much as possable to encourage individual participation rather than one student doing all of the work and the rest watching or wandering off.
Try to play on their strengths, pairing some strong with some not so strong to be able to help each other out.
The fairest way to divide the class into groups is to do a random draw. This way the student does not feel slighted or picked on.
However, this method does not take into account a balance of diversity for each group. A random draw could put all the strong student on one team and all weaker students on the other team. I prefer as a teacher to pair strong with weak to create a balance in the team. This method requires some research or previous knowledge of the students' skill set and could be looked at as biased or unfair, creating some classroom management issues for the instructor.
Letting the students pick their own groups does not always work out very well either, because it can become awkward, if a student does not get picked right away and they become left out. The weaker ones get left out and end up on a team together, while the strong stick together. This method is most certainly bound to create misbalanced diversity.
My industry attracts two very different ends of the personality spectrum. We get very assertive leaders, quick with an answer and first into the breach. On the other end of the spectrum we get very docile individuals who sometimes struggle to communicate or ask for help of any kind. When possible I try to put these types together so that the leaders can draw out the quiet ones and encourage their interaction. This also forces know-it-alls to slow down to accommodate the entire group instead of running ahead alone as they often do. In general we get positive results from this mix of people, and when we don't we'll often course-correct, since most of our curriculum doesn't require groups to finish large tasks. Reassigning groups is a common occurrence and does not result in any friction from the students.
When giving group projects, I assign groups and topics according to student abilities. I put together groups of 5 or 6 students and assing the most challenging topic to the group with students at the top of their class, while leaving more manageable topics for the group with students who learn at a slower pace. I find that this way of grouping assures that each student is challenged according to his/her ability and gets the most out of this learning experience.
I generally have small classes. I find that because of this pairing students in groups of two is a good size, and is effective
Tricia ,
this is a good idea as it ensures the random grouping & then the students must learn to work within the parameters given.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Hi,
I have used different methods to put students into groups. my favorite one is to use different types of candy or pasta pieces and put them around the room. then I have all of the same candies or pasta pieces congregate into the corners of the room and you get a very random grouping. (You can even allow them to trade pieces prior to congregating)
I have found that organizing students into groups is a very effective method of reinforcing course material. It also allows everyone to become involved and contribute their ideas. Even though there really are no winners or losers, I try to make this task competitive, yet fun. It breaks the monotony of lecturing and is a way of reinforcing material covered. I am very careful though to ensure that everyone contributes and participates in the groups. I also tell them that each of their ideas are very important and encourage them to share in their ideas.
Depending on the class size, I will arrange students into groups of 3-4. Each group is given a different case to work on . Each group will choose a faciliator, a speaker, and a recorder. Groups work well together as they all have something valuable to contribute to the exercise.
