6 Tips for Successful Group Training

Contents:

• Identify appropriate circumstances for team interaction
• Facilitate the formation of pairs or groups
• Form groups with a diverse number of participants
• Identify not only partners, but also their roles in the interaction
• Initiate joint activities through practical tasks in the lesson
• Try to avoid taking on management responsibilities

Group work is a great opportunity to develop communication skills, share experiences, and assess knowledge. However, teachers often face various challenges when trying to achieve the desired result. It is common to observe situations where some students are working hard, while others are simply relaxing, and sometimes participants in group work or pairs have virtually no dialogue with each other.

Connie Hamilton, an American educator and educational consultant, believes that to prevent problems in collaboration, it is necessary to properly organize the process. She is the author of the book "Hacking Groupwork: 11 Ways to Increase Student Engagement, Accountability, and Collaboration in Collaborative Teams." Unfortunately, this work has not yet been translated into Russian.

In her recent material for the blog "The Cult of Pedagogy," Connie Hamilton shared many recommendations for educators. We will highlight some of them that relate to the organization of the group and the distribution of responsibilities among its members. It is also worth noting that these tips can be successfully applied both in working with children and adults.

A teacher and education expert, he is also the author of a book called Hacking Group Work: 11 Ways to Build Student Engagement, Accountability, and Cooperation with Collaborative Teams ("Behind the Group: 11 Ways to Engage, Responsibly, and Collaborate Students in Collaborative Teams").

Determining the Right Circumstances for Teamwork

Sometimes teachers give their students the choice of whether to complete an assignment, such as a project, individually or in pairs. However, this often results in students merely comparing their answers, and meaningful collaboration does not occur without proper supervision, as Connie Hamilton points out.

She offers an easy method to prevent this situation: the teacher should independently determine in which cases cooperative learning will be appropriate, and also clearly imagine how exactly it will be organized.

Facilitating the formation of pairs or groups

Students are often given the opportunity to independently choose their partners for joint tasks or divide into groups at their own discretion. It is difficult to disagree with the fact that when students feel comfortable in each other's company, this can have a positive effect on both the learning process and the final results. However, by choosing their close friends as partners, they risk missing the chance to get the most out of interacting with other participants.

In this regard, the author of the article advises active participation in the process, and in certain situations, assigning partners for joint work, especially if there is confidence that this will benefit them.

Connie Hamilton suggests a method for schoolchildren called "Clock Partners." The idea is that each student selects several "date partners" for specific time periods (these can range from hours to specific lessons, assignments, or topics—the approach can be adapted in various ways). It's important to note that some of these partners are found independently by the students, while others are assigned by the teacher. For older students, it's worth considering pairing based on various criteria. For example, these could include academic interests, as well as each student's strengths and weaknesses. Alternatively, pairs can be created based on similar levels of proficiency.

It is worth noting that in the process of teaching adults, there may be a need for support When creating teams to complete learning tasks. We mentioned this in one of our examples.

Form groups with diverse numbers of participants

It's common practice to group students into groups of equal numbers. However, Connie Hamilton suggests reconsidering this rule in tasks where there is room for flexibility. For example, in a large class, you could organize several groups of 4-5 people, as well as form pairs and assign a few students to work individually. Variety in tasks is a positive thing: depending on their structure, tasks can be made easier or more challenging.

Identify not only partners, but also their roles in the interaction

The success of group work is largely determined by how responsibilities are distributed among group members. Therefore, you will have to take on some of this task yourself. For example, in pair work, you can determine who will play the role of listener and who will be the commentator, or establish a sequence in which the participants will switch roles. This approach promotes greater involvement of participants and allows them to truly hear each other. A similar principle can be applied in larger groups - we will discuss this in the next tip.

Initiate joint activities through practical tasks in the lesson

Assigning roles does not guarantee that students will accept them. In addition, before allowing them to interact independently, it is recommended to practice this process first. To achieve this, the expert recommends holding a mini-lesson where students can practice under your guidance.

During such a session, you can organize participants into small groups in which they sequentially assume various roles, such as questioner or summarizer. To successfully implement this idea, it's necessary to develop both the roles and discussion frameworks in advance. It is important that everyone has the opportunity to share their opinion and reflect on the results: what aroused interest and turned out to be useful, and which algorithm seemed confusing or too difficult to understand?

"The goal is to ensure that each student has all the necessary adaptive skills in their arsenal and can use them effectively without being tied to a specific role," notes Connie Hamilton.

Try to avoid taking on management responsibilities

Sometimes teachers are tempted to assign responsible individuals who could monitor time, adhere to regulations, and ensure that they have the necessary tools to complete tasks. However, a role such as "group secretary" or even "team captain" should not distract students from their main work. In this regard, it is more advisable to avoid assigning specific people to this position altogether.

The expert advises dividing administrative responsibilities among participants: one should monitor the time, another should collect completed assignments, and a third should record answers on the board. It is important that everyone actively participates in the core cognitive activity.

Read also:

• eduScrum is a Scrum-inspired methodology used in education. This approach focuses on the active involvement of students in the learning process, enabling them to manage their time and tasks more effectively.

  The main goal of eduScrum is to create an environment that promotes collaboration between students and teachers. Unlike traditional teaching methods, which emphasize lectures and passive learning, eduScrum emphasizes teamwork and independent learning. Students form small groups in which they can share ideas, discuss assignments, and collaborate on solutions.

  Within eduScrum, specific roles are defined, such as the student team, scrum master, and product owner, who help organize the learning process. Each team plans its work, defines tasks, and meets regularly to evaluate progress. This not only helps monitor assignment completion but also develop students' self-organization and critical thinking skills.

  The eduScrum methodology is actively used at various levels of education, including schools and universities. Teachers can adapt the principles of this approach to their subjects, creating a more dynamic and interactive learning atmosphere. As a result, students become more engaged, and the educational process is more effective.

• Networking in an online course can be an important aspect of fostering interaction between participants. To begin, you should define your goals – what exactly you want to achieve. This could be sharing experiences, creating new connections, or joint projects.

  First, create a communication platform. This could be a group in a messenger, a dedicated forum, or a chat. The key is to make it easy for participants to share opinions and ask questions.

  Secondly, when offering assignments or projects, include elements that require collaboration. For example, you can organize group discussions or joint research, which will help participants get to know each other better.

  Also, it's worth scheduling regular virtual meetings. Webinars, workshops, or simply informal conversations can help strengthen the bonds between participants.

  Don't forget the importance of feedback. Create opportunities for participants to share their experiences and impressions of the course, which will help them feel part of the community.

  Finally, maintain activity in the group. Regular reminders of upcoming events and active participation of organizers in discussions will help create a dynamic atmosphere conducive to networking.

• Effective Formative Assessment Methods for Educators.
• Peer learning, also known as peer-to-peer learning, is an educational method in which participants share knowledge and experiences with each other. This approach focuses on creating interactions between learners, which promotes deeper learning.

  The use of peer learning can be observed in various settings, including educational institutions, corporate training, and even online platforms. In educational institutions, students may form groups to collaborate on projects or discuss topics, allowing each participant to contribute and gain new perspectives.

  In professional settings, companies often use a similar approach to develop their employees. Organizing training sessions where employees teach each other not only develops skills but also fosters team spirit.

  Furthermore, in the digital age, peer learning is actively being integrated into online courses and communities where users can share their knowledge and resources. Thus, this approach not only expands learning horizons but also creates a more dynamic and interactive learning environment.

• How can I organize a frontal poll in the classroom to ensure a visible "forest of hands"?