Structuring Group Activities

Structured group activity can occur as an online interaction or face to face interaction. If you are a learner/student you can be proactive and suggest a group activity to your course instructor and to your peer group.

1. Seminars – Prepare for the seminar by reading the assigned materials and then discuss, debate, extrapolate upon, and critique key issues as learners/students defend, refine, or modify their positions and understandings.
2. Small group discussions – As in a seminar, prepare for small group discussions by reading the assigned material or undertaking a related task.  The small group discussions enable students to discuss and analyze a particular topic, usually under the guidance of a group leader.
3. Learning partnerships and dyads – Learners can be grouped into pairs, also called learning partnerships or dyads. Learning partnerships are useful for team assignments and for easier coordination.  An example is a joint writing project. The dyad is assigned to write a report, review an article or research an issue and then present the final product to the class.
4. Student work groups and learning circles – Student work groups involve student collaboration and teamwork on an assigned task. To be effective student work groups require clearly defined tasks, principles for decision-making, roles, labor distribution, and timelines.
5. Team presentations – As in face to face situations, team presentations can be done online.  For example, students teams can be assigned to present, moderate, and synthesize a week-long seminar on a class topic. The task may involve: preparing and presenting an introduction to the topic, posing 2 or 3 key questions to stimulate and focus discussion (day 1 of the seminar); moderate the week’s online discussion (days 1-7); and synthesize the content and analyze the group process (posted 3 days after the seminar).
6. Simulations or role plays – Simulations enable learners to apply their theoretical knowledge in a simulated environment. Roles are assigned and tasks and a timeline are established. The outcome maybe a product, such as a report, or it may be process, such as an opportunity to deepen and pursue a discussion.
7. Debating teams – Debates are useful when students need to gain a deep understanding of the opposing facts, theories, and points of view.
8. Peer learning groups – Learners can assist each other on various tasks. For example, learners can critique each others submission via email before posting the paper on the discussion forum.
9. Networked classrooms – In the NetTel environment, there will be students in similar courses at different universities in different countries.
10. Virtual Café -- If learners/students want to socialize with other students who are attending other ICT policy and regulation courses, click on home and enter the home discussion forum.  

Adapted from: Harasim, Linda and others. 1998, Learning Networks: as Field Guide to Teaching and Learning Online, Fourth Printing. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.