Active learning in small groups has, at best, a mixed reputation. Instructors voice concerns about unequal levels of participation, students rushing through activities to leave or log off early, difficulties in assessing effort and learning, and the fact that many students arrive in class not having completed the readings and assignments that would facilitate their participation (Ballen et al., 2017). Students complain of anxiety about talking to others, unequal workloads, the potential for looking incompetent in front of their peers and instructors, and a general sense of awkwardness related to not knowing what to do with the time allotted (Hood et al., 2021).
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Great ideas for doing successful group activity. I have a few suggestions. First, with regard to group size, in my 50 years of teaching I’ve noticed a strong correlation between group size & free riding, even with well-designed activities with clear deliverable outcomes. Remember that as group size increases, the number of possible interactions goes up exponentially. Too many opportunities arise for off-task chat. Second, a simple way to create groups in rooms with moveable chairs is by location. I just walk around the round call out the groups by using gestures to indicate who’s in a particular group. When students are doing long-term projects, I assign groups on some days by the similarity in their topics. That works well on the days devoted to working on term projects in class.
I’ve written an overview of group work, in an accessible format, here: https://eiexchange.com/content/255-group-work-has-lasting-benefits-beyond-k-12.
-howard aldrich