While the term ‘small group teaching’ seems self-explanatory, Sandra Griffiths notes the way that different terms – such as seminar or tutorial – are often used interchangeably, suggesting that there is not a consensus as to their meaning. Some scholars have in fact substituted the term ‘group discussion’ for these, in order to highlight the main aims of such learning situations.[1] Jaques observes a number of benefits to small group classes: they give students the opportunity to compare their own ideas and arguments with other students, to give form to their own ideas, and practice oral communication and co-operative discussion skills.[2] Although they often appear unstructured or informal they are generally governed by a set of rules understood by all the participants, even if these are implicit.[3]
Numerous variables can affect the learning process in a small group: physical environment, group size, group composition (age, gender, ability, nationality, personality). The room layout, for instance, has a significant influence on group dynamic. Jaques argues that the ‘cardinal rule’ for ‘full and democratic participation’ is to reduce distinctions of role that exist outside of the learning environment, and to reduce the possibility of such role distinctions becoming entrenched over the course of time.[4] There are a number of common sense strategies the group leader can use to achieve these aims: making sure everyone is equally spaced, that everyone can make eye contact with each other, and that no one has a special position – for example, the teacher being sat behind a desk. Jaques provides a number of room-layout diagrams and suggests reflecting on the group dynamics these are likely to foster;[5] Baume and Baume also provide some brief remarks on this topic in their booklet on small group teaching.[6]
Group leaders can also make interventions during the seminars to regulate participation and make discussion inclusive and productive. To pick up on just one of these, the act of looking for cues from the rest of the group when one of the students is speaking (as well as making eye contact with the speaking student) allows the teacher to gauge how to best respond: to follow up or explain elements if some members of the group don’t seem to understand, or to bring in the opinion of a student who seems to disagree with the speaker.[7] This is particularly important to encourage the participation of quieter or less-confident students. If a teacher only makes eye contact with the speaking student small group classes can sometimes become a series of duologues.[8] As these examples indicate, by experimenting with a range of factors in the way they set up and conduct a seminar, teachers can modify and improve the learning process in what at first sight may seem like a self-evident and unstructured learning situation.
[1] Sandra Griffiths, ‘Teaching and Learning in Small Groups’, in Heather Fry, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall, A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2nd edition (London: Kogan Page, 2003),pp. 81 and 80 [2] Jaques, Small Group Teaching e-book(Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, 2013), unpaginated (Jaques makes these comments in the introduction) [3] Griffiths, p. 83; Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section1.8 [4] Jaques, Learning in Groups (London; Dover; Sydney, NH: Croom Helm, 1984), pp. 139-140 [5] Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 140-141. These are reprinted in the 4th edition: David Jaques and Gilly Salmon, Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Face-to-Face and Online Environments (Abingdon: Routledge, 2007) [6] Carole Baume and David Baume, Learning to Teach: Running Tutorials and Seminars (Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff Development, 1996), p. 10 [7] Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section 2.1; Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 154-155 [8] Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section 2.1; Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 154-155
Numerous variables can affect the learning process in a small group: physical environment, group size, group composition (age, gender, ability, nationality, personality). The room layout, for instance, has a significant influence on group dynamic. Jaques argues that the ‘cardinal rule’ for ‘full and democratic participation’ is to reduce distinctions of role that exist outside of the learning environment, and to reduce the possibility of such role distinctions becoming entrenched over the course of time.[4] There are a number of common sense strategies the group leader can use to achieve these aims: making sure everyone is equally spaced, that everyone can make eye contact with each other, and that no one has a special position – for example, the teacher being sat behind a desk. Jaques provides a number of room-layout diagrams and suggests reflecting on the group dynamics these are likely to foster;[5] Baume and Baume also provide some brief remarks on this topic in their booklet on small group teaching.[6]
Group leaders can also make interventions during the seminars to regulate participation and make discussion inclusive and productive. To pick up on just one of these, the act of looking for cues from the rest of the group when one of the students is speaking (as well as making eye contact with the speaking student) allows the teacher to gauge how to best respond: to follow up or explain elements if some members of the group don’t seem to understand, or to bring in the opinion of a student who seems to disagree with the speaker.[7] This is particularly important to encourage the participation of quieter or less-confident students. If a teacher only makes eye contact with the speaking student small group classes can sometimes become a series of duologues.[8] As these examples indicate, by experimenting with a range of factors in the way they set up and conduct a seminar, teachers can modify and improve the learning process in what at first sight may seem like a self-evident and unstructured learning situation.
[1] Sandra Griffiths, ‘Teaching and Learning in Small Groups’, in Heather Fry, Steve Ketteridge and Stephanie Marshall, A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2nd edition (London: Kogan Page, 2003),pp. 81 and 80
[2] Jaques, Small Group Teaching e-book(Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, 2013), unpaginated (Jaques makes these comments in the introduction)
[3] Griffiths, p. 83; Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section1.8
[4] Jaques, Learning in Groups (London; Dover; Sydney, NH: Croom Helm, 1984), pp. 139-140
[5] Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 140-141. These are reprinted in the 4th edition: David Jaques and Gilly Salmon, Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Face-to-Face and Online Environments (Abingdon: Routledge, 2007)
[6] Carole Baume and David Baume, Learning to Teach: Running Tutorials and Seminars (Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff Development, 1996), p. 10
[7] Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section 2.1; Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 154-155
[8] Jaques, Small Group Teaching, section 2.1; Jaques, Learning in Groups, pp. 154-155