ORIC Small group teaching

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Small-Group TeachingInclusive Curriculum Design



By the end of this session, you will have: identified and discussed characteristics of

small group teaching, within your own subject;

identified some common problems associated with small-group teaching and evaluated some potential tutor interventions.

Session learning outcomes



Introduction & Context Disciplinary Contexts Problems in small-group teaching Teaching through discussion Review

Session overview



Issues of students working in groups together on assessed tasks, and theories of group formation, team roles etc.

but see http://www.learnhighergroupwork.com/

What we are specifically not engaging with in this session…

http://www.learnhighergroupwork.com/



Types/’genres’ include:◦ ‘tutorials’, ‘seminars’, ‘labs’, ‘fieldwork’, ‘online

discussion groups’, Problem-based learning (PBL) groups, action learning sets, workshops, syndicates…

Sizes of ‘small’ groups can vary considerably

Purpose and role may vary considerably

Small Group Teaching - Context



In comparison to large-group teaching, small group teaching offers more opportunity for interaction and engagement:◦ tutor-student interaction◦ student-student interaction

Learning in a social context

Context – educational role



Favoured for developing higher order attributes:◦ Problem solving◦ Critical thinking◦ Self-Awareness◦ ‘Functioning’ rather than ‘Declarative’

knowledge (Biggs & Tang, 2007) Particularly through:

◦ Discussion◦ Practical application◦ Relation to real-world events & experiences

Context - educational role



Size of group Location, room, layout, furniture, equipment Characteristics and diversity of group Resource & staffing issues to address

Contextual factors



We will divide into table groups roughly organised by discipline/school/professional area

Suggested: ◦ EDT & Technology◦ Social Science & Humanities◦ Management◦ Life Sciences◦ ‘Other SLED/LSS/SU’

Disciplinary contexts



In those groups◦ Discuss and list the variety of small-group

teaching contexts in your areas◦ Within these different contexts are there typical

‘ways of practicing’? If so, what are they? ◦ Are you aware of an examples of what you

would consider to be innovative small-group teaching practice in your work contexts?

◦ What are the typical issues or challenges associated with small-group teaching in your context?

Disciplinary contexts



Feedback from each group & opportunities for questions

Disciplinary context



teacher lectures rather than conducts discussion

teacher talks too much difficult encouraging students to talk discussion limited to responses to tutor

questions if preparation is required, student don’t do it one student too dominant/ too quiet student focus is on solutions/answers more

than complexity

Problems in Small-Group Teaching (Ramsden, 2003: 149)



Allows students to listen, integrate new ideas, critique.

Discussion phases:◦ Early – identifying issues◦ Middle – searching for resolution◦ Late – evaluating conclusions

Teaching & Learning Through Critical Discussion (Garrison & Archer, 2000)



Discussion develops higher thinking skills, in an environment where students can relate to interests and experiences - links ‘cognitive’ and ‘affective’ learning outcomes

“A distinct shift from the excessively teacher-centred approach often associated with the lecture.”

Critical Discussion (Garrison & Archer, 2000)



Jaques (2000) identifies three main purposes of small group teaching: Organisation of thinking, comparing ideas

and interpretations with each other, forming understanding of a subject.

Extrinsic training opportunities: team building, oral skills, negotiating, persuading and so on.

Monitoring of own study; gaining self-directedness and independence from tutors.

Inclusive learning and teaching in small groups



Do you think there are other purposes? What is the balance of priorities in this for

you? How does this relate to issues of inclusion

for all students? What are the most likely areas of difficulty

for teaching diverse groups? How can you positively use differences in

your groups to enrich the experience for all?

Inclusivity in small groups



Ensuring student integration and identity. Encouraging intercultural competence

(diminishes cultural/racial/gender stereotyping etc).

Develops student self-directedness (creating learners that can explore concepts more fully, find their own material, develop their own critical stance, etc). (Grace and Gravestock, 2009)

How small group teaching can be inclusive



What do I want my students to learn in this session?

What learning outcomes will I therefore write?

What activities will I use to achieve these ends?

How will this relate to assessment? How does this fit into the overall scheme of

the programme for the students?

Some considerations on planning inclusive small group sessions:



Do I know who my students are? How large/small is the group? How long do I have to run the session? What restrictions are imposed by the

physical space? What resources do I need to run the

session?

Some considerations cont.



Is my plan for the session suitable for all students in the group?

Do I need to make any contingency/alternative arrangement for any member of the the group?

Are there any formal requirements that I need to adhere to (evaluation of session etc.) (adapted from Grace and Gravestock, 2009).

Some considerations cont.



e.g. Race, 2007: 151-154 Rounds Buzz groups Snowballing Pyramiding Fishbowls Brainstorming Pair Dialogues Leave the room (See Habeshaw, Habeshaw, and Gibbs, 1984)

Techniques for promoting interaction



“At this point it is usual to provide a list of recipes designed to overcome these familiar difficulties. There are many effective techniques…But none of them will succeed for long unless you clearly understand the reasons for the problems. Just for now, forget about detailed solutions: think about what effective teaching consists of and how you would try to implement its prescriptions…”

Solutions to the problems? (Ramsden, 2003: 149-151)



Follow-up on resources around large & small group teaching.

Think about what ‘effective teaching’ might be in these different contexts.

Are there some common principles for effective teaching (e.g. Ramsden, 2003: 93-99)

Looking ahead to next learning set



Biggs and Tang (2007: 105): “It helps to think of lectures and tutorials as situations, in which a range of teaching/learning activities can take place, rather than prescriptions for a manner of teaching.”

Review



Biggs. J. and Tang, C (2007) Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Third Edition, Maidenhead, Open University Press.

Garrison, D.R. & Archer, W. (2000) A Transactional Perspective on Teaching and Learning, Oxford, Pergamon.

Grace, S. and Gravestock, P. (2009) Inclusion and Diversity. Routledge. London.

Jaques, D. (2000) Small Group Teaching http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/small-group/index.html

Race, P. (2007) The Lecturer’s Toolkit, Third Edition, London & New York, Routledge.

Ramsden, P. (2003) Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Second Edition, London & New York, RoutledgeFalmer.

References

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/small-group/index.html


