Working Better Together

Teachers have long used group work in class as a way for students to learn together. But how do you ensure that those groups work effectively and everyone can participate and learn to the best of their ability?

Donna Neilson, who teaches English at Rockridge Secondary School in West Vancouver, thinks that providing structure with the freedom that group work gives is key to making this happen. Neilson calls what she does "building cooperative structures and strategies."

A good example of this is "literature quads." These are small groups she sets up in her English class so students of all abilities can succeed. She purposely places high, medium and low achievers and ESL students together in one group, so each can benefit from everyone's talents. "I don't necessarily choose the best reader to lead the group, but perhaps the best artist. Cooperation and personal recognition builds confidence, and all group members learn to like and respect each other's strengths."

She gives each group a secret question to answer, which requires them to think critically and explore as a group. This causes them to dig deeper. "I want my students to remember that they were challenged, that they learned to think, that they learned to find the critical thought explored in the literature, and that they learned to answer the big question: so what?"