It has tremendous outcomes, fostering team efforts, respect of others, learning about diversity, bonds the students together, teaches how to communicate to others.
ALLOWS POSSIBILTY OF MAKING USE OF DIVERSITY AS THEY BRING EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEEDGE TO THE GROUP AND ALLOW TO WORK AS A TEAM
Students who get the material quickly can help slower students to get it. The discussions within the group may generate a question that might not come to the surface under other circumstances. Students can help each other and feel more important.
They learn to work with different people. Some of them will become friends, who wouldn't have unless they were in the group
Putting students into learning groups allows students to achieve a type of balance between their varying skill and knowledge levels. Give them a better opportunity to learn.
Positive outcomes can be achieved in learning groups by making sure each student sees how the other student might be learning in a different manner.
Jeff,
which I think gives a real life feel to the work groups.
Dr. Ryan Meers
they learn to work with others and together on problem solving
Thomas,
yes the smaller groups are a great way to help engage some of the more reluctant or "shy" students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
They often find the smaller groups less threatening. Certainly you hope that this will help them be more on task and ultimately more successful. But I also think that learning groups help push students to contribute more readily. I think sometimes it's easier for students to tune out in large settings. But put them in a smaller learning group and they seem to quickly realize that their contributions are both needed and welcomed.
Students can learn from each others experience. Because they are in groups they can learn more together than if they were by their selves studying. Lastly, professional relationship may form as a result and lead to bigger and better opportunities outside the classroom.
Barbara,
these are all great outcomes that truly help prepare our students for the work place.
Dr. Ryan Meers
One positive outcome I like from learning groups is that it can really aid in bringing the shy students out of their shell, especially when used within the first few days of class. The new/shy students are partnered or grouped with other students who are often slightly more advanced, and they establish relationships from the beginning which helps prevent feelings of isolation from the class.
Students can interact with others, sharing their skills, developing new ones. They can, as a group, develop a respect for the fact that their classmates may have varied experiences and things to offer to the project. This way all students can feel as if the entire group contributes in a positive manner.
It gives the opportunity to shy students to say something that they may not have wanted to say previously in open class. It makes them realize that their ideas can be as good as the other members of the group. It helps to build their self-esteem, because they see themselves in a position as a contributor to knowledge and not solely as the student-receiver role.`
Wonderful approach which will assist not only in the classroom setting but out into the worksite as well.
Also allows for more global outlook on expectations, guidelines for conduct, insight for modification should an event occur, positive self thoughts hopefully overlapping into other life aspects.
Defintely!!!!! And into the world of work, including references and support.
The sense of unity that is brought forth - the student can look at another member of their specific study session during the lecture and give them a "Are you getting THIS?" look. Also, allows them to be a member of a group, reducing the Island feeling.
Assigning students into groups can be helpful in their complete understanding of the assignment and how it fits into the assignments required. If the instructor can ensure each student contributes to the final assignment, then groups work. The best method for this is to meet each week with the group, to talk to them and check their progress.
