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Finding a group, setting up a time to meet, establishing group norms, and setting a goal are all necessary for a successful study group. But what do you actually do during your session? Planning activities that match what you want to accomplish can keep your sessions from turning into disorganized socialization. You don't have to pick one of the formats below, but they give you an idea of some of the ways you can run a group study session.
"Study with me" Session/Study hall
"Study with me" Session/Study hall
Group members meet in a common location or join an online meeting, then work independently. People often feel more motivated and focused when they know that someone else is working nearby, even if they're not actively working together.
Useful for: Courses where your primary concern is focus or motivation, when you can't think of any material to work on together, people with inconsistent schedules (you can have a larger than normal group, and anyone who is available can show up)
Article - Robyn Welsh / Digital Alberta
Collaborative resource
Collaborative resource
Group members contribute to a shared resource like a study guide, set of flashcards, practice questions, or course outline/notes. The resource can be worked on during a planned group session, or members can contribute whenever they have time.
Useful for: Groups with members who have conflicting schedules
Informal discussion
Informal discussion
Group members meet and discuss any topic relevant to the course. Because the discussion can be about anything, members don't have to prepare beforehand, but they do need to be caught up on readings to contribute.
Useful for: Courses with flexible schedules (i.e., members don't necessarily know ahead of time what the prof will cover in class), groups that do not struggle with going off topic
Reading seminar
Reading seminar
Group members meet to discuss a reading from class. The discussion can take a few different forms, such as:
TQE (Thoughts, Questions, Epiphanies): The group discusses their general opinions or understanding of the text, any unanswered questions they have about it, and anything that they found surprising or that made them rethink something else they had learned. Members can use pre-determined question stems or take a more flexible approach.
Socratic Seminar: Members ask the group open-ended questions intended to delve deeper into the text, and build on each others' responses to develop a more critical understanding. Each member can come to the session with one or two questions prepared, or they can take turns being the primary questioner.
Mini presentations: Each member presents a short summary of a different reading (or a different part or aspect of the same reading) and discusses how it relates to the course, then asks the group some questions to elicit their thoughts.
Useful for: Courses with a lengthy reading list, texts that cover highly complex or abstract topics, courses focused on interpreting text (e.g., English)
Week in Review
Week in Review
Each member summarizes their understanding of the key points covered in class since the last group session, discusses how they see these points connecting to previous material or the course objectives, and any questions or confusion they still have. If all members have questions about the same thing, they develop a plan for finding an answer (e.g., going to the instructor's office hours, looking at other resources).
Useful for: Courses where each section or unit relies heavily on the previous ones, fast-paced or content-heavy courses
Practice Testing
Practice Testing
Members create a set of practice questions before the session, and then the group works on them together. The group decides ahead of time if they want questions that test basic understanding of the course material, "stumper" questions to challenge them, or a mix of both. Because creating practice questions can be as useful a learning activity as answering them, each member gets double the benefit.
Useful for: Courses that emphasize application of material, exam preparation
Hint: our Studying page has strategies for developing effective questions.
Jigsaw
Jigsaw
Each member takes responsibility for a part of the course material (a lecture, reading, topic, etc.) and learns it well enough that they can serve as the group "expert." They summarize the material for the group, answer questions the other members might have, and ask their groupmates questions to test their understanding. The group can create a comprehensive study guide by collating each member's notes and questions.
Useful for: Content-heavy or complex courses
Members take differing positions on an issue related to their course, and use course readings, lectures, and other resources to support their arguments. Members do not need to actually agree with the position they take; the point is to practice approaching an issue or problem from multiple perspectives.
Useful for: Courses covering material with no single "right" answer, theory courses that teach different theoretical perspectives on the same phenomenon
Article - Northern Illinois University
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