Developing Effective Study Groups Working Collaboratively

Studying for Memory & Application Many quick repetitions strengthen recall Tying current material back to material or analysis from past classes may reveal important patterns – (Another type of repetition) Give context What is like this that I know? Try to find current examples of the principles being studied. Discuss purpose of principles Are there public policy issues to explore

Learning Cycle Supported by Study Groups Learning involves: Input: gathering information Processing: contexting, organizing, and storing information for future use Output: applying information to new contexts and situations Unfortunately, what goes in may not come out clearly or accurately. Study groups increase effective learning by: Identifying and clarifying gaps or misunderstanding Helping students learn to apply information to new contexts, reinforcing learning

The Purposes of a Study Group Are: To clarify information To apply legal knowledge and reasoning to factual situations To test understanding through discussion and debate within the group. To practice writing exam questions. Study on your own before and after session Review what you learned in study group as part of good study practices

How to Form a Study Group Seek 2 or 3 others Check assumptions with potential members about what a study group does. Clarify the time commitment each wants to make? Choose members on the basis of common goals and commitment to those goals. Do NOT form study groups primarily on the basis of friendship, similarity of thinking, or political conviction. Diversity is a plus in study groups.

Guidelines for Forming Study Groups: Optimal size: 3-4 persons Rotate leadership Role of leader is to involve all participants in discussion Set purpose and goals for the group. At the end of each meeting set an agenda for the next meeting to help members focus and prepare Establish set meeting and ending times. Stick to the set time schedule. Hint: Talking about school is a diversion. It often happens when students feel anxiety about material. Some people establish a “fund” to which people who divert the focus must contribute. This provides resources for a party after exams!

Agenda Choices Focus in meeting One subject or more than one each meeting Stick to set subject or jump to course that provides current confusion Type of Focus Oral discussion Writing problems Remember that you get good at skills you practice and the exam is a written exercise! Try having group write answers to a hypo and trade answers. Then construct a group answer. Creating hypos is an excellent exercise for groups and for individuals to bring to the group. Taking turns explaining and questioning

Organizing Organizing is important to learning and to writing exams. In a study group, note some of these important elements: Patterns Legal tests Steps of analysis Answers to exam questions must be organized Be sure to have a planning step when approaching exam questions and hypos in a study group Brainstorm issues and facts that support your legal theories, and then organize them to be most responsive to question Use your outline/organizing tool to help plan

Tasks Change With Time in Semester In the beginning groups commonly clarify class notes, but quickly they need to move to applying what they are learning to test their understanding. Don’t put off planning and writing practice problems Easier to understand material by using concrete examples Try to create hypos in your group – then vary the facts and see if or how that changes your analysis Organize materials individually, but: Test your organizing by using your system in study group with writing answers to hypos Trade answers, read, critique, discuss, and improve Before exams groups often meet frequently to do practice questions.

Work Together: Teaching and Learning Commit to the success of each member of your group!

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