1. Design, planning and delivery:
small groups
Phil Marston
Centre for Learning & Teaching
p.marston@abdn.ac.uk

2. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
Upon successful completion of this element
participants will be able to:
1.Reflect on their experiences of small group
teaching both as a student and as a tutor (if
applicable).
2.Examine key elements of small group dynamics
and variables therein.
3.Systematically review aspects of planning for
small group teaching.
4.Discuss and reflect on problematic scenarios in
small group teaching.
www.abdn.ac.uk

3. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
What experiences of small
groups have you had?
www.abdn.ac.uk

4. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
Why use small group work?
www.abdn.ac.uk

5. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
What types of small group
work have you been involved
in?
www.abdn.ac.uk

6. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
• Brainstorming • Self-help group
• Buzz group • Seminar
• Cross-over group • Simulation/game
• Fishbowl • Snowballing
• Free discussion • Step-by-step
discussion
• Open-ended enquiry
• Structured enquiry
• Peer tutoring
• Syndicate
• Problem-based
• Tutorial
• Role-play
Fry, Ketteridge & Marshall (2003)
www.abdn.ac.uk

7. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
What kinds of issues have you
faced?
www.abdn.ac.uk

8. Issues in small groups
For the last four group sessions Sarah, a student in
your group, has never spoken. Even when you have
asked her a simple, direct question you have
received only a monosyllabic answer, a grunt or
silence.
Today you try again. You ask a question. Sarah says
nothing.
What do you do?
www.abdn.ac.uk

9. Issues in small groups
During each tutorial session you find that David is
answering all of the questions you ask and tending
to dominate class discussions. One or two other
students in the group are getting annoyed, but most
are simply switching off and ceasing to participate
once he starts speaking.
What can you do to retrieve the situation?
www.abdn.ac.uk

10. Issues in small groups
You have just begun your third session with a group
of six students. Suddenly Chris, a mature student,
leans forward and says angrily: “I’m sick of these
bloody sessions. In fact I’m pissed off with the whole
course. When are we going to do something useful? I
gave up a good job to come here you know.”
What do you do and say in the next few minutes?
www.abdn.ac.uk

11. Issues in small groups
It is your second tutorial with the group and you are
aware that on both meetings Rufus has not been
keen to participate equally with the women in the
group. Although he does not totally ignore them, he
is not keen to allow them to lead the discussion,
often interrupts them and often “puts them down”.
He behaves very differently towards the men.
The women in the group are very obviously getting
annoyed by this, as are some of the other men and
they are looking to you to deal with this.
What can you do?
www.abdn.ac.uk

12. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
Factors influencing group interactions
• Size of group
• Icebreaker?
• Environment and seating arrangements
• Styles of questioning
• Feedback: positive / negative, verbal / non-verbal
• Evaluation, summary and continuity
• Personalities
www.abdn.ac.uk

13. Design, planning and delivery: small groups
Any Questions?
www.abdn.ac.uk

14. Come Here.
Go Anywhere.
That’s the difference