Positive Outcomes
What are some of the positive outcomes of putting students into learning groups?
Breaking the adult learners into groups allows for diverse communication and sharing of ideas. I think it is especially important that the adult learner not feel threatened. A group provides a safe environment for the individual.
Students learn from each other's experiences and background. They also learn the value of teamwork which is critical in the workplace. Social skills are also learned in learning groups as well as sharing.
I too assign good assignments. I have found in my 5 years of teaching Where one student may be weak an other students has that area as a strong suit and they that by splitting them into groups it helps them to become more vocal and add more information to the project.
I think learning groups help the shy quite students open up and become involved in the class
Students can feel they are not alone with material if additional group members have some of the same questions. They can also have more confidence in asking questions when they share in the need for clarification and also share in the success of completing tasks.
Students who understand the subject matter love to teach other students. Students who are struggling with the subject matter love to learn from other students.
Each student ads their perspective to the assignment. This makes for a more interesting presentation.
Students are more accountable when working in groups; they feel that they are a vital piece of a large project; they exert more energy knowing that the success or failure is based on each individual’s contribution.
I feel student projects help students see how eachother learn and process information. We all know that no two students are alike and when they can communicate about a topic or subject to produce work it can help them with their studying and learning skills as well.
I always found be putting students into groups for projects seen to enhance student learning in a few was. 1. In the electrical trade you are always going to be working with some. The person you might end up working with might have a totally different personality as you do. so working in groups help the students understand that they have to learn to work with all different types of people.2. when you pair the students up for a project you need to make sure you are setting the right groups for the right type of students. Meaning that you cant put a fast and confident student with a slower one. the slower one tends to do less work and rely on the faster student.
For best outcomes, it is better to put students of different learning types so that every one in the group will be benefited by different approaches for problem solving. That is what I do with my students who are in the field of automotive technology where different thought processes are required in diagnosing most of the vehicle malfunctions. In this way every one will be exposed to the different thought processes.
I believe a few benefits from creating student learning groups would be that those students who tend to be on the shy side; it would aid in them coming out of their shells, and are more likely to participate in discussions. I like to have groups that very in age simply because the different age groups can help each other. Hearing and understanding the views from the older students shows the younger ones that they heavily rely on their experiences where the younger students tend to strive and pick up on things quicker in the technology area. In my class, they really piggy back off each other and help one another out.
I believe that learning groups not only encourage student participation, but also gives the Instructor a look into how they engage with each other. Students may not like to work alone, so being in a group may help the ones who are struggling.
I find one the most beneficial components of team work is the deveopment of the ability to delegate and development of conflict resolution.
I agree with using learning groups as an "icebreaker". I do random selection by counting off numbers and giving each group an assignment that promotes learning about each other. A chosen reporter within each group reports back to the class. This is also a first opportunity to observe behaviors of individual students.
I was initially against group projects when I was in school because I didn't want my grade to be dependent on someone else's work. In the real world however, group dynamics are widely used in the corporate world for meetings, tasks, goals, ect., so I am now a firm believer of using groups for assignments.
Some positive outcomes of putting students into learning groups will greatly affect how they learn, how they feel about school and their professors, and how they feel about each other, and their self-esteem.
Some positive outcomes are learning their classmates. Building positive relationships with their classmates. Learn how to depend on each other to establish a common goal.
One thing that I do in my classes are to assign group projects on relevant topics. The students split up the responsibility. A positive outcome is usually the result.
