Small group and discussion techniques

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Small group and discussion techniques

• NFTEP/GSTEP Nov. 12

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Overview of the session

• Pros/cons of small group/discussion formats
• Preventing/managing discussion problems
• Grading discussion
• Pros/cons of group projects
• Preventing problems and grading group projects
• Recap of some discussion techniques used in the
  session

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Pros/cons of discussion

• Please take out a piece of paper, and divide into
  two columns. This writing will be shared.
• In one column, list pros for discussion
  techniques. Why should we use them, what
  learning goals are they good for?
• In the other, list cons of discussion techniques.
  What problems arise in their use, what learning
  goals are they not well-suited for?

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• Now please compare your pro/con lists with
  someone near you. Try to construct a
  non-redundant list containing ideas from both of
  you.

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• Now each pair of you please get together with
  another pair, and try to compose a non-redundant
  list of pros/cons from the four of you.

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Pros of discussion/small group techniques

• Intellectual ownership of ideas
• Shows class preparedness
• Better engagement, more active
• Peer learning

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Cons of discussion/small group techniques

• Students may share inaccurate info
• Hard to grade what did they learn from this?
• Students may not be prepared
• Naturally quiet students dont participate but
  others may dominate
• Side conversations

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Some common problems with discussions

• Students unprepared
• Some students dominate the conversation Some
  students dont talk
• Discussions of controversial topics get out of
  hand, become emotional/rude
• Students may share inaccurate info
• Hard to grade what did they learn from this?
• Naturally quiet students dont participate but
  others may dominate
• Side conversations

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Preventing/managing discussion problems

• Please count off by (how many problems did we
  list?)
• Please form small groups and discuss method you
  have seen teachers use for preventing/managing
  the discussion problem that matches your number.
  
• Be prepared to share techniques, and your
  evaluations of these, with the rest of the class.
  

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Strategies for dealing with
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SHOULD we grade discussion?

• YES
• Reward effort
• Encourages participation
• Validates the oral mode and students as knowers
• Encourages attendance
• Allow dif methods of getting points

• NO
• Hard to do
• Individual diffs in particip style
• Language barriers

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IF you choose to grade discussion

• Count off by 4s.
• Each of you please pick up a handout with your
  number on it. Study the grading technique, so
  that you can teach it to your group.

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• Form groups that contain a 1, a 2, a 3, and a 4.
• Each of you teach your group about your grading
  technique.
• The group should try to come to a consensus about
  which technique they think is best, and be
  prepared to share their conclusion with the whole
  class.

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Pros and cons of group projects

• Please take out a piece of paper. Free-write for
  a few minutes about pros and/or cons of group
  projects. Why do teachers assign group projects?
  Why do students hate them? What do teachers
  hate about group projects? What do students like
  about them?
• These will be shared, but anonymously.

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Pros of group projects
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Cons of group projects
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Some common problems with group projects

• How should we compose the groups?
• Students divide and conquer rather than really
  collaborating
• One student gets stuck doing all the work, and
  the others take the credit

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• What methods have you seen teachers use to
  prevent/manage these problems?
• What do you see as advantages and disadvantages
  of these methods?

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• Please spend a couple of minutes free-writing
  about methods of handling problems with group
  projects. What conclusions do YOU draw from this
  discussion?

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Recap of discussion techniques used in the session

• Think/pair/share/snowball reporting
• Small groups on DIFFERENT questions, report back
  to class.
• Whole class brainstorming
• Individuals are jigsaw parts of the group puzzle.
  Note when small groups worked on different
  questions, the whole class was a jigsaw.
• Silent discussion, low tech chatroom
• Whole class open-ended discussion, followed by
  individual reflection/summary.

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