Forming Diverse Teams/Groups
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Tips and advice for maintaining inclusive focus while teaching
with teams and groups
Building Inclusive Classrooms Summer Seminar, Faculty Development Center,
University of St. Thomas, June 2014
RESOURCES:
Michaelsen, Larry K., Knight, Arletta Bauman, Fink, L. D. (2004). Team-Based
Learning: A Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching. Sterling,
VA: Stylus Publishing.
Chapter 16: Teaching Together: Interracial Teams by Matthew Oullett and Edith
C. Fraser.” In Matthew Oullett (Ed.), Teaching Inclusively: Resources for Course,
Department & Institutional Change in Higher Education (pp. 189 to 210).
1. Think about the ideal distribution of resources for groups, given your goals for
group work (e.g., knowledge resources, technology, background experiences).
Develop a pre-course survey to gather information from students about those
specific resources. Form groups to distribute those resources evenly, as much as
that’s possible (e.g. would it help to have at least one person in each group who
has completed a specific course in your discipline? Or one who has a laptop s/he
can bring to class? Or one with international travel experience?)
2. If possible, try to form groups with diversity in mind. If you have mostly women
in your class, try to place one male in each group. If you have several
international students, distribute them between groups.
3. Try to avoid inadvertent ‘cliques’ of similar students in a group (e.g. 3 football
players, women’s studies majors, or seminarians in a group of 5).
4. Consider assigning roles (or identifying required roles and allowing students to
select for themselves) to distribute project work effectively. Roles will depend on
the nature and goals of your project or discussion focus. For discussion groups –
see Stephen Brookfield handout “Discussion as a way of Teaching” for
suggestions (download under “Workshop Materials” here: Stephen Brookfield
website homepage
5. Check in regularly and provide opportunities for formative assessment of
teamwork/discussion. This cannot be emphasized enough. Talk with individuals
privately to get feedback on group dynamics. Provide regular opportunities for
quick written assessment. Here are some suggested questions for individual,
written assessment tasks (adapted from materials developed by Ilene
Alexander):
Forming Diverse Teams/Groups
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What, typically, is happening in a team session when you feel most
engaged?
If you have felt distanced from what was happening during a team
session, what was happening that contributed to that
distancing/disengagement?
What action has anyone (teacher, team member while working on project;
other students in the classroom while you’ve been presenting team work)
taken in a team session that felt affirming and helpful with regard to your
work or the team’s work?
What action has anyone (teacher, team member while working on project;
other students in the classroom while you’ve been presenting team work)
taken in class sessions that felt puzzling or confusing with regard to your
work or the team’s work?
What about your team dynamic has, overall, surprised you the most?
6. If you diagnose group difficulty, based on your assessments, call a meeting of
group members and practice using your conflict resolution and mediation skills
(discussed on Wednesday!). Keep focus on common goals, background
assumptions, and facilitating empathic understanding.
7. Need outside help? Consider the following resources:
Faculty Development Classroom consultants. Contact FD Director of Classroom
Consulting, Dr. Angela High-Pippert (ahighpippe@stthomas.edu)
Student Diversity and Inclusion Services. Contact Patricia Conde-Brooks
(pecondebrook@stthomas.edu)
International Students: Kari S. Fletcher (flet1837@stthomas.edu), Samba Dieng,
International Student Services (dien1019@stthomas.edu), From Academic
Counseling, Chirayu Dongre (dong2598@stthomas.edu) or David Moore
(dfmoore@stthomas.edu)