Should the groups be formal or informal?
An informal group is one in which the group is formed more or less
spontaneously in order to quickly get to the task at hand, and which
disbands after the task is completed (usually in a very brief time).
For example, informal groups can formed by simply asking people to
discuss a question with those around them. Formal groups, on the other
hand, are created with a little more planning, the tasks are also
more structured, and they tend to remain together for a longer time.
Should the groups be structured or unstructured?
In a structured group, each member is assigned a particular role to
play (see later) or task to perform (or both) in achieving the overall
group goal. In unstructured groups, the group is simply given the
task to be performed and each person in the group is free to contribute
as he or she wishes. Which option is chosen depends on the level of
collaborative small group skills displayed by its members. If the
group has people who have a high level of these skills, the group
can be left unstructured. If however, the group is not functioning
well together (say with some people dominating while others are left
out or things not being done), then some structure might have to be
imposed. But it should be always remembered that the goal of active
learning is to make people independent and self-monitoring. Thus,
in my opinion, structured groups should always be perceived as an
interim measure and thus they should eventually learn how to perform
well in an unstructured setting.
What should be the size of group?
Group sizes are determined by many factors. Sometimes it is defined
by the number of groups that are required. i.e., If there are six
specific and different things that the instructor wants to have done,
then it might be necessary to divide the whole group into six small
groups and assign each group one task. Or there might be a limited
amount of equipment and other materials available. In these situations,
the number of people in a group becomes determined by the class size
and the number of groups allowed.
If such constraints do not exist, then the preferred number of people
in a group is either three or four. There seems to be a slight preference
for four in the cooperative learning literature but three is viable,
especially for older people. Pairs (or dyads) are useful for specific
situations (such as for quick discussion in bookends lectures) or
when you want to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate
(in handling laboratory equipment, for example). In my experience,
groups of sixor larger are to be avoided for any extended task. They
quickly form sub-groups of two, three, or four. The larger groups
also have the disadvantage that they enable shy, quiet people to withdraw
unnoticed and not be part of the learning process.
