Teacher Resources: Things That Work

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION 
by Carol Bork

Small group discussion is one of the most important elements of a successful 100 or 101 class.  While many students will argue vehemently for the superiority of a full-class discussion, and while such discussions often seem gratifying, I have found that full-class discussions, especially in the first 8 to10 weeks of the semester, do not help students to write the most successful papers. However, weaker students will often "hide" in small groups, letting others do all the talking, and therefore deriving little benefit from the discussion.  Here are some strategies I've developed to make small group discussions productive for everyone in the class, including weaker students:

1. Put quiet students together in a group.  This might seem counterintuitive, because it seems to make sense to put at least one "talker" in every group.  However, I find that if I put all of the quiet students together in one group, after 5 minutes or so of strained silence, this group will usually start talking.

2. Give a written assignment for small group discussion.  This can be a handout (I often use a half-sheet of paper), or something you write on the board.  Break down the work you want students to do in their groups into a series of steps, so that they have a starting place and a direction to follow.  Make sure that the 1st step is something that absolutely everyone can do successfully. (For example, on the day that students hand in a final draft for paper #1, I will put them in groups and ask them to read the 1st few paragraphs of a new essay out loud to one another, and then to answer questions.  The 1st few questions are always "easy" ones such as "what immediate associations does the title of the essay produce?")

3. Announce that every group will have to report on their discussion to the entire class. I always tell my classes that their groups will have to report back to the class, but every group doesn't report every time.  After the first 2 or 3 weeks of the semester, students in my classes know that their group could be the one.  I change my methods for choosing which group will report—sometimes I ask for volunteers; at other times I'll say something like "let's hear first from the group that was working to define ‘autoethnography'"; often, I choose the group that "finishes" their discussion first!

4. Announce that you will choose a spokesperson for the group.  The first time my class does small group work, I ask for a volunteer from each group.  After the first few weeks, however, I tell students that I will choose the speaker; this means that everyone in the group is responsible for taking notes and preparing to speak.  Then, in order not to "pick on" students, I use a random method for choosing a speaker, such as drawing straws.  Students tend to like this because they see it as "fair."

5. Announce that groups who are working well will not necessarily agree, and should be prepared to report their disagreements.   This privileging of dissenting voices seems to help students who are afraid of being "wrong" to participate more comfortably.