LDU : Small Group Teaching

A Guide to Maximizing Learning in Small Groups

Igor Kusyszyn, Ph.D., York University, Toronto

This guide was orginally prepared for a workshop on small group teaching held at York University, Toronto, October 19, 1976.
This guide is not copyrighted. It may be reproduced without permission by any means for any good purpose.
Dr. Kusyszyn is Associate Professor of Psychology and Associate Director of the Teaching Skills Programme for the The Counselling and Development Centre of York University, Toronto.

If you give a man a fish, he will eat it and soon be hungry. If you teach a man to fish he will never be hungry Chinese Proverb

Part A: Fundamentals

Many people fail because they conclude that the fundamentals simply do not apply in their case M. L. Cichon

Learn each student's name. Get the students to learn each other's names (use name tags if you like). Use first names when addressing each other.
A man's name is the to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language Dale Carnegie
Arrange the seating in a circle so that each student can maintain eye contact with the other students.
Pressed into service means pressed out of shape Robert Frost
Seat the more talkative students opposite the more quiet ones
Learn the students' concerns about the work of the group. i.e., Is attendance required? Exactly what are we responsible for? Exactly how will we be evaluated? Are you a hard marker?
Disturbances and excitements must take precedence. If they are ignored you will lose the student. S/he will turn off. (Credit goes to Ruth C. Cohn for this important observation.)
- Find out early what the students' interests are in relation to the subject matter. Ask them to write their interests down. Give them as much time as they require to do this, down to the slowest student. Collect the writings and systematically consider each student's interests in front of the group. Ask each student to elaborate on their specific interests. Invite the students to enquire about each other's interests.
- Make the subject relevant to the students' interests. If you don't they will forget it all.
  An effective leader establishes objectives that help individuals reach their personal goals L.Peter
Learn how knowledgeable the students are about the subject matter (no matter how many "prerequisites" they may have taken). Bring the less knowledgeable students up to the level of the level of the more knowledgeable ones before proceeding further. Encourage peer teaching at this early stage.
Allow those students who are only interested in passing the course a way to do so which is fair to you, to them, and to the institution.
Be enthusiastic about the course material. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm Emerson
You may initiate a discussion by setting a problem, by asking an open- ended question, or by beginning with a controversy. Discussion is hindered when you ask questions that have "right" answers. Invite them to speculate. Allow them to play with ideas.
Learning depends on the process of discovery Ruth C.Cohn
To increase participation, talk less and listen more. Encourage the students to talk directly to one another instead of going through you each time. Try not to be the centre of attention most of the time.
'Tis wisdom sometimes to seem a fool English Proverb
Do not make decisions for the group. Decisions should be made co-operatively through discussion. This increases interest and involvement.
Assign readings periodically as they become relevant to the topic under discussion. Do not hand out a long reading list.
Allow the group freedom to progress at a pace comfortable to them and not to you.
He who treads softly goes far Chinese Proverb
When the meeting is to span more than 75 minutes allow time for a short break.
Inform the students in advance how they may prepare for a specific meeting. Make it easy for them to prepare by making the necessary materials easily available.
Clarify the the goals or objectives for each meeting. Is today's goal subject matter mastery? Or is the goal to solve a problem? Or is the goal to discuss an issue?
He flung himself from the room, flung himself upon his horse and rode madly off in all direction Stephen Leacock
If the goal of the group is subject matter mastery, the material should be pre-read and the following format adopted:
- clarification of terms
- the author's message
- major and minor themes
- integration os the material, and,
- evaluation of the author's presentation
If the goal of the group is to solve a problem the best results are obtained by first asking each individual to write down as many solutions as s/he can. Then bring the solutions to the front of the whole group for discussion. Research has shown that this method produces the highest quality and the greatest number of solutions.
when we all think alike, no one thinks very much W. Lippman
Break up larger groups (8 to 30) into smaller units (1 to 5) from time to time.
Do not set yourself up asd an authority (even though you may be one). This produces anxiety, discourages participation and invites resentment.
The fish has no rights in the Cormorant's beak.
Listen carefully to each student in order to learn their unique frame of reference. Half the time what you hear is not exactly what the student means. Ask the speaker to elaborate.
There is something that is much more scarce, something finer far, something rarer than ability. it is the ability to recognise ability. E. Hubbard.
Don't rush in order to cover all the course content. If you do they will quickly forget it. Don't be concerned if all the content isn't covered. It is more important to be effective than efficient.
That carpenter is not the Best who makes more chips than all the Rest. A. Gutterman
Use praise often. Praise builds confidence and enhances desirable behaviours.
Rarely criticize. Criticism damages a person's ego but does not stamp out undesirable behaviour.
A pat on the back is only a few vertebrae removed from a kick in the pants, but is miles ahead in results. V. Wilcox
Regard your students as mature, as individuals, and as experts in areas in which you are not.
Every man I meet is in some way my superior; and in that I can learn of him. Emerson
Recognize minority opinions. You can use them to upgrade the quality of discussion and increase cohesiveness.
Allow periods of silence to occur. The students may be thinking!
Deliberating is not delaying Ecclesiasticus

Part B: Some Foundations and other Considerations

Existence: Humans have a need to confirm their existence. We confirm our existence when we become mentally and emotionally excited. You may help a student confirm their existence by getting them aroused though the methods recommended in this guide.
I think, therefore I am Descartes

Worth (esteem): Humans have a need to confirm their worth. You can confirm a student's worth with rewards such as praise, grades, recognition (listening attentively, using their name) and by validating their thinking by agreeing with the student.
The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated William James.
Learning will be more enjoyable and more permanent the more often the existence and worth needs are given satisfaction in the group.
We both exist and know that we edxist, and rejoice in this existence and knowledge William James
Effectance: Humans have a need to have an effect on their environment. You can help satisfy the students' needs for effectance by reacting to what they say and do. You can also allow them the freedom to affect the other students. Allow them to be productive, creative, critical, provocative, etc. The more that you allow students to affect you and the others in the group the more meaningful, lasting and satisfying will their learning be. (The need for effectance is similar to to need for power).
The bigger they are the harder they fall Anonymous

Reward and Punishment: Social rewards such as praise and recognition lower anxiety, raise self-esteem, promote more active participation, and produce a comfortable climate in which more creative work emerges. Social punishment such as criticism produces anxiety, frustration, and silence.
He that has been shipwrecked shudders at still waters Publius Ovlaus Nasu

Activate: At all times try to get the students to be active (thinking, feeling, speaking) rather than passive (listening only). If they are not active they will not learn.
Learning is an active process. We learn by doing Dale Carnegie

Feedback: Give the students many chances to improve. Set many mini-tasks. Give feedback constantly. The more feedback the faster the learning. The less feedback the greater the confusion.

Allow them to Fail: Establish a comfortable, non-threatening atmosphere in which the students can risk by saying "stupid" things (can risk failing). Students need many opportunities to fail safely. Safe failing is conducive to learning and creativity. Thomas Edison failed more than 2,000 times before he perfected the light bulb.
The world ceases to be a pleasure when it ceases to be speculation Balzac

Leadership: Groups with leaders function better than groups without leaders. However, do not monopolize the role. Allow students to occupy the role of leader often. Several leaders may emerge during the course of a single meeting.
I've got to follow them, I am their leader Ledru-Rollin

Resources: For maximal performance the group should exploit the resources (skills, natural abilities, unique experiences, knowledge) of its members.
The variety of individual personalities is the world's highest richness J.Huxley

Self-Disclosure: Be open about your background, your training, your knowledge and lack of it, and about your professional and personal biases. All of these will influence the functioning of the group. Self-disclosure promotes trust and produces disclosure in others.
He who persists in genuineness will increase in adequacy T.Lynch

Use Spontaneous Humour: Laugh at your subject and yourself when appropriate occassions present themselves

Don't Lecture For More Than A Few Minutes: How much do you remember of what your professors told you? How much are you trying to tell your students? (It may be telling).
The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on, it is never of any use to oneself Oscar Wilde

Amount of Structure in the Group Work: Some is better than none. Less is better than more.

Do Not Stress Grades: Dr Donald Hoyt's (1955) review of 46 research studies concludes "Present evidence strongly suggests that college grades bear little or no relationship to any measures of adult accomplishment." This was found to be true in all areas studied: business, teaching, engineering, medicine, scientific research, studies of eminence, miscellaneous occupations, and in non-vocational accomplishments. Do not stress grades. Foster involvement.
It is unfortunate that young people must go to school and interrupt their education George Bernard Shaw