Facilitating Inclusivity in Groups and Disscussions
- 1. Facilitating Inclusivity During Group Work and Discussion Activities in Seminars Laura Schnablegger UTTP 2015
- 2. Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Identify the causes of a lack of student participation in group work and discussions during in-class activities; and Identify and apply approaches and strategies to develop inclusivity in group work and discussions activities while analyzing case studies that are representative of multilingual and multicultural higher education classrooms.
- 3. Outline DISCUSS: Your experiences with participation LEARN: Barriers to Inclusive Discussions and Group Work Activities ENGAGE: Case Studies Strategies for Facilitating Inclusive Discussions and Group Work
- 4. Reflection Questions How did the large group questioning make you feel? As a learner, what challenges do you experience when participating in in-class discussions and group work?
- 5. Discuss with a Partner Share your responses to the previous questions with a partner Think about: What type of participation is commonly expected in higher education classrooms? Are these participation activities inclusive? If not, why?
- 6. Barriers to Inclusive Discussions/ Group Work Activities Cultural Differences Learning, Studying and Personal Preferences Differences in Experience and Knowledge Video: The Use of Silence in Japan
- 7. High Context vs. Low Context Cultures
- 8. Student-Centered Learning Approaches Culturally rooted approaches to student learning Dependent on oral communication Silence/lack of participation = social isolation, deficits in critical thinking skills or English language Don’t reflect learning traditions of other cultures (Turner, 2013) Value individual reflection and silent critical contemplation
- 9. Why might international students struggle to participate in discussions and groups? Culture Cultural communication styles / cultural learning traditions Have less experience with participation than North American peers Feeling marginalized or excluded Use of cultural references in classrooms Language Lack of confidence in oral language abilities Challenges in processing speech rate of native-English speakers
- 10. Why might international students struggle to participate in discussions and groups? Different understandings of collaboration (individualistic versus collectivist) Different expectations of group member behaviour Different methods of communicating conflict Different goals (individual versus group reward)
- 11. Why might any student struggle to participate in discussions and groups? Different levels of knowledge or experience Talkative students Need more context/ knowledge to contribute Challenges with establishing team dynamics and processes (Popov et al., 2012) Planning and task coordination Decision making Timeline adherence Agreeing to group behaviour
- 12. What can we do as instructors? Participation as a Skill Consider group work and participation as skills that need to be developed Don’t assume all students have participation skills Explore student participation on a smaller scale Assess student participation in different ways Don’t assume student integration will occur naturally or over time
- 13. What can we do as instructors? Give thought to task and logistics (Edmead, 2013) Do all students have the cultural related knowledge and experience to answer the questions? Do all students have an equal opportunity to participate (given time and class size)?
- 14. What can we do as instructors? Structure and Support Group Work Based on research, the following elements will foster the involvement of all students and will lead to increased motivation (Kimmel and Volet, 2010) Teacher support Allow class time to work on group projects Assign reasonable workload Monitor free-riding
- 15. Continued from previous slide… Emphasize relevance of group work (Pfaff and Huddleston,2003) Include in learning outcomes Clear task instructions Establish group dynamics Better group dynamics result when students know how to act and what to expect from their counterparts in group situations (Popov et al. (2012)
- 16. What can we do as instructors? Consider alternatives to instructor-driven evaluation Student-self assessment Peer evaluation or input See Mainkar (2008) who developed a peer evaluation sheet for discussion contributions
- 17. Debate: Group work used as assessment Might not promote group work skills as the pressure to succeed overrides student desire to engage with the process (Edmead, 2013) Vs. Individualists are more likely to “loaf” if individual contributes to group are not rewarded or noticed (Popov et al., 2012) My Recommendation: Evaluate BOTH individual contributions and final group product (also consider having peers assess each other)
- 18. Debate: Monocultural vs. Multicultural Groups Culturally diverse groups Differences in prior knowledge, experiences and understandings become more apparent BUT it increases opportunities to Share knowledge, cultural backgrounds, experiences and learning traditions Help students value diversity Help students think critically about their biases and assumptions Kimmel and Volet (2010)
- 19. Benefits Builds confidence in expressing opinions and views Capitalize on diverse and multicultural environment (Edmead, 2013) Creates a more supported learning environment for all students Students who actively participate retain more information (Mainkar, 2008)
- 20. Final Activity Group work – scenario analysis Assign group roles (recorder, time keeper, presenters) Determine instructional strategies you would use to address the scenario provided Large group discuss – share your strategies
- 21. Questions? Please feel free to write down questions on cards with your e-mail address Laura Schnablegger English-as-an-Additional Language Specialist Learning and Curriculum Support Team schnable@uoguelph.ca X 52086
- 22. References Edmead, C. (2013). Chapter 1: Capitalising on a multicultural learning environment: Using group work as a mechanism for student integration In J. Ryan (Ed.) Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning for Home and International Students: Internationalisation of Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Education. New York: Routledge. Kimmel K. and Volet S. (2010). Significance of context in university students’ (meta) cognitions related to group work: A multi-layered, multi-dimensional and cultural approach. Learning and Instruction, 20. Retrieved from www.lib.uoguelph.ca Mainkar, A. (2008). A student-empowered system for measuring and weighing participation in class discussion. Journal of Management Education, 32 (1). Retrieved from www.lib.uoguelph.ca
- 23. References McGrath-Champ et al. (2013). Chapter 2: Exploring new frontiers in an internationalised classroom: Team-based learning and reflective journals as innovative learning strategies. In J. Ryan (Ed.) Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning for Home and International Students: Internationalisation of Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Education. New York: Routledge. Pfaff E. and Huddleston P. (2003). Does it matter if I hate teamwork? What impacts student attitudes towards teamwork. Journal of Marketing Education, 25 (1). Retrieved from www.lib.uoguelph.ca
- 24. References Popov et al. (2012). Multicultural student group work in higher education. An explorative case study on challenges as perceived by students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 36. Retrieved from www.lib.uoguelph.ca Turner, Y. (2013). Pathologies of silence? Reflecting on international learner identities amidst the classroom chatter. In J. Ryan (Ed.) Cross-Cultural Teaching and Learning for Home and International Students: Internationalisation of Pedagogy and Curriculum in Higher Education. New York: Routledge.
Editor's Notes
- #2: Ask: How many are experienced TAs or instructors - What are your experiences with facilitating group work/ group discussions? How many are new TAs or instructors – What are your experiences working in groups/ large group discussions? How many people feel comfortable answering these questions aloud?
- #3: Be explicit about the previous activity
- #4: I will model a scaffolded method of developing participation skills to increase participation and inclusiveness 1. Silent Reflection 2. Share with a Partner 3. Small Group Work 4. Large Group Discussion