5.5 Collaborative Student Learning: The Art of Study Groups
5.5 Collaborative Student Learning: The Art of Study Groups
By nature, talking over course material promotes active learning. Some students shy away from studying with other people, because often study sessions deteriorate into “gripe” sessions about the course or certain members of the group do not contribute to the understanding of information. However, these distractions can be avoided with some study group “ground rules” that develop a habit for effective group work. Students who develop strong team working relationships with other students in their classes often report more motivation toward studying, less stress related to the course with this support system, and a better understanding of the material (University of Illinois–Chicago, 2008).
There are several types of study groups. Some groups simply get together prior to exams to go over the material. While this exercise can be helpful, typically these are not the type of study groups that actually promote long-term learning and social support. The most effective types of study groups tend to meet regularly—weekly or every couple of weeks—to work on homework problems, compare lecture notes, discuss current assigned readings, and create cram cards or other study tools that will aid later group review for an exam.
Activity 5-5:
Conduct a Post-Test Analysis for one of your exams by answering and reflecting on these relevant questions. It is best if you can complete this analysis prior to receiving your grade for the exam, but if you have already received a grade try to think about how you felt about the test before getting it back.
- What grade do you think you made on this exam? (circle one)
A B C D - How much time did you spend preparing for this exam?
- None
- 1/2 hour or less
- About an hour
- About 2 hours
- Between 2 – 4 hours
- Between 4 – 6 hours
- More than 6 hours
- Approximately what percentage of the assigned reading did you read?
- Zero
- 100%
- Other (write in the approximate percentage) ________
- What parts of the textbook did you use as you were preparing for the exam? (mark all that apply)
- Chapter headings
- Exercises
- Key points
- Follow-up activities
- Tables/graphs/photographs
- Chapter questions
- Did you use your notes for the test?
- Yes
- No, I do not have any notes
- I have notes, but I did not review them before the test
- I borrowed notes from someone else and reviewed them
- Did you review the handouts given in class before the test?
- Yes
- No, I do not have any handouts
- I have handouts, but I did not review them before the test
- I borrowed the handouts from someone else and reviewed them
- Before the test did you:
- Read through each portion of the test when you got it? YES NO
- Set a time budget to pace yourself? YES NO
- The objective portion of the test was:
For the Multiple Choice:- Easy to complete
- Too difficult
- Reasonably challenging, but I feel confident about my ability to answer the questions
For the True/False:
- Easy to complete
- Too difficu