Module 9: Learning in Small Groups

Facilitator Responsibilities

An effective facilitator knows how to teach, model, and assess the social skills expected of group members. Emphasis is placed on listening, encouraging, supporting, and staying on task. An important consideration is teaching small groups to assess how well they work together. As a facilitator you might consider encouraging groups to reflect on their group learning effectiveness as part of an activity.

The facilitator’s role during small group work is to serve as monitor, supervisor, and coach. At times it may be necessary for the coach to blow the whistle in order to redirect the group. How do you know when to intervene?

• The group is definitely off task
• The group is experiencing difficulty getting started on an activity
• The group is experiencing interpersonal conflicts
• The group is having difficulty getting organized to complete a task

Most students will agree that small group work can be a very exhilarating way to learn or a very frustrating experience. Often the key to success in small group learning rests in the skill of the facilitator to keep the group moving in the right direction.

In this module we have briefly covered the dynamics of small group learning. One of the most effective teaching/learning methods, small groups foster higher orders of learning where participants provide information, try out ideas, experience acceptance and rejection of their ideas, agree and disagree with others and develop consensus.