Working with large groups

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Working with large groups

• Paul Sander
• UWIC

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Shuell (1986)

• If students are to learn desired outcomes in a
  reasonably effective manner, then the teachers
  fundamental task is to get students to engage in
  learning activities that are likely to result in
  their achieving those outcomes (Page 429)

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Schuell (1986)

• It is important to remember that what the
  student does is actually more important in
  determining what is learned than what the teacher
  does.

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Scott, 1999, page 198

• Customer satisfaction is believed to derive from
  the extent to which perceived standard of
  servicematches the expectations of the customer

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Kember 2001, page 217

• students who commence higher education with
  didactic/reproductive beliefs can find the
  process difficult and even traumatic

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Kember (cont)

• They are uncomfortable with teaching approaches
  which do not correspond with their model of
  teachers presenting information to be passively
  absorbed by students.

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First Problem

• If students come into our classes with
  didactic/reproductive beliefs
• And we want them to be satisfied students
• Then there is likely to be a problem if we set up
  classes in which students learn by doing

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Task

• Arrange yourselves into small groups
• Move furniture as necessary
• What solutions are there to this problem?

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Solutions

• Teaching didactically
• Support students in learning to learn by doing

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Constructivism

• Learner centred
• Meaningful information (understanding?) is
  constructed by students not given to them
• Remember
• Piaget
• Vygotsky
• Bruner

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Humanism and teaching

• Each student is unique
• Teachers attitude to students
• Teachers genuinely care for students as
  individuals

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Co-operative Learning

• Education isnt a competition
• Education isnt a private individualistic battle
• Construct an environment in which students work
  cooperatively in small groups, ensuring that all
  members master the assigned material

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Second Problem

• You have
• 100 students
• A belief in constructivist humanist approaches
• To teach a psychology module
• How do you go about it?
• Back into groups
• Ideas on acetates

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Jigsaw Aronson chums (1978)

• Cooperative learning strategy
• Groups have responsibility for mastering
  different aspects of problem
• Teach other group members
• Successful performance depends on each member
• http//www.jigsaw.org/overview.htm

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My Solution Part 1

• Break module into 10 or so discrete units
• Bundle these units into 5 topic areas
• Deliver 5 lead lectures over-viewing themes and
  issues

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My Solution Part 2

• Divide group into 10 groups of 10 students
• Assign each person in a group one of the 10 units
• Part 1 of exam specialist knowledge
• Brief students that they are to
• research their topic to share with their group
• Take responsibility for students who dont
  participate
• Provide practice session
• Each group builds an understanding of the course
  by sharing expertise
• Part 2 of exam integrative essay

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My Solution Part 3

• In detail
• Book 2 or 3 class rooms
• Easy on a Friday afternoon!
• Try and get a couple of colleagues to help
• Handout
• Copy for each group member
• Teacher assessed
• Presentation with activities
• Peer assessment

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An Important Digression

• The teaching space you use for lead lectures will
  be set up or used differently than for student
  presentations in small groups
• Think about your teaching spaces
• Think about what you will be using them for
• Move furniture

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Still digressing

• Students behaviour is, in part a product of
  their environment
• If you want group work, students must be made to
  organise themselves into groups
• In groups, members can see each other

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Still

• Can you have group work in lecture theatres?
• It isnt easy but..
• What can you do to facilitate it?
• Sit on benches
• Sit on floor
• Use teachers space

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Two Designs

• Theatre Ideal for large numbers. One way
  communication occurs in this setup and is ideal
  for audiovisual presentations and lecture style
  programs.

• Clusters Round tables seating 6 to 10 people
  are good for small group discussions and
  projects. Allows maximum participation within
  groups.

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Peer participation and assessment

• Presenters name..
• My prepared question was
• All students are requested to give feedback to
  the student presenter.
• Firstly, use the five-point scale to respond to
  the following question.
• How much did you learn from this talk?
• Detail three ways in which your knowledge or
  understanding has been enhanced.
• What have you learnt from this presentation that
  will influence you in any future presentations
  you may give?

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Peer participation and assessment (more)

• Presenters urged to read the feedback on their
  talk
• Know it is a cringe
• Form designed to be supportive
• Criticism by omission
• Peer assessment has contributed to module outcome
  (5)
• Are problems with this

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My Solution Conclusion

• Support students
• Know task is unusual
• Know that presentations are stressful
• Module evaluations show that
• students enjoy activities
• Like working with each other
• Module results are on par with other modules

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Another task for you

• In small groups
• On a scrap of paper
• What problems / difficulties / concerns do you
  have about implementing such a scheme?

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Action Research

• As psychologists, use your skills
• Critical
• Methodological
• Empirically, critically explore your teaching
• Sander, P, (2004). How should we research our
  students? Parts 12 Resources Database
  (Scholarship of teaching) Higher Education
  Academy http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources.asp?p
  rocessfilter_fieldssectiongenerictypesomeid
  29

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Action Research Student Presentations

• Sander, P. and Sanders, L. (2005). Giving
  Presentations the impact on students
  perceptions. Psychology Teaching Review, 11, 1,
  25-39.
• Explored the impact of student presentations when
  they were
• assessed (this module)
• Not assessed
• Tools
• Academic Behavioural Confidence scale
• Views of Teaching Learning and Assessment

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Findings (ABC)

• Students who had undertaken assessed
  presentations showed an overall increase in ABC,
  (plt0.05) indicating improved confidence.
• No such increase was found after the non-assessed
  presentation.
• In both studies students showed significant
  increases in their responses to items on the ABC
  that related to public speaking, (plt0.05).

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Findings (VTLA)

• Confirmed that students
• find presentations daunting
• (some) have some concerns about learning from
  peers.
• The VTLA revealed that experiencing presentations
  as a teaching method can help students feel
• More positive about presentations
• More able to acknowledge benefits of presenting

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Information

• http//www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/html/tips_de
  tails.asp?FieldIDteachingproblemsearchforLarge
  groups and scroll down
• psander_at_uwic.ac.uk