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CanIReallyDoThatOnline?EffectiveStudentInteractionwithGroupsRhondaD.BlackburnandChristineSalmon,UniversityofTexasatDallas

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AdvantagesandDisadvantagesofGroupWorkMythoughtsAdvantages Disadvantages

WhatotherssayAdvantages Disadvantages


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InformalGroupActivities

ThinkPairShareDescription:Think Pair Share helps students clarify, reinforce, and/or apply the content of the lesson. Usefulfor:

• Learning check - Break up a lecture after about 15-20 minutes (or after a major concept)Instructions:

1. Ask a question of the class requiring critical thinking, application, synthesis or evaluation. 2. Think! (Individual activity) - Encourage students to think about the question and their answer for

2-3 minutes. Ask students to make notes of the question and their thoughts. 3. Pair! - Ask students to work with one classmate (can be students next to each other or in front or

behind each other) to discuss the question and answers. You move among students to assess student responses and learning. Give students plenty of time to discuss the question in detail.

4. Share! - Ask volunteers to share their discussion with the class. Involve the entire class in a summarizing discussion.

Ideasforimplementing:RoundrobinsDescription:The purpose of Roundrobin is to engage every student in the discussion by following a systematic structure for sharing.Usefulfor:

• systematic group discussions of key ideas from class • developing listening skills and patience

Instructions:1. Break students into group of 4-5. Assign one student to be the “recorder”. 2. Provide a question that asks student to think critically and to reflect. 3. Each student systematically take a turn around the circle while the recorder writes down key

words or phrases from each student as he/she shares points of view. 4. Students may offer new ideas or follow up on a previous stated idea. Or, students may “pass” if

they have nothing new to add at the time of their turn. Students may “pass” during one round and then offer an idea on the next. Passing does not eliminate students from the discussion. Passing simply indicates that a student has nothing new to add during this turn.

5. Continue the turn taking until the group exhausts all ideas and all students “pass” on their turn. 6. Conduct an open discussion after the Roundrobin.

Ideasforimplementing:


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BuzzGroupsDescription:Buzz Groups engage students with each other and the content of the course. Buzz Groups provide a less structured discussion.

Usefulfor:• processing key ideas

Instructions:1. Break students into groups of 4-5. 2. Ask students to discuss a text, an issue, clinical or technical concepts. The assignment can be

broad or specific. 3. Students discuss freely. They can argue, defend, explain, etc. their point of view.

Ideasforimplementing:BookendsUsefulfor:

• Assessing learning during a lessonInstructions:

1. Individual activity - At the beginning a class lesson or unit of instruction, ask students to take 4-5 minutes to write down all the questions they have about the lesson. Give them enough time to think, write, and reflect.

2. Paired activity - ask students to share their questions, concerns, and issues with a partner. You walk among students to assess the kinds of questions students are sharing.

3. Ask student volunteers to share their questions, concerns, and issues with the class. 4. The instructor should record the questions on the board or flip chart so everyone can see. DO

NOT ANSWER the questions at this point. 5. Conduct the lesson. 6. At the end of the instruction, ask students to review the questions with their partner or in larger

groups of 4-5. Encourage them to find the answers in the lesson just conducted. 7. Bring back to the entire class and discuss any questions remaining unanswered or needing

clarification.



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ThreeBeforeMeUsefulfor:

• peer review of written assignments • improving editing/proof-reading skills, knowledge of content, and ability to provide feedback to

others• encouraging positive interdependence among team members

Instructions:1. Break students into groups of 4. Ask students to “trade” written assignments with a team member. 2. One - Each group member does a peer assessment of the written assignment and returns the

assignment to the original author. 3. Using the feedback provided by group members, students edit/rewrite their assignments to

incorporate the peer assessment. 4. Two - After the first set of edits/rewrites, students trade papers with a second member of their

group. Again, this group member assesses the assignment and provides feedback to the original author. The author edits and rewrites.

5. Three - group members trade written assignments with the remaining member of their four-member group. This group member does a final check of the assignment for the original author. Edits/rewrites are completed as needed.

6. Students submit their written work for instructor assessment.



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FormalGroupActivitiesJigsawDescription:This strategy is designed on the philosophy that we learn something best by teaching it. Jigsaw requires students to become experts on a sub-set of the content and then to teach the content to classmates. In this way each member of the learning team becomes an important Jigsaw puzzle piece for the team’s understanding of all the content of the lesson.

Usefulfor: • encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning • complex topics that can be divided

Instructions:1. Assign students to groups of 4 - 5. Divide the lesson into 4 or 5 key modules. Individual students

in the group each become an expert on one of the key modules of the lesson. 2. Students first group together with their assigned group. Students identify the module for which

they will be responsible. 3. Ask students to number off. All the number 1’s from the groups gather together to study Module

1. All the students with the number 2’s gather to study Module 2, etc. Now the original group is divided around the classroom with like-numbered students from other groups. Each student becomes an expert on the module to which he/she is assigned.

4. Carefully monitor students as they work through the modules. Take care to clarify content and check comprehension as students work to master learning.

5. When students believe they have mastered the content or skill of the lesson, ask them to develop a plan for teaching it to their teammates. Ask students to prepare a visual aid as a part of their teaching strategy.

6. Each student now returns to his/her original group. Students take turns teaching the content or skill of their Jigsaw module to the students in their group.

7. Again, the instructor should students as they teach to ensure correctness of content and skill. Provide ample time for questions and answers as groups move through the modules.

8. Optional activity - have students take a group quiz. Ideasforimplementing:


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OnlineGroupActivityPlanInstructorPlanningCourse:Topic(s)(broadtopicspecifictopicstobeaddressedbytheactivity)ActivityGoal(whatdoyouwantstudentstogetoutofthisactivity?Thisisyourreflectionandplan)ActivityType(project,discussion,case,jigsaw,etc.)ActivityDescription(whatdoyouwantthemtodo‐bespecific)GroupDescription(howmanymemberspergroup,willyourequireroles,willstudentsbeassigned)


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Assessment(product,process,both?Gradingscheme,rubric(willyouprovideahead?),etc.Tool(s)(whattoolinyourCMSwillyouuse?Why?How?,etc)Additionalthoughts?InformationforStudents(formalstatementstogivetostudents)LearningOutcomes(shouldderivefromyourgoal(s)andbestatedinformalterms)Instructions/ActivityDescription(describeclearlytheactivity,includingreadings,requiredassignments,etc)


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GroupDesignandProcess(tellstudentswhyandhowtoworktogether,whattodoifgroupisn’tworking,etc.)ActivitySubmission(tellstudentswhereandhowtosubmittheiractivity;includeanyspecificrequirementsaboutnames,filetitles,sizes,etc)Grading(providethegradingscheme,rubric,etc.)Other(anythingelseyouneedtotellstudentsthatdoesn’tfitabove)

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