Community Learning Development Resource 201 – 09
THE VALUE OF WORKING WITH SMALL GROUPS
SUMMARY
We recognise that learning is by an individual and we need to understand how the processes of working together help individual to learn and how we can use group working within our practice. We can organise activities for large learning groups, but we can also seek to encourage learning through the work of small groups in a variety of ways.
Small groups can be of varying sizes – pairs, trios, threes – fours, etc. Different sized groups tend to behave and function according to size. (What we meet as ‘large groups’ generally have more than 5 or 6 participants – and some groups can be very large – 20+)
Small groups can be organised for a variety of purposes and activities – which can support individual learners to:
- be within their ‘comfort zone’, whilst encouraging interaction
- be more comfortable and confident to extend their ‘comfort zone’
- make contact, connect and communicate with each other
- make friends and build supportive relationships
- contribute or come up with facts or ideas
- share experiences
- develop ideas
- solve problems
- support each other
- contribute to and come to a group decision or consensus
- develop a group voice and generate group outcomes, influence or messages
- support practice or performance
- assess learning and evaluate their learning experiences.
LEARNING IN GROUPS THROUGH EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES
Inviting learners to participate in groups, even small groups, may seem a simple instruction but it often creates threat and confusion, particularly with new groups. Learners need to feel confident in themselves and their ownership of their learning and their situation – they should always be aware of the purpose of group work and have the freedom to choose if and how they will contribute and participate.
Consider some possible advantages of small groups
- Do large groups tend to enable learners to be passive members, whilst small groups are more likely encourage their active participation?
- In small groups are learners less concerned to ‘hide’ (overcoming threat and anxiety) or less likely to feel insignificant(overcoming low self-esteem) and can they feel safer and are they more likely to contribute?
- Does participation in small groups enable learners to have their contributions valued with less threat of exposure, challenge or ridicule?
- Do learners tend to contribute and speak up more freely in small groups than in a large group?
- In a large group might an individual feel little collective responsibility for others or for the whole group. Is there more sense of belonging and collective responsibility within small groups?
- Do individuals tend to work harder in small groups than in large ones because they are likely to be able to contribute more frequently?
- Is the use of small groups likely to generate more perspectives, more and different lines of enquiry or solutions to problems, rather than working within a large group?
If you divide up a large group, you usually find that you can build a wider shared experience and understanding, by managing the sharing of small group findings as feedback:
- sharing can lead to a greater collective and individual understanding
- the sharing process is another interactive learning opportunity for reflection, clarification and learning
- constructive competition can be created by giving the same task to a number of small groups. This aids keeping the groups ‘on-task’ and can increase creativity and innovation – different groups are likely make different contributions to the collective learning – the trick is to value all contributions so that individuals feel good about contributing.
IS THE SIZE OF A SMALL GROUP SIGNIFICANT?
PAIRS – TWO PEOPLE – AS AN ARRANGEMENT FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT.
Research indicates that members tend to feel intensely responsible to one another and they tend to avoid expressing disagreement or antagonism, and often adjust to the other’s preferences and styles of behaviour. Useful where mutual support is needed:
- in new situations for new arrivals, e.g., during initial assessment and induction
- when new learners arrive together, they often come as pairs, use that situation as their initial ‘comfort zone’, to build their confidence – they possibly need the support of each other
- in performance and practice situations – practising together tends to encourage mutual support, and non-threatening peer assessment and feedback
TRIOS – THREE PEOPLE
This is the minimum sized group where a coalition can form. Creative and innovative ideas are more likely to develop in a trio than in a pair. In a trio, a pair can still function if one member withdraws or will not cooperate. Trios can be very productive at generating ideas when drawing upon their collective experience.
SMALL GROUPS – THREE TO FIVE PEOPLE
From most research findings this seems to be the ideal size range for small task-oriented groups. Not too large and not too small – members can feel comfortable and the amount of learning resource and capacity within the group can be considerable.
SMALL GROUPS – SIX TO TEN PEOPLE
Once you exceed five members per group, there is a tendency for sub-groups to form and go off in their own directions. Members then may complain about a lack of co-ordination, insufficient opportunity to contribute and poor use of time, and the outcomes appear likely to be of poorer quality. Face-to-face interactions and the care and consideration that are associated with them tend to become more difficult if there are more than eight people in a group. Personal statements are rarely made and members tend to experience less personal satisfaction and involvement. The worker may well need to lead and manage this group.
Large groups usually result in small sub-group formation – as the size of groups increases :
- Formality increases
- The total resource of the group increase – helpful if it can be managed and harnessed for the good of all
- The opportunities for individual participation, learning, achievement and reward decrease
- Dominance by a few is more likely and exclusion of some is possible
- More thought and energy will need to be given to directing and coordinating activities
- There is more chance of conflict in the group
- The group may splinter or cease to function effectively.