I teach adult learners for Medical Assisting. Even though they are adults there are always some students in the class that prefer to let the smarter students do all the work in group learning. I identify those students and try to mix them up in a way that they will not be able to lean on someone else easily. I also don't usually let friends be in the same group because they tend to get off the learning subject at times.
I choose to organize them randomly. I usually have them pull a number out of a hat. If a group leader is required then one of each group number will have "captain" written on it so the spokesperson is chosen randomly as well.
one way of organizing students into groups is by assessing their individual capabilities. Strong students should always be partnered with the weaker ones. In this way, they can help and motivate the weaker students
KKEP THE TOPIC CLEAR AND DIVIDED INTO VARIOUS TASKS ASSIGNED TO INDUVIDUAL STUDENTS TO ENABLE PROEPR OUTCOME START WITH SIMPLE TASKS. L;ATER PUT IN GROUP TO MIX TALENTED WITH LESS TALENT TO ENABLE PROPER LEARNING WITH PEER HELP,WHILE BEING MONITERED. THEY CAN BE PUT IN GROUPS OR ALLOWED SELF GROUPING OR DO RANDOM GROUPING
The best way I have found is to mix the groups up.
- Put students with different learning styles together so that they complement each other and can help each other.
- Break up clicks and groups of friends. They will get new friends and doing this may re-distribute the power dynamic within the group.
I am thinking about changing the groups around at various convenient times in the semester so that the same students are not always together. This can provide a new group dynamic and open possibilities for fresh ideas. Doing this will also get the students used to working at a job; they will not always have the same small work group each time they work on a project. It should help them to learn how to assemble a new group quickly and adapt to the dynamic that develops.
Leigh,
you are exactly right & that's why I also like the random assignments.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I like to pick the work groups myself, I find that when they pick their own groups students tend to stay in their comfort zone with friends. I like to give them a chance to work with other students that they may not have had the chance to get to know. It allows the students to prepare for the change in the future and to step out of the box.
My favorite has been the old fashioned giving them a number where they sit. Or counting them off, if I have enough students for 5 groups then I count 1,2,3,4,5 and so on. This separates the friends and forces them to work with others. The other is to have numbered slips of paper and have them draw numbers. I really like to keep it completely random, it is more like what they will experience in the real world that way.
Andrea,
I agree that this method seems to work well. Additionally this helps give the feel of "real life" as we are randomly assigned to groups/teams in the work place.
Dr. Ryan Meers
judith,
yes these are all great things to be aware of & monitor as we are determining groups.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Picking the students to form groups, diversity should be considred in order for the group to be more effective and the members to learn from each others strenght.
Do you ever find that picking their own groups can lead to problems? Such as some students feeling like the last person picked for the team?
You can organize them by random selection, or based on their strengths and weeknesses. With beginning courses I think random selection is a great choice.
Being very observate of student interactions with each other. Knowing and recognizing those students that are leaders and those who are followers. Allowing students to gain strenght, knowledge, positive learning skills and becoming more of a diverse learner. With this in mind, it will be much easier to group adult learners.
Sometimes I allow students to choose their groups. Other times I will assign groups. I try to match up the weaker students with the stronger ones so they can meet in the middle with ideas. At times, I have students draw numbers for each group. I try to make sure everyone has a chance to work with each other.
I create teams of three to four students per group. During the first class, I shuffle together different color paper, and then hand these out for the students to make into name plates. The color of the name plate that the individual ends up with determines which team they are assigned to for the semester.
One of the ways I have done this in a online environment is by time zone. This comes in handy for group work in a global classroom.
I like to make sure my students are paired differently every time because some students will make friends with certain people and never talk to the rest of the class, so I am always moving them from their comfort zone. Sometimes I have them count off, sometimes I have them draw names and sometimes I randomly place them myself.
What I choose to do is to not only use group activities but also to put some stronger learners with some less strong students and then some of my middle-of-road to balance the students and help them all to succeed.
I teach graphic design to a small class - under 15 students each class. We work on a campaign for a graphic design solution from problem to concept development through testing to implementation. I divide the class into groups that mimic a real creative services department in their field. Each step in the design process has a group assigned to it and the students get to participate in role playing the various jobs as they would in real life. After we have completed a project, we start a new one and the students move to different groups. This way, a student can move through the various responsibilities of a real-world design environment. :)
