Getting the Most from a Class Discussion Group

111 CHAPTER 14 G ETTING THE M OST FROM A C LASS D ISCUSSION G ROUP In small discussion groups, everyone takes turns giving their impressions and opinions about a chosen subject. Members listen to each other, think about how they agree and disagree with others’ comments, and, depending upon the assignment, complete a project or come to a consensus. S mall discussion groups are a popular way of getting students actively involved in the study topic. Usually you’ll break into groups of three to eight people. Often, you wind up in a group with those sitting near you, but sometimes a teacher wants to arrange the groups in a specific way. He might group people who have something in common, such as interests, or age, or both. Or he may intentionally combine people of different interests and ages so that each group represents the overall mix of the class. Usually the HOW TO STUDY 112 groups are given a specific assignment. They might, for instance, be asked to answer questions, debate an issue, work on an experiment, or prepare a short class presentation. Everyone is encouraged to participate. WHY WORK IN GROUPS? When you work with other students in a group, you’re becoming more responsible for your own learning because your voice is being heard, not just the instructor’s. This is an easy and comfortable way to get to know students in your class. You’ll also see that not only are “two heads better than one,” but three or four contribute even more! To get ready for such interaction, you may want to review Chapter 16, “ Working With a Study Buddy.” T YPES OF G ROUP A SSIGNMENTS Instructors set up groups and give group assignments for different reasons. Your group may be asked to: • Discuss something you recently learned, either through reading or a lecture, to help you solidify what you know and find out what you still have questions about. • Do a kind of group pre-reading, exploring a topic you have not yet learned by finding connections with topics you’ve already learned. • Perform a specific task, like dissecting a frog in biology class. • Respond to a written or oral contribution by each group member. For instance, in a writing class, each member of the group might read his or her essay aloud so that other group members can dis- cuss what’s good and what needs improvement. T YPES OF G ROUP S TRUCTURES There are different ways for a group to be organized. Yours might be structured along these lines: • A leader or timekeeper makes sure each person speaks within a time limit. • A recorder or secretary writes down what each person says and reads back the notes to the group after everyone has spoken. GETTING THE MOST FROM A CLASS DISCUSSION GROUP 113 • A reporter tells the class what the group discovered or decided in its discussion. The instructor may have one person fulfill all these roles, rotating the position with each class meeting. Other groups are much less formal. Your instructor may not give you any instructions at all about who should do what, as long as your group accomplishes the work it’s assigned. You’ll probably find in such cases one or two students naturally take the role of leader. Your group may want to choose someone to take group notes. It’s only fair to try to pass these roles around rather than having one or two people do all the work all the time. HOW TO MAKE YOUR GROUP WORK As the group solves a problem or comes to a conclusion, every person needs to know how each other member thinks and feels. In order to accomplish this, it’s important to follow some basic rules. G ROUP E TIQUETTE Be Prepared Keep up with your assignments. Your group relies on each member’s opinions and interpretations. Speak When It’s Your Turn If you’re nervous about speaking, take a deep breath. Remind yourself you’re with students who are very similar to you—and who are probably as nervous as you are. The more you speak, the less nervous you’ll be. Go back to Chapter 13, “Getting the Most from Class Participation,” for tips on overcoming stage fright when you speak in your group. Keep Within the Time Limit Stay within your time limit, if one is assigned. If not, it’s simply good man- ners to show consideration and only use your share of the discussion time. This is the only way everyone can get to speak. Also, there has to be time at the end of the discussion for the group to come to a conclusion. If it’s difficult for you to stop talking, try saying what’s most important first. HOW TO STUDY 114 Pay Attention Listen carefully when it’s someone else’s turn. It’s a good idea to take notes. With so many different ideas being talked about, this will help you to keep track of all ideas and comments. Help Your Group Get Going Whether your instructor has students take turns leading each group or you’re all on your own, the group needs everyone to participate. Be prepared to coax someone who’s shy. If someone is reluctant to speak, ask,“How do you feel about this?” or, “Do you agree with .?”You might need to remind people to speak loud enough for everyone to hear. Take Notes Some instructors have students take turns recording the discussion and reporting to the class. Even if your group doesn’t have a recorder or secretary writing down what others say, take notes of what’s happening. It is also helpful to bring your own tape recorder. These tactics will help you better remember what was discussed. T ALKING IN A G ROUP Not everybody understands best by hearing. Even those that do might be distracted by what they’re waiting to say, or by what they overhear other groups talking about. Try to keep people’s attention by speaking clearly. Look at the faces of your group members. Does anybody look like they’re not understand- ing what you are saying? Clues might include a wrinkled forehead or nose, or even a blank stare. If you get such signals, try speaking more loudly. If someone still looks like they don’t understand you, try repeat- ing what you said in a different way. Ask someone, “Could you clearly hear what I said?” if there’s any doubt you were understood. L ISTENING IN A G ROUP A good way to make sure you heard what the speaker wanted you to hear is to repeat what you thought she said. Since people think faster than they speak, there’s a good chance she didn’t say quite what she thought she said—or what she meant was different from what she said. By telling someone what you heard, you are helping avoid confusion. GETTING THE MOST FROM A CLASS DISCUSSION GROUP 115 If you’re confused by what someone said, say what you thought you heard and follow that up with, “Is that what you meant?” If you use the exact word or phrase that your group-mate used, that will give him the sense that you understood what he said. Then you might try re-stating what he said in your own words so that you’ll both know you mean the same thing. C OMING TO A C ONCLUSION After each person has spoken, the recorder reads back what each person said and the group considers how they see the same thing differently, or how they agree. In some cases, your group might be asked to argue the matter until you come to an agreement. This is called coming to a consensus. This occurs when each person in the group consents to a certain position. Reaching consensus takes good communication skills, so be sure to listen carefully and talk using the guidelines for group etiquette above. I N S HORT Group discussion gets everyone involved. But in order for it to work well, each person needs to focus on the topic at hand, speak within time limits, listen carefully, and respect others’ opinions. Identify what you agree with and why—and what you disagree with or are confused about and why. HOW TO STUDY 116 Practice Tips Polish your listening and speaking skills. The next time you’re talking with someone—at the dinner table, at the water cooler, or whatever— tell her what you thought she said and then ask her if that was what she meant. As you are speaking, repeat a word or phrase that she used. Pay close attention to her response as you speak. If she shows signs of not hearing you or being confused, try saying what you just said in a different way. Write in your notebook what seemed to work best: How did you speak so that she understood what you meant? Have a mini group discussion. Come up with a question from your study matter that would get a group going, something that people have opinions about or are interested in. A controversial subject is ideal here. Ask a few classmates, perhaps shortly before or after class, the question you came up with. Write in your notebook what you learned about the topic from that little discussion. . THE MOST FROM A CLASS DISCUSSION GROUP 113 • A reporter tells the class what the group discovered or decided in its discussion. The instructor may have. table, at the water cooler, or whatever— tell her what you thought she said and then ask her if that was what she meant. As you are speaking, repeat a word