Small Group Teaching
Dr Ralph Mitchell
MBChB BSc
What we will cover
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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'
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
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
Disadvantages
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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
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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!
What if you don’t have the
answer?
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Honesty best policy
Clarify question
Offer to get back to student or group
Don’t guess!
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
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
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
Summary
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Be prepared
Make introductions and set ground rules
Use questioning effectively
Explain at the appropriate time
Evaluate your teaching
Questions?
References
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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+gr
oup+teaching_July+09.pdf