1. D&S Faculty Forum Session B1
Managing group work with students – pitfalls and how to avoid them!
Rebecca's intro - 5 mins (5)
Icebreakers activity - 15 mins (20)
Scaffolding/common language and starting point - 10 mins (30)
Dealing with different behaviours - 5 mins activity, 15 mins feedback and discussion - 20 mins (50)
Feedback and close - 5 mins (55)
Dr Rebecca Hodgson, Sheffield Institute of Education
Nick Russell, Library and Student Support Services

2. Why group work?

3. Why group work?
At the heart of successful retention and success is a strong sense of belonging in HE for all students. This is most effectively nurtured through mainstream activities that all students participate in. Academic interaction is key.
Thomas, L. (2012) Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change: a summary of findings from the What Works? Student Retention and Success Programme. Paul Hamlyn Foundation, HEFCE, HEA, Action on Access. Online here
Talk is work – ‘opportunities for students to engage in collaborative discourse and argumentation offer a means of enhancing student conceptual understanding and students’ skills and capabilities with scientific reasoning (Osborne 2010)
Engagement is multifaceted – behavioural, emotional and cognitive, while motivation is closely linked with interest. Factors in classroom practice in schools found to increase motivation and engagement are: goals, choices, materials and enabling student collaboration (Wu et al 2013).
“collaborative discussions produced greater interest and engagement than conventional discussions” – study of school children doing small group discussions vs whole group discussions. Results consistent wrt self reporting of students and observed engagement. [Girls more likely to report greater interest while boys more likely to show boost in interest. Lower achieving children valued small group discussion more than higher achieving children. Talkative children reported higher interest than non talkative children]. (Wu et al 2013).
At the heart of successful retention and success is a strong sense of belonging in HE for all students. This is most effectively nurtured through mainstream activities that all students participate in (Thomas 2012) Academic interaction is key.
Collaborative forms of learning can be mutually beneficial for those ‘deemed to be of low ability’ and ‘their more capable peers’ (Roberts, 2016)

5. Icebreakers

6. Ground rules / contracting
How would you like group members to behave?
How you want group members to treat each other?

7. Punctual!

8. Agendas

10. Task Planner

11. Dealing with different behaviours
In small groups discuss how you would deal with someone in the group who... (5 minutes)
Is silent and withdrawn during group discussions
Isn't motivated and is resistant to doing their share of the work
Is very talkative and dominating discussion
Is making inappropriate rude jokes

12. Dealing with different behaviours
Silent and withdrawn in group discussions:
Break into pairs / small groups to put the student at ease
Recognise and value any contribution
Invite to speak or check understanding (e.g. what do you think of that idea?)
If appropriate talk to the student privately to find out if there is a deeper reason for being quiet and offer encouragement.
Adapted from resource created by Connexions

13. Student responses

14. Dealing with different behaviours
Isn't motivated and is resistant to doing their share of the work ("freeriding"):
Encourage and value any contribution
Place with more positive group members
Give responsibility / contract
Work as smaller groups or with a partner
Check they understand the task/situation
Links to assessment / grading
Adapted from resource created by Connexions

15. Student responses

16. Dealing with different behaviours
Is very talkative and dominating discussion:
Share out discussion time / nominate
Work in smaller groups to minimise the effect
Encourage contribution from others
Assert that people should not interrupt each other to ensure quieter team members aren't talked over (contract)
Adapted from resource created by Connexions

17. Student responses

18. Dealing with different behaviours
Is making inappropriate rude jokes:
Confront the behaviour when it happens
Remind the student of any ground rules set for the group
Discuss the effect the behaviour has on the group. Focus on the feelings or difficulties produced by the behaviour, not the person
Consider discussing the appropriateness of the behaviour privately with student
Adapted from resource created by Connexions

19. Feedback hoop and follow up
1 thing you will take away from this session and apply in your practice
1 question you still have about group work
Follow up: see screencast and Sharepoint site for more resources
blogs.shu.ac.uk/thebridge/group-work
portal.shu.ac.uk/DEPARTMENTS/LSSS/peerlearning