Some questions that come up about group learning

Question: What are the most common mistakes made by teachers when forming groups?

Answer:

♦  Forming groups that are too small or too big. A common size for a team is three to five students. When working in pairs, a student can dominate the other. In big groups, it's very difficult for all students to have the opportunity to participate equally. Four-person groups tend to create balance, allowing for a fair distribution of roles. Generally, the size of the teams can be determined by the number of members that are necessary to do a task.

♦  Forming new groups constantly. The teacher can make the mistake of breaking up and forming new groups constantly. Groups need some time to work out conflicts and to learn from each other. Groups should remain together long enough to allow students to be productive, but each student should also have the opportunity to work with the rest of the students in class