6 effective facilitation techniques to lead a study group in school

Are you a student looking to take on a leadership role in school study groups?

Or are you an educator seeking to enhance your skills in leading study groups?

If so, you're on the right track. Study groups, as a form of collaborative learning, help students develop critical thinking, reach higher levels of learning, and retain more information than studying alone.

These 6 study group facilitation techniques will help you lead study groups effectively.

Planning for a study group helps establish clear goals and expectations.

Whether it’s for...

• Preparing for an exam

• Researching for a group project

• Studying a challenging subject together

...students need to be on the same page so that everyone is working toward the same goals and can contribute effectively.

To achieve that, a plan should:

• State meeting place and time

• Break down tasks

• Assign tasks to group members based on their strengths

Quiz: Creating a Plan

Five students formed a physics study group to help them better understand and master the classwork. As the group facilitator, you need to create a plan. Select all the steps that will contribute to making a good plan:

A. Since Henry has neat handwriting and good note-taking skills, he'll share and photocopy his notes from that week's physics class.

B. Other group members will take turns finding and printing out relevant questions, along with answer keys and explanations on a separate page.

C. The study group will meet every week after they've prepared the materials.

D. The group will meet to review the week's classwork with the help of Henry's notes, and then solve and discuss the questions.

Set time limits for sessions and activities. This will help keep the group focused and on track. Using a timer can be an effective way to signal the transition to the next activity.

To make the most of study group sessions, also establish ground rules to minimize disruptions and distractions.

For example, some basic ground rules could be:

• Be present

• Be on time

• Everyone participates

• Be respectful of others

Quiz: Ground Rules

To make the most of study group sessions, which of the following can serve as good ground rules?

A. Prepare and organize learning materials in advance.

B. Be attentive and focused during study sessions.

C. Listen to others actively without interruption.

D. Make sure all questions are solved during a study session.

Preparation of necessary tools can help enhance learning by:

• Increasing learning efficiency (finding tools on the spot is time-consuming)

• Enhancing focus on key information through visual cues

Prepare tools according to the needs of the learning activities. Some common tools for a study group include:

• Whiteboard

• Flip chart

• Various colored markers

• Sticky notes

• Pens and pencils

Everyone learns through active mental engagement. Ensure that every student has a chance to contribute and participate. The facilitation techniques to achieve this include:

• Working in smaller groups, such as pairs or trios

• Brainstorming

• Using open-ended questions

Some other popular facilitation techiques to engage students include:

Pass the Question

One student asks a question related to the topic being studied, and then they pass it to another student who answers. The student who answers then asks the next question, keeping the conversation flowing.

Round Robin

Each student in the group is invited to share their opinions on the topic being discussed, without any interruptions from others.

As a facilitator, you should monitor the energy levels and motivation of the group members, as keeping them energized and motivated can enhance learning efficiency and boost focus.

Some effective energizers are:

• Ice breaker exercises

• Stretch breaks

• Study games

• Jokes and riddles

• Refreshments

In online universities and schools, classmates come together from around the world. Virtual study groups are quite common and can achieve learning outcomes that are just as effective as face-to-face interactions.

There are plenty of platforms and tools that can help you facilitate a virtual study group smoothly and effectively. The most common ones include, but are not limited to:

• Zoom

• Google meet

• Slack

• Discord

• Google Docs/Drive

There are also many tools and platforms that can help create web-based virtual learning environments. Some of the most popular platforms include:

• Kahoot! and Quizizz

  Online game-based learning platforms that allow users to create multiple-choice quizzes.

• Poll Everywhere and Slido

  Online interactive polling platforms that allow the audience to respond in real-time to polls or questions displayed by the presenter.

• Mentimeter

  An app used to create presentations with real-time audience feedback.

• Blackboard learn

  A web-based virtual learning environment and learning management system.

  Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Besides the important facilitation techniques mentioned above, there are a few more tips to help facilitate virtual study groups smoothly:

• Provide clear instructions on how to use the technology platforms.

• Log in early to ensure everything is working properly.

• Regularly check in with participants to make sure everyone is on the same page and there’s no confusion.

Leading a study group can be challenging at the beginning, but equipping yourself with effective facilitation techniques will turn it into a fun and rewarding experience. Keep learning and improving, and you’ll become an excellent study group facilitator!

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