Never ignore student's reaction. Continue forming groups of diverse sutudents
Now I understand why at my previous job, for group activities, they would go through the room assigning each person a number, 1-5 (or however many groups they wanted). Then the groups were completely random and of equal size that were not too large. Makes sense now!
I learned, in this section, how important group work is. One thing that I thought was interesting was that the suggestion was randomized groups. I think this would be a good idea at an adult level because it gives a level of diversity and various levels of background information. It was also interesting to hear that it is not suggested to change their groups, even upon request. This makes sense because adults will have to work with people they don't always agree with or like in the "real world." Finally, I like that the group suggestion was 6-8 people. I usually have smaller groups, but it also might depend on the size, level, and difficulty of the project. Overall, I learned a lot.
Develop assignments that require a fair division of labor. One of the main reasons that student groups fail is that some individuals feel that not everyone is doing their fair share of the work.
I love using group activities for a learning experience. Although the course recommends 5-6 people per group, I tend to keep the groups smaller. I don't like to have more than 4 people per group. The larger the group, the more often one or more members tend to not interact and contribute to the project.
I loved the idea of presenting a pre-group project to have them get to know each other a bit better and to practice working in an environment that is "low stakes". Often, we will have groups work through a case study and have them role play the scenario.
Didn't know that groups of 6-8 is most efficient.
In this module, I learned that you will need good monitoring skills to keep students focused and progressive. Moving around in class, having 2-4 seconds of eye contact, 20 second pauses, grouping students by random selection are some of the various good methods to monitor a class and provide constant atmosphere for effective student learning.
With a class of 50 to 60 students I have not used learning groups. I will attempt to use learning groups for this coming term. I will use the "formal learning group" & have students say numbers between 1 & 7 in their seating arrangement that will correspond to the group they will be in. Since these are LPN students I will come up with a master plan to use for the entire term.
Another great module on creating student groups to work on an assignment. I have practiced this in my classroom and it has been a fun experience for not only me, but the students. They stay focused on the assignment, however the shy students now have a voice so it is great for them!
Have students create a list of 5 concerns they have for their career field and look at how the group members collectively have skills to counter those concerns. Lifting all boats!
One area I may be lacking in per my instruction is the utilization of groups in the classroom. Group learning, as this module has covered, is extremely important to a student's experience by actively processing the concepts applied to the lab. One such exercise that was subtly mentioned was five concerns about leaving school and entering the work force, a really great barometer not only for the students, but the teachers as well. Use of group learning experiences would significantly improve the classroom environment.
As a brief aside, the Harvard video lessons have been a huge hit for me, and this specific one drove me to think differently as my role as an instructor. As the role model of the classroom, active listening could be adopted by my students if I am in clear display of it as well. It is important to reiterate to a T, so that this is made clear, and I plan on incorporating such a lesson into all future lectures as soon as possible.
I learned that pairing the groups fairly will contribute to confidence and learning.
I think learning about learning groups was very helpful. It is important for our students to work with others and learn how to collaborate.
Becoming an effective monitor, both of your class and individual students.
I have learned to make sure I put the students in groups based on their Experience and background.
Get up and move around. You cannot monitor your students from behind a desk or lectern. Students often assume that instructors have vision limited to the first two or three rows of students.
Group learning can build many skills in students (teamwork, critical thinking).
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I prefer face to face. If I must use technology, I also prefer synchronous, because of interaction. If there is a portion where students perform on own, I like to go into rooms, evalaute how students are doing, answer questions, give suggestions, then bring back to large room for large group discussion.
Working in groups that are assigned by the instructor can be beneficial for all the group members. They will have a chance to get to know their fellow classmates, share knowledge, and build rapport.
There are formal and informal groups. Putting students in formal groups can help them learn from each other.
