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Golden Rules
- Groupings should be teacher managed and planned to suit the task – e.g. mixed ability groups, ability groups, mixed gender etc.
- All talk activities, even short ones, should have clear and explicit outcomes.
- Tell all the groups how long they have for a task.
- Allocate roles to group members – e.g. group roles (chair, observer, timekeeper, spokesperson, minute taker) or discussion roles (proposer, devils’ advocate, opposer, supporter, summariser, sceptic).
- Stage or structure the talk around a prompt list or task guidelines or the oral equivalent of a writing frame.
- Indicate the kind of talk you want – e.g. by providing a useful list of starter phrases: I wonder if… What if…Would it work if…What about…
- Use one group member as an observer to give feedback on the way the group worked together and how they might improve.
- Debrief the activity by reflecting on the kinds of talk and group strategies that work best for the task in hand.
- Every group member should have an ‘entitlement to speak’ – e.g. hand out an equal number of counters to each person: each time they speak, they use one counter. This allows the teacher to monitor contributions from members in all groups.
- Feedback on discussion should be scaffolded to allow talk to be redrafted and built upon – e.g. pairs feedback in fours, then building up to whole class discussion.
- Define the teacher’s role, particularly if he or she joins the group – e.g. eavesdropper, taking interim feedback, temporary group member.
- Group tasks should be sufficiently challenging to necessitate collaboration.
Page Last Updated: 22 October 2003
