Small Group Teaching

Outline Pros and Cons of SGT Pros and Cons of SGT learning environment in SGT learning environment in SGT skill involved in SGT skill involved in SGT

Small Group Discussion Pros Pros  developing intellectual skill  changing attitude  learners’ responsibility Cons Cons  trained skill  need co-operation

Likes Teachers Teachers  atmosphere  hear ideas  on-to-one working  see the understanding students students  share ideas  individual attention  particular problem

Dislikes Teachers Teachers  keep quiet  students’ discipline not to answer not to answer  students’ behavior in group students students  peer behavior  threatening

Common Mistakes discussion will happen automatically discussion will happen automatically teacher speak too much teacher speak too much  7-70% of the time no deep questions no deep questions threatening environment threatening environment spoon-feeder teachers & passive students spoon-feeder teachers & passive students

Why so passive? principle: students avoid all possibility to ‘look silly’ principle: students avoid all possibility to ‘look silly’  feel free to ask questions of the instructor and their peers  feel free to answer questions  not feel threatened by giving an incorrect response

Successful Interaction ~ teachers’ responsibility ~ teachers’ responsibility  physical setting  instructor attitude ~ listening  calling student  wait time  responding to student’s question  handling student

Physical Setting 5-8 students = ideal 5-8 students = ideal audibility audibility participation: student participation: student  close to each others  see each others circle is the best circle is the best

Quite Big Group buzz group buzz group fishbowl fishbowl crossover crossover circular circular horseshoe horseshoe

Buzz Group

Fishbowl

Crossover Group

Circular Questioning

Horseshoe Group

Diagram questions think... wait... answer question correct incor rect listen respond

Skills in SGT questioning questioning listening listening responding responding

We use question to... stimulate thinking stimulate thinking assess student progress assess student progress check on teacher clarity check on teacher clarity motivate student attention motivate student attention maintain classroom control maintain classroom control provide repetition provide repetition emphasize key point emphasize key point

Types of Questions ~ Bloom’s taxonomy ~ Bloom’s taxonomy  knowledge who, what, where, when who, what, where, when  comprehension explain…, what… means explain…, what… means  application problem solving problem solving

Types of Questions ~ Bloom’s taxonomy ~ Bloom’s taxonomy  analysis what are the factors… what are the factors… outline…, diagram... outline…, diagram...  synthesis what might happen if... what might happen if...  evaluation what do you think about... what do you think about...

Types of Questions lower level | higher level lower level | higher level  frequently higher level Q open-ended | close-ended open-ended | close-ended  avoid close-ended divergent | convergent divergent | convergent

Good question purposeful and appropriate purposeful and appropriate clear, specific and short clear, specific and short natural natural thought provoking thought provoking one by one | avoid shotgun one by one | avoid shotgun one question, one concept one question, one concept

Avoided Questions close-ended close-ended tugging tugging guessing guessing leading leading vague vague

While they’re responding you are you are  listening  encouraging them to continue  keep the focus of the class on them

Listening Skill What is said You hear You listen Understand Be- lieve Re-member

Fact about Listening thought / speech Ratio thought / speech Ratio  4-5 : 1  extra lag time we are inefficient listeners we are inefficient listeners listening skill suffers with age listening skill suffers with age listening is hard work listening is hard work listening training unavailable listening training unavailable

10 Worst Listening Habits 1. call the subject matter uninteresting 2. criticize the delivery or appearance of the speaker 3. become too stimulated 4. listen only for facts 5. try to outline everything that is being said

6. fake attention 7. accept or create distraction 8. evade the difficult 9. submit to emotional word 10. waste thought power 10 Worst Listening Habits

No Answer, Why? do not understand do not understand not enough thinking time not enough thinking time forget the question while thinking forget the question while thinking unclear unclear too difficult too difficult

Waiting & Silence fact about waiting fact about waiting  not inappropriate  give the students time to think  or you will set an undesirable norm waiting time waiting time  > 3 sec  3-5 sec for lower level answer  8-12 sec for higher level  more than 20 sec = punishment

Increase Wait Time increase No. of student participate increase No. of student participate increase length of responses increase length of responses increase appropriate answer increase appropriate answer increase st-st intearction increase st-st intearction increase student question increase student question

Calling on Students by their names by their names avoid pointing avoid pointing ask to the whole class ask to the whole class call on volunteer is OK call on volunteer is OK

How to call on students? speaking in a non-threatening tone speaking in a non-threatening tone positive non-verbal cues: smiling, eye contact positive non-verbal cues: smiling, eye contact no insulting in case they cannot respond no insulting in case they cannot respond ask for help from peers ask for help from peers ask first, call later ask first, call later

How to call on students? randomly select randomly select avoid repeating students’ respond avoid repeating students’ respond deal with dominate student deal with dominate student ‘Any questions?’ is not always OK ‘Any questions?’ is not always OK look at the student, not note, after the question look at the student, not note, after the question compatible verbal and non-verbal compatible verbal and non-verbal

Students’ Responses positive reinforce positive reinforce  verbal | non-verbal  not too much => sincerity probe probe  make them aware higher level  elaborate adjust | refocus => new topic adjust | refocus => new topic redirect => new student redirect => new student rephrase rephrase  reword  provide more information  break the questions

Students’ Questions listening listening answer it yourself answer it yourself  only when no time in class redirect redirect attempt to help him answer his own attempt to help him answer his own  quite threatening meet after class meet after class  cons: maybe not only one give the resource give the resource defer the question, not both question and student defer the question, not both question and student

Students’ Questions don’t fake an answer when you don’t know it, but don’t fake an answer when you don’t know it, but  ask whether the others know  propose a plan to get the answer  suggest the resource  volunteer to find the answer yourself

Assess Questioning Skill videotape self review videotape self review peer-review peer-review survey on questioning survey on questioning student evaluation of questioning skill student evaluation of questioning skill