Teaching with Small Groups with Large Class Sizes

1. Teaching with Small Groups with Large Class Sizes Dan Thompson Manager of Instructional Design and Educational Technology

2. Learning Objectives • Identify positives and challenges in implementing small groups in a large class setting • Recognize various methods of implementing small groups • Utilize small groups as effective instructional methods • Appropriately align learning objectives and assessments with small group activities

3. Positives/Challenges • Why are you interested in using small groups? • Why do we use small groups in education? • What are challenges that you experience when implementing small groups? • If you have not used small groups in your instruction, what challenges do you anticipate?

4. Objectives/Assessments • Your learning objectives, teaching/learning activities, and assessments should all be appropriately aligned. • Objectives describe the depth at which students will learn and/or utilize the information • Activities prepare students to complete assessments at the appropriate level • Assessments evaluate if students have learned information at the desired level

5. Student Grouping • Formal vs. Informal • Group size: • 4 – 6 students max per group • Pairs

6. Instructional Methods • Flipped Classroom • Students watch a pre-recorded lecture or complete a reading assignment prior to class • Acquiring the content about which you would typically lecture • Implement active learning activities in class that require students to think at a higher level than they normally would during a lecture-based class

7. Instructional Methods • Case-based learning • Can be used with introductory material or to reinforce a previously introduced topics • Team-based learning • For all three techniques, students can create presentations (live or recorded) and/or upload answers to LCMS

8. Instructional Methods • Nearpod/Kahoot • Think-Pair-Share • Team competition • Peer review • Require students to give feedback on their peers’ submissions • Recommend for use when students are creating original work or answering short answer/essay questions • ExamSoft allows this to happen anonymously • “Bookend” Procedure • Brief lecture blocks interspersed with group discussion and/or assessments

9. Assessments • Formative and summative assessments can both be utilized • Formative assessments: • Most beneficial for low achievers • Creates opportunity to positively change instructional methods • Research indicates students learn more with criterion-referenced assessments

10. Grading • Group scores • Each task/answer can be graded • Groups can receive points on a range of scores • Example: Full points if students answer > 90% answers correctly, Partial credit for > 80%, and so on. • Individual scores • Students can receive points for participation • Group members can score each other to ensure that each member is participating

11. Tips/Takeaways • Regardless of the technique used, make sure to provide students with a clear conclusion to the learning activity • If you run out of time in class, you can always create a Pantopto addendum video • Provide students with visuals when possible • All activities should be timed to maintain an orderly process

12. Tips/Takeaways • In small group work, the instructor should not control the dialogue • Students should do most of the talking • Do not answer your own questions • “Wait time” • Most importantly – be prepared, organized, clear, and transparent with students • This builds a solid foundation for any group exercise

13. Resources • Gillies, R. M. (2007). Cooperative learning: Integrating theory and practice. Sage Publications. • Jaques, D. (2003). Teaching small groups. BMJ : British Medical Journal,326(7387), 492–494. • Smith, K. A. (2000). Going deeper: Formal small‐group learning in large classes. New directions for teaching and learning, 2000(81), 25-46.

14. Thank you!! • Questions/Comments? • dan.thompson@okstate.edu • @danthompsonidts