Collaborative Study Groups

What Is It?
Collaborative Study Groups (CSGs) are an AVID structure in which students identify a specific question from a content area and collaborate in small groups to develop and deepen their understanding through inquiry and apply their new learning in order to enhance classroom performance.

Why Use It?
In addition to the academic benefits, successful CSGs also serve as an independent demonstration of increasing mastery and application of student success skills. These skills include inquiry, note-taking, organization, collaboration, communication, and numerous other skills necessary for college readiness.

Instructional Steps:
Before
Students prepare to participate in CSGs by identifying a specific question based on a concept or problem that they do not understand.

During
Students articulate their specific question, group members use collaborative inquiry to support the student presenter in clarifying confusion and checking for understanding. Upon arriving at a solution, students identify generalized steps/processes that lead to the solution. Appropriate academic vocabulary is used throughout. 

After
Students reflect on the learning in order to make connections between new learning and previous learning, their experiences, themselves and/or their world. Students reflect on the CSG process in order to continuously improve as active participants. apply the learning from CSGs to enhance classroom performance.