Developing Effective Study Groups

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Developing Effective Study Groups

• DeLandra Hunter, Associate Director
• EXCEL Center for Academic Success

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KWL

• What do you Know about study groups?
• What do you Want to know about study groups?
• What have you Learned about study groups?

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LEARNING What is Involved

• Input- Gathering Information
• Processing contexting, organizing, and storing
  information for future use
• Output Applying information to new contexts and
  situations

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UNFORTUNATEY

• What goes in may not come out clearly or
  accurately. .
• Study Groups increase effective learning by
• Identifying and clarifying gaps and
  misunderstandings
• Learning how to apply information in new
  contexts
• Reinforce learning

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The Purposes of a Study Group

• To clarify information
• To test understanding through discussion and
  debate within the group
• To practice writing exam questions
• You should also study on your own before and
  after sessions
• Review what you learned in study group as part
  of good study practices

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How to Form a Study Group?

• Seek 3 or 4 others
• Check assumptions with potential members about
  what a group does.
• Clarify the time commitment each wants to make.
• Choose members on common goal and commitment to
  those goals
• Diversity is always a plus in study groups
• DO NOT form study groups primarily on the basis
  of friendship, similarity of thinking, or
  political conviction.

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Who are the Group Members?

• Leader
• Define Limit Projects
• Set Meeting Project Agendas
• Focus Progress
• Evaluate Results

• Participants
• Get Involved
• Be Organized
• Be Willing to Discuss
• Keep Your Word

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A Few Guidelines in Forming Study Groups

• Rotate Leadership
• Role of leader is to involve all participants in
  discussion
• Set Purpose and Goals for the Group
• At the end of each meeting set an agenda for the
  next meeting to help members focus and prepare

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Guidelines Continued..

• Establish set meeting and ending times
• Stick to the set time schedule
• Hint
• Talking about school is a diversion. It often
  happens when students feel anxiety about
  material.
• Some people establish a FUND to which people
  who divert the focus must contribute. This
  provides resources for those after exam parties!

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Meeting Agendas

• What's the focus?
• One subject or more than one each meeting
• Stick to set subject or jump to course which
  provides current confusion
• Type of focus
• Oral Discussions
• Writing problems
• Practice is key. Take turns creating
  hypothetical test questions and answer as a
  group.
• Taking turns explaining and questioning.

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Group tasks may change with time in semester..

• In the beginning groups commonly clarify class
  notes, but quickly you need to apply what you are
  learning to test understanding
• DONT put off planning and writing practice
  problems until test time.
• Organize materials individually.. But do trade
  answers, read, critique, discuss, and improve
  your work.
• Before exams groups often meet to do practice
  questions.

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WORK TOGETHERTeaching and Learning

• Commit to the success of each member of your
  group!

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The Divine Nine Strategies forStudy Group Success

• Choose a leader for each meeting
• Set long-terms and short-term goals
• Adjust to different personalities
• Share the work
• Set a regular meeting schedule

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The Divine Nine Strategies forStudy Group
Success ......contd

• Create study materials for one another
• Help each other learn
• Pool your note-taking resources
• Be aware of cultural differences

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TURN assignment in

• Write a one page summary of the benefits of study
  groups
• Include personal experiences

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Peer AdviseTURN assignment in

• How can this lesson be applied to
  tutoring/mentoring?