A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

74 ❘
Teaching, supervising, learning
internationalisation are matters to concern ourselves with, and, for example, there is a
considerable culture shift towards providing a more diversified curriculum than used to
be the case. Part of this shift involves a growing recognition by lecturers that they are
responsible not only for what is taught but also, in part, for how students learn. All of these
changes mean that the small group is now seen as a means of fostering student
engagement, cooperative learning and collaborative learning.
LEARNING IN SMALL GROUPS
The interpersonal and interactive nature of small groups makes them a challenging and
appropriate vehicle for engaging students in their own learning. Students are engaged
in small groups, both as learners and as collaborators in their own intellectual, personal
and professional development. Furthermore, there is strong evidence from students
themselves that they benefit from, and enjoy, the experience in a range of different ways
(Rudduck, 1978; Luker, 1989). These might best be summed up as both cognitive and
affective in nature. Alongside understanding and knowledge benefits, students suggest
that participation, belonging and being involved are important dimensions of the
experience. The implications of these findings are that the process of building and
managing groups, and assisting with the development of relationships, is of paramount
importance.
The small group is viewed as a critical mechanism for exploring the development of a
range of key skills (see Chapter 8). This revitalised interest in key skills has succeeded in
according group work a new status.
It is within the small group that self-confidence can be improved, and teamwork and
interpersonal communication developed. The development of group work and other
skills is reported by students to foster conditions whereby they can observe their own
learning styles, change these styles to suit different tasks and engage more deeply with
the content of their subject (Griffiths et al., 1996). These latter attributes are often cited as
prerequisites for a deep approach to learning.
Interrogating practice
• How could you assist learners to organise small group sessions where
you are not present?
• If you do this already, how could you improve on your practice?
Despite moves towards mass participation and larger classes in higher education, the
quality of the learning experience, the need to deliver key skills and the potential for
innovation have contributed to the retention and enhancement of the small group
method. Small groups are used extensively, and in many different ways, for example in
problem-based learning (PBL) approaches (see Chapter 26).