Small Group Teaching

1. Small Group Teaching Dr Ralph Mitchell MBChB BSc

2. What we will cover • Basic dynamics of small group session • Why learn in small groups? • Advantages/disadvantages • what to do if you are asked a question you don't know the answer to • The 'silent' group • The 'rowdy' group • What to do with a 'know it all'

3. Group learning dynamic • most of the definitions of a group indicate the sharing element among members as the key factor which defines the existence of a group. • The sharing can be around perceptions, motivation or goals, as well as around tasks, such as in a scenario group session

4. Advantages • Opportunity for more active involvement • Clarify own attitudes and ideas in juxtaposition with others • Receive more feedback on learning • More opportunities for peer learning and share responsibility for learning • Develop communication (listen, respond, interact) and interpersonal relations

5. Disadvantages • Learning at different speeds • Someone may try to take over the group • Quiet people may feel uncomfortable • Arguments/disagreements • People not pulling their weight • Poor understanding if don’t figure it out personally

6. How to teach small groups • Topic choice • Group size • Teacher or facilitator? • Preparation and good introduction • “get the right answer” without being a dictator • Lecture Vs Q&A? • Focus around and explore student questions, hypotheses and guesses. • Teachers are resource not source!

7. What if you don’t have the answer? • Honesty best policy • Clarify question • Offer to get back to student or group • Don’t guess!

8. What if the group is silent? • Encourage students to reward one another • Reward students’ contributions by using them – remember who said what. • Talk less • Provide opportunities for students to cooperate and trust one another

9. What about a rowdy group or ‘know it all’? • Assign a task to dominant one – or talk to them privately • Use structured participation such as going around and asking the group • Break into sub-groups – ask talkative person to scribe • Rearrange the searing so that you are sitting beside the talkative person

10. What about a rowdy group or ‘know it all’? • Assign a task to dominant one – or talk to them privately • Use structured participation such as going around and asking the group • Break into sub-groups – ask talkative person to scribe • Rearrange the searing so that you are sitting beside the talkative person

11. Summary • Be prepared • Make introductions and set ground rules • Use questioning effectively • Explain at the appropriate time • Evaluate your teaching

12. Questions?

13. References • Small Group Teaching – key theories and methods University of New South Wales http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/medweb.nsf/resources/Induction09/$file/Session+5_Small+group+teaching_July+09.pdf