CFE Number 23 October 2006
Student Learning Groups
Many teachers have experimented with group
work in their classrooms, but not always with
complete success. We know that students learn best
when they are motivated and fully engaged in the
learning process and groups offer a way to achieve
those outcomes, but we also know that poorly-run
groups can derail the learning process and turn
students against group work. Fortunately, there is
a sizable literature on the theory and practice of
group dynamics, offering research- and practice-
based suggestions for getting the most out of student
learning groups. We have attempted to summarize
the most important considerations in this essay.
Educational researchers have studied student
groups for over 25 years, and they have discovered
some very compelling reasons to use groups in our
classrooms. In courses with well-run groups, students
report increased motivation and greater satisfaction
with the course. They also seem to learn more of
the material and retain it longer than when they are
taught via other methods. Finally, research clearly
shows that group work promotes higher-order
thinking and develops important interpersonal skills.
(See, for example, Collier, 1980; Cooper & Associates,
1990; Goodsell & Associates, 1992; Johnson and
Johnson, 1989.)
What is a "group?"
One useful way to think about group work is in
terms of a continuum, from simple to complex group
structures, each of which is suitable for specific tasks
(see Table 1). At the lower end of the continuum,
little preparation is necessary, yet the results can
be very beneficial to student learning. The teacher
simply asks students to form groups of two or three
to compare their work, develop a consensus, or
generate ideas. In this simple structure, students
are able to test their ideas "in private" before they
have to share it with the rest of the class. Students
will correct each other’s misconceptions, contribute
prior knowledge to their discussion, and encourage
one another to pursue original lines of thought.
These simple groupings can be used in very large
classes (and even in classrooms with auditorium-
style seating), since they don't require elaborate
preparation and students can easily put their heads
together. Usually, the tasks given to these groups can
be accomplished in 5 to 10 minutes.
Slightly larger groups of four to six enable a teacher
to assign more in-depth work that requires more
(and different) student perspectives. Typically,
larger groups are used for more complex challenges
such as discussion of difficult reading assignments,
solutions to problems, and application of theoretical
knowledge. Groups of this size are more difficult to
arrange (physically), and because the tasks are more
complex they will require more class time than pairs
and threes. You should expect each student to have
five minutes of "air time” to express individual ideas,
thus, a group of four will need at least 20 minutes to
complete their task.
"Debriefing" groups with more complex assignments
will also take class time, and the teacher needs to
decide if it is necessary to debrief every group or if it
is possible to poll a sample of the groups to produce
the outcome the teacher wants. A general rule of
thumb is that as the complexity of the assignment
increases so does the amount of time to process the
learning activity and debrief the groups to summarize
important points.
Teachers form more tightly structured groups to carry
out tasks such as performing an experiment, writing
a paper, or designing a research project. These tasks
may take the group a few days to complete or may
last all semester, depending on complexity, and often
comprise a large part of the course grade. Complex
small-group activities foster collaborative work and
Center for Faculty Excellence
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
