GROUP WORK

by Guest Sun Jan 01, 2012 11:21 am

GROUP WORK
Introduction

Group work is an effective technique for teaching and learning.
It developed as an active teaching strategy with its proper characteristics and practical implications.

A characteristic proper to group work is that communication is established at two levels :

The vertical level (which is communication between the teacher and the learners), and

the horizontal level (which is communication between the learners themselves).

This results in intensive communication and interaction between the classroom members, leading to a rich source of feedback for both the teacher and the learners.
Furthermore, the teaching atmosphere created by this strategy is that of motivation, ease and participation. All this stimulates effective learning and teaching as learners are actively involved, and find more opportunities to express themselves and feel less anxious and more capable to communicate with the teacher, and even with each other in the group.

In general, the advantages of group work can be classified into three types : cognitive, psychological and social advantages.
In terms of its cognitive advantages, leaning in groups is a kind of training for logical and creative thinking, and for the development of the learners’ learning strategies and abilities as they are working collectively and co-operatively to achieve specific tasks.

The psychological implications concern the affective involvement of the learners as group work facilitates the development of communication and interaction among the classroom members. This would enable the learner to know better his self and try to develop his personal characteristics by adopting positive ones such as the sense of responsibility, a positive self-image and confidence in himself and in the others. This is because the learner would feel more at ease and less dependent on the teacher when he works collectively with his friends.
As far as the social implications of group work are concerned, the latter stimulates the learner’s integration in the group, and helps the development of good social attitudes and moral values such as the spirit of co-operation and help, mutual respect, receptivity and openness to others, to their opinions and ideas.

Try it! It has worked for my students, it will certainly work for yours

by **BILLAL** Sun Jan 01, 2012 1:20 pm

GROUP WORK

GROUP WORK

Re: GROUP WORK