Group Formats

Having a structure or format for the group meetings keeps things flowing and allows the group to access different types of learning.

Below are some suggestions about how to structure your group.

• Go around the room and ask each person what they would like to discuss or what they would like more help with. This is a bit informal, but it provides some structure and it gives each person a chance to both contribute and to seek help. • Decide the topics you are going to discuss BEFORE the next meeting so all members can prepare. • If you have multiple chapters to review or multiple topics to cover, you could assign each person in the group specific topics or chapters to present to the group. • Make it enjoyable. Consider taking turns being a session “guru” every time you meet. This is the person who has been able to ace key material and explain it well to others during the session. You might even exchange gag gifts. • Use a study guide given to you by your professor as a guide for the session. • Do a quick “review” or “wrap-up” at the end of the study session to recap what was covered. Do this during the last ten of fifteen minutes of the review session. Anticipate that there may be some questions, or somebody may need some additional help on a specific problem or topic. • Use study questions found at the end of chapters in your textbook.