I completely agree with you. I always place weaker students within groups of stronger students. I have learned through my years of teaching thst the stronger students have a very positve influence on the weaker students.
To put together a formal group of students that I am not familiar with, I will draw numbers out of a hat, I need to give the impression the groups are chosen at random.
If it is to be a formal group of students that I am familiar with, I will try to mix and match depending on the group dynamics, a balance of their individual strengths and weaknesses.
If it is an informal group, or an impromptu group, I will usually form them around already established clusters (group A will consist of the students at table 1)
I like to put different types of student in each group.
The stronger students can help, and motivate the weaker students, and this diversity brings different inner reactions to each member of the group.
I teach a computer science class and typically do all in class labs as group assignments. In the past I have allowed students to self-select for the group assignment. I have changed the mix by making the teams larger than the 2 people who sit together at a table. The larger groups take more time, but I have not seen a significant difference in the quality of the output of the teams.
In most fields employers are looking for team players. They are looking for people that will work with others in the workplace to develope new ideas.
Tom
Hi Brant!
You are exactly right and no matter how hard an instructor works to prevent this from happening invariably it does. I like forming a group of no more that 3 students on the second day of class. Discuss the importance of group work and the group process. Then have them to work together as a team from the beginning. This enables the students to get to know each other and - I feel - helps them to become more synergistic.
Any other ideas out them?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I have been considering this approach to teaching. My concern is that it might become divisive; as some students work very hard while others might tend to take advantage of the situation by not providing much input.
I like to have students organized into groups balancing out strong and not strong to allow the maximization of group impact
I do not like to be "placed" in groups, thus I make sure that there are clear instructions and time for groups to go through the group development.
I find students work more efficiently when groups are assigned. I try to separate those that seem to be close and try to include students with different learning styles in each group. I believe they have a lot to learn from each other. When I allow students to partner up with their close friends it does not seem like they work as well together becuase they end up socializing while pretending to work tohether.
I think it is good to form groups combined of the strongest to the weakest students in a class to pull them together.
I place them into groups by placing louder students with the quieter students. I then make sure they have an equal part in the group.
Hi Laura!
But - what happens when you have that one students who just doesn't connect? What do you do to help them?
Good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I often try to put students into groups that don't have much in common. That way, they learn about each other, which promotes a better method of communication in the classroom.
I ususally organize my students in 2 to 3 groups and have them answer questions as a team for bonus points toward their next quiz or test (anywhere from 2 to 4 points). The subject manner is based on information that they must know. Therefore, reinforces their learning abilities.
I organize work groups based upon student dynamics and learning styles. I may pair a student who is having difficulty within class with a student who has mastered material. This way the student who has some trouble can open up to the other student. And the student who has mastered the material can feel good as peer mentor. Either way, when forming groups it is also important to measure individual learning as well.
One way to organize students into groups is to be sure that the group is diverse. I also think that a group should be a mix of different learning styles and abilities. Within the group assignment, instructor should specify that each student in the group is responsible for a single of the assignment. Group assignments teaches students how to become team players in the workforce.
Put students with others who are not their friends therefore they learn to work with different types of people; different ethnic and cultural backgrounds therefroe their is a great deal of opinions and beliefs
In my current teaching assignment as Restaurant Guest Services Instructor, student working in groups is essential with servers, managers,and backwaitstaff. Each group has responsibilty for completeing a series of tasks daily and assume these psostions when restaurant opens. These groups rotate on a two or three day basis, depending on class size.All team must work together to and as a team to be successful.
Groups need to be diversed inside as much as the diversity exists in the class, i.e. groups should contain the best and the average, the young and the older students, all the races represented and all cultural backgrounds, too.
