What is a
‘small group’?
A typical view of a ‘small group’ is around eight to 12 learners
facilitated by a teacher. ‘The purist view of small group teaching is that it
must be learner-centred, with all students joining in free discussion of a
particular topic’ (McCrorie, 2006, p. 5).
In clinical teaching, however, groups may be smaller than this, sometimes
even a pair of students or trainees working with a healthcare team. In other
cases, as higher education programmes take larger numbers, ‘small groups’ may
comprise as many as 25 or 30 students. Small groups can also operate within a
much larger setting, such as a lecture, workshop or conference. Small group
teaching is necessarily more demanding of staff and room resources and time
than lectures; however, well-designed small group teaching has clear benefits
for student learning in terms of retention of information, critical thinking
and consolidation of learning from different parts of a programme (McCrorie,
2006, pp. 1–4).
As McCrorie notes, however, ‘group size is probably less important that
what the group actually does’ (2006, p. 5). So what characterises a ‘small
group’ is not so much its size, but the teaching and learning context and the
way in which the teacher works with and facilitates the learning process. Small
groups provide opportunities for learning that are difficult to establish in
large group settings. They are particularly useful to enable learners to take
part in discussion, active participation, feedback and reflection, and to
consolidate learning, clarify understanding, and explore ideas and concepts.
Depending on the purpose and nature of the group, small group teaching can also
help to develop ‘transferable’ skills, such as study skills, communication
skills, teamwork, problem solving and personal development.
Small group events have an emphasis on learning (as opposed to teaching), a
specific task or focus and involve active participation by group members. One
of the characteristics that differentiates small group teaching from large
group teaching is that there is a greater attention to group processes as well
as to achievement of tasks. Some of the aspects that help to make small group
teaching effective in the clinical environment include both task- and
process-related aspects and draw from adult learning theory:
- building
on and relating activities to learners’ prior knowledge and experience
- relating
to the perceived learning needs of the participants
- involving
active learning and participation
- enabling
group interaction within a positive group atmosphere
- adherence
to group goals
- cases
that promote critical thinking and problem solving
- being
clinically relevant and applicable to practice
- facilitating
the integration of knowledge and skill
- cycles
of action–reflection
- allowing
the acquisition of technical skills
- effective
tutors
(de Villiers et al., 2003; Steinert, 2004).
Small group
teaching and learning in context
Small group teaching and learning in
context
Small group teaching does not take place in a vacuum. The diagram below
shows how teaching and learning methods interrelate with learning
outcomes/objectives, assessment, and evaluation and quality assurance. The teacher
has a role in ensuring that each session forms part of the whole curriculum by
creating opportunities (through selecting appropriate teaching and learning
methods and creating a stimulating learning environment) for learners to
achieve the stated objectives and thus be capable of passing assessments.
Thinking point
- What do
you think are some of the most appropriate activities and
learning/teaching methods that will facilitate both achievement of set
task as well as group processes?
The role of
the teacher
The role of the teacher
There are three main activities that small group teachers have to manage
simultaneously:
- managing
the group
- managing
activities
- managing
the learning.
In many small group teaching situations, the role of the teacher is that of
facilitator of learning: leading discussions, asking open-ended questions,
guiding process and task, and enabling active participation of learners and
engagement with ideas. However, small groups function and behave in various
ways and have different purposes. Teachers therefore need to be able to adopt a
range of roles and skills to suit specific situations, often during the same
teaching session.
Other roles that may be adopted include that of:
- the
instructor, who imparts information to students
- the
neutral chair
- the
consultant, from whom learners can ask questions
- the
devil’s advocate
- the
commentator
- the
wanderer, such as in a larger workshop
- the
absent friend (McCrorie, 2006).
Some of the problems associated with leading effective small groups are
summarised by Jacques (2003):
- the
teacher gives a lecture rather than conducting a dialogue
- the
teacher talks too much
- students
cannot be encouraged to talk except with difficulty; they will not talk to
each other but will only respond to questions from the tutor
- students
do not prepare for the sessions
- one
student dominates or blocks the discussion
- the
students want to be given the solutions to problems rather than discuss
them.
Effective tutors are essential to ensuring that small groups work well. Any
teaching event will be more successful if the teacher:
- is
enthusiastic
- has
organised the session well
- has a
feeling for the subject
- can
conceptualise the topic
- has
empathy with the learners
- understands
how people learn
- has
skills in teaching and managing learning
- is
alert to context and ‘classroom’ events
- is
teaching with their preferred teaching style
- has a
wide range of skills in their teaching repertoire, including ‘questioning,
listening, reinforcing, reacting, summarising and leadership’ (McCrorie,
2006, p. 8).
Making the shift from teacher as expert to facilitator is sometimes seen as
diminishing a teacher’s power and authority, but this should not be the case.
Facilitating learning is empowering for both the learner and the teacher and
frees the teacher from many of the burdens that having to be an ‘expert’ might
entail. It would traditionally have been seen as a weakness for a teacher to
say ‘I don’t know, let’s find out’ or ‘I don’t know, do any of you students
know the answer?’ and clearly clinical teachers need to know more about many
topics than their students or trainees, but medical science is changing so
rapidly that no one can know everything. Implementing an evidence-based
approach to clinical learning and to medical practice involves finding out
about the latest research. You can use these techniques and this approach to
facilitate your own and your students’/trainees’ learning.
Types of
small group event
Types of small group event
There are a number of models for small group teaching, designed around
specific tasks and with a specific purpose in mind. When planning the type of
small group teaching that might be most appropriate for your session, think
about the learners who will be involved, the resources available (teachers,
facilitators, ‘experts’, patients, rooms, equipment), the learners’ needs and
the learning outcomes that are to be achieved.
Small group teaching can be structured around:
- topics
or themes - e.g. evidence-based practice, asthma, chronic lung
conditions
- clinical
cases (actual patients or case notes) - e.g. Mrs X presents with…
- clinical
or community-based problems - e.g. problem-based learning, a child
with a wheeze
- situations
- e.g. critical incident or significant event analysis
- tasks
or skills - e.g. X-ray meetings, clinical audit, examination of
cardio-vascular system.
The format of small group teaching events needs to encourage and facilitate
participation by group members. Sometimes, there is little or no choice about
the sort of event that a teacher has to facilitate, as these are pre-planned as
part of a programme. Knowing some of the advantages and disadvantages and aims
of each of these can be helpful in terms of your own preparation and
expectations.
The next section considers some of the most common formats and types of
small group teaching event. Lectures and clinical skills teaching are covered
in two other modules in this series: Improve your lecturing and Teaching
clinical skills (please note this module will be available soon).
Seminars and tutorials are two of the most traditional
models for learning in groups in higher education. The words can be used
interchangeably but the main aim of both is to encourage group discussion.
Teachers tend to have a more directive role in these types of small group
teaching event, although it can be useful to rotate the leadership role around
the participants.
A ‘seminar’ normally describes a group discussion led formally or
informally by the tutor, focusing on issues arising from subject matter. The
number of students is normally between eight and 20. In the traditional model,
one student will be asked to present a critical analysis or other preparation
to introduce the discussion. Often seminars are used at postgraduate level,
providing a forum for presenting research findings to a constructively critical
group of academics and peers.
The word ‘tutorial’ tends to be used for smaller group teaching events
where more time is spent with individual students and their development, using
certain aspects of subject matter to stimulate debate. In one-to-one tutorials
the tutor may look at assignments prepared by the learner or discuss career
options or other professional development topics. Tutorials can also be
delivered online. Tutorials can be very successful if a clinical or other
‘trigger’ is used to stimulate discussion and debate. Triggers might include
videos, photographs, results of tests or investigations or, in problem-based
learning (PBL) and case-based learning (see below), a short paper-based
scenario or set of case notes and test results.
Clinical tutorials should focus on the solving of patient problems rather
than delivering factual information. You will need to plan the teaching, with
clear aims and objectives. Ensure that students/trainees know that they will be
expected to participate, and set tasks for them to perform in preparation for
the tutorial. Remember to act as a facilitator and encourage interaction
between the participants. You should avoid conducting tutorials in which you or
your students/trainees present topics. If, for example, you wish to have a
tutorial dealing with hypertension, then the case notes and investigations of a
patient with hypertension should be the focus.
See ‘Facilitating learning: small group teaching methods’ in Explore this
topic, for further discussion and ‘hints and tips’ for delivering seminars and
tutorials.
Workshops are educational seminars or meetings where there is
interaction and exchange of information; sometimes they are designed to
generate information or position papers. They may be offered on a residential
basis over several days to introduce a course and core topics, or at the end to
reinforce and integrate learning. They are particularly useful as part of
blended or distance learning programmes to bring participants together face to
face or to deliver learning where there is a need for resources, people and equipment
to which students do not normally have access. A range of activities can be
used, including role-play triggers, video, case studies and patient encounters
to set the scene and stimulate discussion and debate.
Journal clubs are meetings of staff where everyone is asked to
present their comments on recent papers in the medical (or other) literature.
This works well, provided the topic is of direct relevance to participants,
everyone comes prepared and there is time for discussion and clarification. It
should not turn into a series of mini-lectures.
Syndicate groups are where participants are asked to prepare
(individually or in pairs) on a pre-selected topic around a theme (for example,
on different conditions/diseases around a theme of chronic obstructive airway
disease) and report back at the syndicate group. Again this needs to be well
facilitated, everyone needs to have prepared and be willing to contribute, and
time needs to be set aside for discussion.
Action learning sets (ALSs) are frequently used in postgraduate staff
development and training. They comprise a group of six to eight people who come
together around shared and negotiated tasks, problems or ‘issues’. Some ALSs
are task-focused, others are set up to support and facilitate personal and
professional development and allow individuals to bring work-related ‘issues’
to the group, which helps the person to reflect, find solutions and discuss
options. There is a set structure to an ALS, with clear ground rules around
time and participation. The group usually facilitates itself, although some
sets are facilitated and more task-focused.
Small
group activities
Small
group activities
Jacques (2003) suggests that teachers have a range
of choices available to them when working with groups. The sequence of
activities is a strong determinant of learning, as is the way that teachers
handle group processes and dynamics: sensitivity being one of the most
important skills. Jacques also suggests that ‘imaginative management in the
setting of tasks and the organizing of purposeful activities for sub-groups…
can create a firm foundation for qualities such as openness, networking and
proactive communication – important ingredients in the process of personal and
organisational change.
The attached Teachers’ toolbox item summarises a selection of activities. Some require more
active facilitation by the teacher, while others require the teacher to take a
back seat and allow the group process to determine events and outputs.
Large group
teaching
Lecturing is often seen as the main method for enabling large groups to
learn effectively. The module provides
many examples of techniques and methods you can use to facilitate learning in
small groups. You will see later in this module that many small group
techniques can be used within a lecture theatre, in workshop situations or in
conferences and symposia.
Elton’s (1977) model classified all teaching and learning systems
techniques into three broad groups:
- mass
instruction
- individualised
instruction
- small
group learning.
In the table below we have adapted his ideas to consider large and small
group teaching/learning and individual instruction. This classification can be
used to indicate the role of the teacher and the types of instructional
material that might be useful in each of the contexts.
Class of
techniques
|
Examples
|
Role of
teacher, instructor, trainer
|
Large
groups
|
Conventional
lectures and expository lessons, workshops, conferences, symposia, lab
classes, distance and online learning conferencing, teleconferencing,
television and DVD/video, films
|
Traditional expository role; controller of instruction process. Some
interaction possible, needs careful planning and specific interventions from
the teacher/facilitator
|
Individualised
instruction
|
Directed
study (reading books, handouts, discovery learning), open learning, distance
learning, programmed learning, mediated self-instruction, computer/web based
learning, e- learning, one-to-one teaching, work shadowing, sitting by Nelly,
mentoring
|
Producer/manager
of learning resources, tutor and guide
|
Small
group learning
|
Tutorials,
seminars, group exercises and projects, games and simulations, role play,
self-help groups, discussions
|
Organiser
and facilitator
|
(Ellington and Race, 1993)
Winston (2008) suggests that beginning lecturers or presenters need to
‘realize that the nature of an audience changes with its size. With fewer than
20 people, discussion is possible. With more than 50, a performance is
expected, and an audience can turn vicious if it does not get one. Start your
career teaching to small classes.’ In this module we will look at techniques to
break a very large group into smaller groups, and other ways in which you can
avoid the (thankfully rare) ‘viciousness’ to which he alludes.
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