Small Groups

I think it is important for an instructor to understand the VARK Inventory statistics (Lang) that suggest teachers learn best by reading and writing whereas students may actually prefer and learn more effectively by working in small groups (Lang; Davis). Further, students need effective collaboration skills because they will be using those skills in their jobs more often than “reporting back what they know in tests and papers”. This is interesting and makes me think about the purpose of college classes. I think it is to convey information and to prepare them to apply this information in the real world. Therefore, I feel that a reliance on reading, writing, and testing, as well as collaborative work, is necessary in college and should be included in most projects.  

INFORMAL – A course in my field is Human Physiology. Concepts in this course will typically relate to a multi-step process in the body, for each and every system in the human body. On a typical day, we will lecture and discuss the many components of a specific process. A good group activity would have small groups discuss, without the aid of notes or the textbook, the process we are studying. They would turn in a single page that lists all the important components of that bodily process, in the proper order, for that process. I could use this information to gauge their understanding and common points of confusion. It would also get the students actively listening, discussing, and writing.

FORMAL – I would assign a group project that included a paper and presentation. The groups would be randomly formed. Each group would meet and come up with a topic (or they are randomly assigned a topic) for their presentation and paper. The group would work together to identify a detailed list of topics and resources they need to include in the project (this could be displayed on a blog or other electronic medium so the instructor could monitor progress of the group and offer suggestions). They would divide the information they deem necessary for the project into four equal parts, but they will not be assigned a part yet. The instructor meets with the group so they can explain their project to the instructor. The group is given a “group grade” for this part of the project. The instructor will randomly assign the individual part of the project to the group members. The presentation and paper portions will be graded such that each member of the group gets an “individual grade” on these parts. The overall grade is a combination of individual and group grades. Exceptional individual work could be awarded extra points to allow a strong individual to score well despite being placed in a particularly weak group.

Week 3 Blog: Lectures

Professors who are effective lectures almost always appear to have a conversational tone for the lecture. This relaxed appearance is more likely to put the students at ease. It also gives them the sense that they can be and should be more engaged with the instructor because it is like a conversation that requires both parties to be involved. An instructor who is relaxed and easy going, yet in control of the classroom, will develop good rapport with the students while still maintaining respect and authority.


I believe that ineffective lecturing would include a failure to engage the students, an appearance that the instructor was talking down to or at the students that suggests a lack of respect, and an unwillingness to answer student questions during the lecture. An inability to clarify the textbook material is also an ineffective lecturing trait. In my field, we are often talking about anatomy, physiology, or nutritional sciences. In my experiences, some lectures are no more than the same dry, dense material out of the textbook. The lecturer has not put any context on the material which makes it harder to learn.

The ineffective teacher could improve the lecture by incorporating several strategies to engage the students during each lecture session. Making contact with the students could be accomplished by setting up several pauses in the lecture at regular intervals. These “breaks” in the lecture allow the students to absorb the material, to write down questions or thoughts on the material, to consult with their peers in the classroom through small group discussion, and to ask questions of the instructor. The students would know that each lecturing “segment” of the class session will be short with several opportunities for clarification of confusing material. Another suggestion for effective lecturing is to vary the style of the lecture by adding multiple examples or case studies. This gives the students an opportunity to use and develop problem-solving skills, and to use these skills in a variety of situations.

I understand that it could be easy for an instructor to fall into the "trap" of lecturing the whole time without engaging the students. In many respects it can be easier because the instructor would have less to prepare, especially when teaching the class for a second time, third, etc. For my teaching demonstration, I will devote preparation time to adding variety to my teaching methods. To this end, I will plan out several strategies to get students involved with their peers in small groups and with the whole class. This interaction will allow them to express their thoughts in written and oral form. As Davis points out, having students generate a self-explanation and sharing it with others can increase their level of understanding. This allows them to reinforce the foundations of learning: listening, contemplating the meaning of what was just heard, and outwardly expressing their understanding of that material.