I think it helps them relax and learn about their fellow students. It helps them focus on the task instead of individually worrying about whether or not they are doing the task correctly. I think they feel more comfortable and less intimidated if their peers have input as well.
A great way to achieve results in forming classroom cohesiveness is to use groups. using the group format teaches students to work together for a common cause. This is what they are ging to need to do threw out the work world.
Some positive outcomes include reassurance of knowledge from fellow classmates, a sense of participation and involvement, and an opportunity to share their points of view.
I teach clinical nursing at a hospital with my students. I have only 8 students but I like to break up students in pairs. Usually one student doing a skill and the other watching. Sometimes I will have a student teach the other student a skill if they are have already mastered the skill. I find that students teaching students allows for a more comfortable learning environment.
edwardo,
this is definitely one of the greatest advantages of requiring group work for our students.
Dr. Ryan Meers
By Eddy mojena
It teaches the students to learn to work with others in a professional setting and also apply it to their job.
Students can learn from each other and share idea and concepts.
First and formost students learn teamwork. They learn strengths and weaknesses among their piers and learn to work with diversities.
It can not only open minds it can provide an environment that allows individuals to test their skills in different roles within the group. Often small groups will allow individual who would normally not be seen as leaders to experience the role.
Some positive outcomes of placing students into learning groups are as following:
* identify and recieve from another classmate
* share their ideas in a smaller setting
* To see each student bring bits and pieces together to produce a great either paper, visual, or electronical presentation
I have not had a chance to incorporate this into my teaching as of yet. As a new instructor, I'm learning all of this new material and I like the comments re: this subject. Students will see when they get to medical offices that it is critical to be able to work as a group and it is absolutely true that there are specific group dynamics that will require students to find solutions for. My challenge is that so far, I have only had 4 or 5 students in my classes, so they are basically a group. So I will definitely keep this in mind if my class size increases. Mindy Smith
Students get to share positive experiences and challenges that enhance learning and hand-on. Each student is a different type of learner and in a group they feel free to express their own techniques.
In this career and most jobs are wanting team players. Belonging to a team in class will help them be a team player when they are in the field. It is easy to be a loner and a challenge to be a team player. A skill that needs to be learned.
They tend to feel better about themselves and about the students they are learning from. Gives them a sense of belonging and growing and excitement.
They learn to work or try to work well with others. It puts them in different situations of dealing with other opinions and ideas and conforming to one overall group idea, which is what happens in the real world. It helps every type of students confidence to learn and contribute to the class overall.
When I use learning groups, they tend to be for the class for that day. The groups are small, and each person presents to the class. Students seem to enjoy the ability (and gain confidence) to present in class. Also, the students enjoy learning from each other as well.
Positive outcomes of putting students into groups can be 1)class cohesiveness is improved, 2)ability to break up some of the cliques that inevitably form and 3) increase student abilities to work together and work on interpersonal conflict.
The class tends to come together when put into groups, sometimes to commiserate but other times to find how other groups did things - they may learn new ways of looking at the assignment.
The cliques that form in class can be broken up by changing groups around and forming new groups. By doing this, the individual members of groups are able to show more of themselves and have a break from being "on" for their friends.
Interpersonal conflict is something the students will be dealing with for the rest of their careers, so learning in a safe environment such as school is beneficial.
Hjustice
By working in groups some of the students who are struggling find support among their peers. I just had a student who was struggling with grades. She became part of a learning group and her grades went up along with her self confidence.
Radha,
great point made here; groups can be a great tool to ease non-traditional learners back into the educational environment.
Dr. Ryan Meers
For nursing students, learning group work helps prepare them for the various group work experiences they will encounter in their careers. It is critical for them to learn how to collaborate to achieve positive outcomes for the client/patient.
