Using small group work

If you have big group with over 8 people, you can split them into smaller ‘buzz’ group of 3 or 4 or pairs, threes or fours to do tasks or to discuss questions

· Quieter students will often speak in a small group but not a large group

· Small groups enable learners to form closer connections with each other (especially if you change the groups for each task)

Setting up small group tasks

Using small group tasks well is harder than it looks! The following guidelines may help.

· Decide how you are going to form the groups – randomly, or mixing students by ability/experience etc.

· Set a task that has a clear learning purpose.

· Brief the groups clearly and set a time

· Monitor the groups to check they are on task. If they are stuck, ask open questions to help them move on.

· Take feedback when the whole group re-forms. Try to manage it so it doesn't take too long – eg a point from each group

· Summarise learning for the whole group

When to use and not to use small groups:

Its important to be clear why you are using small group work and what you want to achieve. Pointless group work is a waste of time for you and your students. Do students have enough information to address your question? What will they learn by doing it? Is the task manageable in the time allocated?

Task: Using small groups

Evaluate the following group tasks set after watching a film on Mussolini?. Which one has a clear learning purpose? Click on the box to reveal a possible response.

"Now we have seen the film on Mussolini, please discuss it with a couple of other people".

"What distinguished Fascism from Nazism in mid 20^th Century Europe? Recap this in small groups".

Suggested response

The first task is undirected and learners may not have sufficient information to respond to the question. What should they discuss? The photography, the content, its accuracy? Its unclear.

The second gives clear guidelines

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