Small and large group teaching

Marion WebbJanuary 2015

Considered factors that can impact on the design and delivery of taught sessions

Explored techniques to facilitate small group activities and manage student discussion and feedback

Considered how theoretical models and concepts can be used to underpin effective teaching

Discussed important factors for delivering successful large group sessions

Discussed the importance of planning for taught sessions

Planned and delivered a short micro teaching session Observed colleagues and shared feedback

Learning outcomes

An introduction to some theories of learning Techniques for small and large group

teaching Dealing with problems Techniques for planning teaching

Afternoon: micro-teaching

Structure of the day

Introduce yourself to the people around you Explain what teaching you are involved in (or will be involved in). Do you teach small groups/large groups? Both? What would you like to explore today? Jot down your ideas on a post-it

Introductions

What is the value of lectures?

What is the value of small group teaching?

Think of something you are good at. How did you become good at it? How do you know you are good at it? Think of something you are not good at? What happened when you tried to learn it? Think of something you didn’t like but you

carried on with it anyway What made you carry on?

How do we learn?

FIVE FACTORS UNDERPINNING SUCCESSFUL LEARNING Learning by DOING Learning from FEEDBACK WANTING to learn NEEDING to learn MAKING SENSE – “getting one’s head

around it” – digesting

Phil Race, Making Learning Happen, Sage 2010

What does learning involve in your discipline?

Mastering abstract principles Understanding proofs Remembering factual information Acquiring methods, techniques and

approaches Recognition Reasoning Debating ideas Developing behaviour appropriate to

specific situationsFry et al (2004)

Students say …

Students in all subject areas express dissatisfaction with, and learn less from, teaching strategies which are perceived:◦ to be impersonal;◦ to focus on the transfer of information;◦ to paralyse responsible attitudes to studying;◦ to encourage low level intellectual endeavour.

DEEP & SURFACE APPROACHES TO LEARNING

Saljo (1979) asked adult students what they understood by learning:

1. Learning as a quantitative increase in knowledge2. Learning as memorising3. Learning as acquiring facts, skills and methods

that can be retained and used as necessary4. Learning as making sense or abstracting

meaning5. Learning as interpreting and understanding

reality in a different way

Conceptions 1 - 3 imply a less complex view of learning

Conceptions 4 -5 look to the internal, or personal aspect of learning

Deep and Surface Approaches Deep learning involves the critical analysis of

new ideas, linking them to already known concepts and principles, and leads to understanding and long-term retention of concepts so that they can be used for problem solving in unfamiliar contexts. Deep learning promotes understanding and application for life.

In contrast, surface learning is the tacit acceptance of information and memorization as isolated and unlinked facts. It leads to superficial retention of material for examinations and does not promote understanding or long-term retention of knowledge and information.

Further research – Biggs (1987) and Ramsden (1988) - has developed these conceptions, particularly by using the student voice in different disciplines exhibiting deep and surface approaches.

Biggs (1987) identified a third approach – strategic. Emphasis on organising learning specifically to obtain a high examination grade.

Important!

Critical to our understanding of this principle is that we should not identify the student with a fixed approach to learning, but it is the design of the learning opportunity that encourages students to adopt a particular approach.

Major influence on the students' approach to learning is the assessment method.

People construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experiencing things and reflecting on those experiences

Constructivism

Problem solving Experiments Teacher as facilitator

Teaching techniques using this approach

“Among the most difficult and highly skilled of teaching techniques”

Small group teaching

A sense of belonging-discussing issues, addressing questions, arriving at solutions

Developing confidence Development of group work skills

Students speak of

To help students to understand To help students to develop their capacity

for critical thinking To help students to develop key skills:

communication, working in groups, time management, problem solving

To help students to take greater responsibility for their own learning

To encourage deep learning

The aims of small group teaching

Asking Questions

Arousing interest Establishing prior learning Checking progress Encouraging participation Encouraging deeper learning Assessing achievement Reviewing and summarising

???????????????????????????????????

Short and simple In a logical sequence Singular

Always Repeat the question to the group Value the question

Don’t be threatened bluff

Questions should be

Questions in lectures

Prepare them!

“Any questions”?

Question/pounce

Post-its

Aim Learning outcomes

Topic/activity Timing You Student

                                       

A structure for planning

What factors do you need to take into account?

Planning your session

Planning lectures Remember: Structure Explanation Pace/timing

Examples and links What are the students

doing?

Pitfalls:

Being boring Running out of time-

too much information

Slides with too much detail

Is taking notes enough?

You will be given a list of issues which can arise in group work. In groups of three consider ways in which you could handle these situations

Group task: dealing with potential problems in groups

Delivered in a way that is informative, interesting and engaging

Content is well organised and easy to follow Students feel involved Students leave wondering where the time has

gone Students leave knowing they have learned

something

(adapted from Morton.A Lecturing to Large Groups in Fry H Ketteridge S &Marshall S 2009 A Handbook for Teaching and Learning IN HE)

Interrogating your practice: the outstanding lecture

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid750119352001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAPmbRRLk~,C5G7jhYNtiexS5VyD_Z2uLViSuANsVS0&bctid=3529913635001

5 tips for lectures from Phil Race

1. Smile2. Pauses3. Give them things to do4. Get them working out what is important5. Get them to think about assessment-what

might come up.

Begin each lecture with something interesting that they won’t want to miss-eg a hint about assessment/quiz

Start on time! Don’t ignore bad behaviour/chat Think about clarity of explanation Links with existing experience/knowledge Can you tell a story? Resources: slides-do they help? handouts-will they be

complete/incomplete?

More hints and tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjcO2ExtHso

Death by Powerpoint?

a) Knows subject material thoroughlyb) Adopts a scholarly approach to the

practice of teachingc) Is reflective and regularly reviews own

practiced) Is well organised and plans curriculum

effectivelye) Is passionate about teaching

Characteristics of excellent

university teachers (Sally Brown)

Voice Pace Eye contact/staring Lists of 3 Repetition of words Change and variety

Remember a lecture is about the spoken word not the written word

Hints and tips 2

Exley K and Dennick R (2004) Small group teaching: Tutorials, Seminars and Beyond London

Griffiths S (2003) Teaching and Learning in Small Groups (in Fry, Ketteridge and Marshall, 2009, A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in HE 3rd edition London, Routledge)

Jaques D (2000) Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Improving Group Work, 3rd edition, London, Kogan Page

Race P (2005) The Lecturer’s Toolkit, London, Routledge