Working With Groups in the
University Classroom
New Faculty Seminar Session
February 26, 2004
Dr. Letitia Fickel
College of Education
Why Use Group Activities?
Research indicates that, regardless of subject-matter, students working in small groups
tend to learn more and retain it longer.
Students who work in groups report being more satisfied with their courses and having
more motivation to learn and persevere in courses.
Learning groups provide a context in which students can:
 Construct and extend conceptual understanding of what is being learned through
the group discussion and explanation
 Develop and increase their meta-cognitive awareness
 Use the shared “mental models” learned from others in order to develop flexible
ways to solve problems jointly and individually
 Acknowledge and utilize individual students’ strengths and expertise
 Receive informal and interpersonal feedback on how well they are developing and
performing
 Receive social support and encouragement to take risks in ways that increase
competencies
 Be held accountable by peers to practice and learn procedures and skills
 Acquire new attitudes, habits of mind, and skills (e.g. organization, negotiation,
delegation, leadership, and following others’ leadership)
Developing an Understanding of Group Work
In your group you will be engaging in a number of activities designed to introduce you to
some key concepts and information about group work in classrooms.
The purpose of this group activity is twofold: 1) to support your development of a
framework for group learning and teaching, and 2) to provide an experience that models
what group learning and teaching can feel and look like.
In your groups decide on who will fulfill each of the following roles:
Gatekeeper: Keeps an objective eye on group progress. Balances member participation.
Keeps an eye on the clock. Keeps group focused.
Recorder: Creates the written record of the important ideas, questions, problems, and
suggestions developed by the group.
Reporter: Reads instructions or materials to group when requested by group or teacher.
Shares group ideas with class. (May also take on role of Researcher if there is no one to
fill this role.)
Researcher: Gathers and shares information from other groups and/or teacher when
needed.
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Types of Group Work
Brainstorm
With your colleagues brainstorm a list of group activities and kinds of group work you
have used, experienced, or know about. Write your list on the top half of the paper
provided.
Categorize
Using the descriptions of the “types of group work” handout categorize your
brainstormed examples. Use the bottom half of the paper provided.
Synthesize
Gather information from other group(s) about their examples. Look for new ideas to add
to your group list, as well as look for common examples.
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Informal learning groups are ad hoc temporary clusterings of
students within a single class session. Informal learning groups can
be initiated, for example, by asking students to turn to a neighbor
and spend two minutes discussing a question you have posed. You
can also form groups of three to five to solve a problem or pose a
question. You can organize informal groups at any time in a class
of any size to check on students' understanding of the material, to
give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning, or to
provide a change of pace.
Formal learning groups are teams established to complete a
specific task, such as perform a lab experiment, write a report,
carry out a project, or prepare a position paper. These groups may
complete their work in a single class session or over several weeks.
Typically, students work together until the task is finished, and
their project is graded.
Study teams are long-term groups (usually existing over the course
of a semester) with stable membership whose primary
responsibility is to provide members with support, encouragement,
and assistance in completing course requirements and assignments.
Study teams also inform their members about lectures and
assignments when someone has missed a session. The larger the
class and the more complex the subject matter, the more valuable
study teams can be.
Possible Structures for Group Work
Brainstorming – generating ideas
Snowballing/pyramid—people start working individually, then in pairs, then in quartets
Rounds—people sit in a circle, each makes a brief statement or comment on an issue or
problem or has the right to pass
Fishbowl—half the group (or some subset of the class) sits in a circle to engage in a
discussion or activity and the rest sit behind and listen and then change places after 7-8
minutes. Variations can include leaving 1-2 seats open in the circle so people can join as
they feel compelled, or allowing a “listener” to tap a circle member out and take their
place. The “listeners” need to be prompted on what to listen for and be accountable for
some action at the end of the fishbowl.
Case studies—students work together to analyze and respond to a scenario developed by
the teacher or each other.
Simulation—a scenario or activity that asks the students to role-play in some manner. Lab
experiments are a form of simulation when the procedures and purpose are
predetermined.
Syndicates—topic is split into sections and each group or team works on a section of the
topic and presents its views. Can be coupled with role-playing by taking on diverse
perspectives within a field or around an issue/topic. Could also be structured as a debate.
Can result in only oral or both oral and written formats.
Plenary session—group process to draw conclusions, synthesize information, or discuss
processes.
Project—any complex task that requires multiple steps and extended time to complete.
Study teams—long-term group with stable membership designed to provide support
Designing Group Work
Reflecting on our Experiences
Each person in the group is to write a brief description of either an “unsuccessful” or a
“successful” example of group work you have experienced as a teacher or student. Two
people must write about “unsuccessful” and two about “successful.” Use the questions
below to develop your “story.”
 What was the task? What was the purpose? How was the length of the task?
 How were groups selected? What was the size of the group?
 How was the task/activity/project structured?
 Who did what? How was this decided?
 What was the role of the teacher?
 How was the group work assessed? What was assessed?
 Are there other features you think made it “successful” or “unsuccessful?”
Sharing our “stories”
You will share your stories one at a time. Each person has 3 minutes to tell his or her
story. Stay focused on the key issues raised by the questions. The purpose of sharing our
stories is to identify common elements of group work that can lead to success or failure.
So, so you listen to each other engage in active listening to identify key features and
common points. After both the “unsuccessful” stories have been shared proceed to the
next step:
Analyzing
As a group identify the key elements that you think contributed to the “unsuccessful”
experience. Then listen to the “success” stories and identify key elements that contributed
to “successful” experiences.
Synthesizing
Gather information from other group(s) about their key elements for both “successful”
and “unsuccessful” activities.
Verifying (“Expert” Check)
Check your self-generated list of elements for designing “successful” group work with
the tip sheet provided by Letitia.
Problem-Solving
For one of the “unsuccessful” examples try to “redesign” the activity in ways that might
help it be more successful. Identify specific aspects of the activity and apply ideas
generated from your synthesis of “successful” elements.
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Tip Sheet for Maximizing the Success of Group Work
Creating the Climate
 Don’t assume that students know how to work in groups.
 Explain at beginning of course that group work will be a part of class.
 Explain why group work is important to their learning.
 Set ground rules for cooperative, “safe” environment.
 Model and teach communication structures that support deliberative dialogue and
constructive ways to engage with diverse perspectives and differences of opinion.
 Explain group dynamics and advise them of the potential for conflict, but assure
them that they can successfully negotiate it, and show them how.
 Organize appropriate seating arrangements within the classroom that reflect the
needs of the group work you have designed.
 Take time to reflect on, discuss, and debrief the group process.
 Provide feedback to the class as a whole and to groups about their process and
progress with tasks.
Design Elements for Tasks
 Task must have a clear purpose and outcome that cannot readily be accomplished
alone; it must require a sense of interdependence among the members.
 Task must be integral to the course objectives; no “busywork.”
 Task needs to fit the students’ current level of skills and abilities. Early in the
term tasks should be less complex and involve few group members.
 Roles and division of labor are built into the structure and design of the task (early
in the term), or task must be structured for students to easily delineate roles and
assign work to each member (later in the term).
 Task compels students to reach consensus or make a decision, work with complex
data or information, or derive a common “product.”
 Task encourages disagreement or multiple perspectives within the group as a tool
to foster critical thinking, creativity, and ability to deal with ambiguity.
Organizing Groups
 How groups will be formed should be based on the task and its purpose.
o Groups can self-select, you can assign, or you can mix this by having
students identify three people they might want to work with.
o Self-select works well for quick in-class tasks, in small classes, and when
students are majors and know each other. But, self-selection tends to form
the “weakest” group, as people tend to select “people like themselves.”
o Instructor formed groups are best when you want the groups to reflect
certain aspects of diversity and/or mirror “real world” application.
o Don’t put the “strongest” students with the “weakest.” Rather, create
groups or pairs that are closer in skill sets, but will serve to “pull and push
each other” to the next level of performance.
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Groups should be small 2-5 depending on task, the time given for the task and
timing in course.
Help groups plan how to proceed and succeed. For in-class activities or at the start
of a term provide more structure to the process. With larger tasks or later in the
term have them devise their own plan of action.
Regularly check in with groups. With in-class activities observe and monitor
groups. For larger tasks that span several weeks, establish checkpoints and have
groups turn in outlines or drafts.
Make groups the first-line of resolving group problems.
Provide groups with mechanisms for dealing with disagreements, conflict or
uncooperative members.
For long-term projects keep groups together. Avoid breaking up groups, instead
support them in finding ways to handle the problems.
Assessment and Evaluation
 Make group feedback public within the group.
 Assess both the process and the product of group work.
 Assess both individual performance and group performance.
 Include self-assessment of the quality of the product and group process by each
individual, both on-going (formative) and at the end (summative).
 Be explicit and upfront with students on exactly how they will be assessed as
individuals and as groups.
o Grading students only on individual work can lead to competition and
subvert the group process.
o Grading only the group process or product does not allow you to identify
and provide feedback on individual student learning and intellectual
growth.
o It is best to balance an individual assessment with a group assessment.
Group Dynamics
Most groups go through four phases: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing
(Tuchman, 1965). These phases occur in a group regardless of the duration of the task or
the length of time. Expect it, plan for it, and explain it to students.
Forming: During the initial stage of the group, structure is developed, roles are assigned
or claimed (both implicitly and explicitly), status relations between members of the group
are established, norms begin to emerge, shared values are discovered, and general
procedures for decision-making and problem-solving are agreed upon.
Storming: Conflicts in values, perspectives, goals, power, and information are discovered
and foregrounded, and progress toward resolution is begun. This is often a creative stage
and shouldn't be avoided.
Norming: As conflicts are discovered and resolved, the group's approach to
communication and problem-solving, for better or worse, is more firmly established.
Performing: Having established roles, personalities, and norms, the group's time,
attention, and energy is increasingly directed at the group task and decreasingly
concerned with group maintenance, procedural questions, or personalities.
Tuchman, Bruce W. "Developmental Sequences in SmallGroups."Psychological Bulletin 63 (1965):
384-89.
References
Websites
www.psu.edu/celt/PST/KMPcollaborative.html
teaching.berkeley,edu/bgd/collaborative.html
www.flinders.edu.ua/teach/groupwrk.htm
www-honors.ucdavis.edu/vohs/sec02.html
Books & Articles
Chickering, A. W, and Gamson, Z. F (eds.), Applying the Seven Principles for Good
Practice in Undergraduate Education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, no.47.
San Francisco: JosseyBass, 1991.
Connery, B. A. "Group Work and Collaborative Writing." Teaching at Davis, 1988,
14(1), 2-4. (Publication of the Teaching Resources Center, University of California at
Davis)
Cooper, J. "Cooperative Learning and College Teaching: Tips from the Trenches."
Teaching Professor, 1990, 4(5), 1-2.
Goodsell, A., Maher, M., Tinto, V, and Associates (eds.). Collaborative Learning: A
Sourcebook for Higher Education. University Park: National Center on Postsecondary
Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, Pennsylvania State University, 1992. Guskey, T R.
Improving Student Learning in College Classrooms. Springfield, Ill: Thomas, 1988.
Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., and Smith, K. A. Cooperative Learning:Increasing
College Faculty Instructional Productivity. ASHE-FRIC Higher Education Report No.4.
Washington, D.C.: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington
University, 1991.
Rau, W., and Heyl, B. S. "Humanizing the College Classrooms: Collaborative Learning
and Social Organization Among Students." Teaching Sociology, 1990, 18(2), 141-155.
Sansalone, M. "Teaching Structural Engineering Through Case Studies and
Competitions." CUE, 1989, 2(2), 7. (Newsletter available from Cornell University,
Ithaca, N.Y)
Smith, K. A. "Cooperative Learning Groups." In S. F. Schmoberg (ed.), Strategies for
Active Teaching and Learning in University Classrooms. Minneapolis: Office of
Educational Development Programs, University of Minnesota, 1986.
"Study Groups Pay Off." Teaching Professor, 1991, 5(7), 7.
Tiberius, R. G. Small Group Teaching: A Trouble-Shooting Guide. Toronto: Ontario
Institute for Studies in Education Press, 1990.