Supporting physics teaching with research-based resources

Quick tips from the Faculty Teaching Institute to help facilitate group work. 

Introducing group activities

Explain why you are asking students to work in groups. For example, explain that it helps students learn content and collaboration skills through discussion.

Give clear instructions and expectations for small group activities to avoid confusion and communicate expectations about timing and participation. For example, how many people should work together, how long it will take, and what kinds of conversations you expect to happen. Hold a class-wide discussion about discussion norms for productive group work before group work starts.

Use an icebreaker or team-building exercise. Students work best together if they know or trust each other. Have students introduce themselves to their group members before attending to their tasks. For teams that will work together for a longer period of time, consider an icebreaker or an activity designed specifically to build a sense of teamwork.

During group activities

Circulate and listen quietly. This is your golden opportunity to learn what your students do and don’t understand, and what they need to do to learn what you’ve set out for them! Use the time well by eavesdropping - truly, there is nothing more precious to you than this. As you listen in, you may be tempted to jump in and help. WAIT. Give them a bit to figure things out, and give yourself time to figure out what they are thinking. It’s usually okay if they are off track for a little bit - aren’t we all?? Let it unfold. Also listen for trends that are emerging from the discussions, so that you can refer to them during the subsequent plenary discussion.

Be slow to share what you know. If you come upon a group that is experiencing uncertainty or disagreement, avoid the natural tendency to give the answers or resolve the disagreement. If necessary, clarify your instructions, but let students struggle — within reason — to accomplish the task.

Nudge strategically – and leave. If you do decide on a well-placed nudge, try to make just one brief suggestion or ask one juicy question, and leave within one minute. Ideally, this helps students understand that they are responsible for their own learning during this time, and helps you distribute your attention among the many groups in your class. Avoid interfering with group functioning — allow time for students to solve their own problems before getting involved.

Monitor students’ progress. In addition to circulating, you can do occasional polling on key questions, glance at their worksheets, and ask students to indicate where they are in their progress through the activity.

Coach students in expressing ideas. Monitor student discussions so you can coach students in expressing their ideas. If you notice a student who did a particularly good job of planning a project, assign them the role of leading his group during the next planning phase of the project. Have the whole class brainstorm ideas, as you write them on the board, along with the pros and cons of each idea. Then, you can coach the class through deciding among the ideas as a group.

Help groups collaborate effectively. Students are likely to need some help in working together well. Use icebreakers and team-building exercises. Give explicit instruction on teamwork (e.g., “Listen to each other’s ideas as well as sharing your own and try to reach consensus”) and coach/model your instructions during collaboration.

After group activities

Provide closure through a whole-class discussion. You can end with a “plenary” session in which students do group reporting. If you notice a group that did a particularly good job on a group task, call on them to share their thinking with the class.

Solicit feedback from students on group activities. Give students a way to give you feedback about how the group activities are going, and invite students to come to you if they are having problems. Listen carefully and take action if appropriate (with student permission).

Ask students to reflect on their group work experience. This reflection helps them identify what they learned and improve group function. For example, have students write down answers to questions such as “How are we doing as a group? What is working well? What is something we may need to change?” This can be done as an exit activity, essay, or survey. know that their contributions can be identified. You might also have students evaluate their group members’ collaboration, to help the instructor identify problems.

Additional practices:

• Express your confidence in students. Assume that they do know, and can do, a great deal. Express your confidence in them as you circulate the room.
• On longer group projects, scaffold time management. Give dedicated time for students to exchange contact information, choose a time and place to meet outside of class, and how they will communicate. Assign intermediate goals and milestones.

For more information on structuring group work, check out the Expert Recommendation "How can I help students work well in small groups, so they are more likely to engage?"

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grants DUE-2141678, 2141745, 2141769, 2141795, and 2142045.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.