One of the difficulties inherent to group discussion is the teacher’s ceding of control.
This can result in learners using the opportunity to talk socially or do no work.
Another potential problem is if the group starts well but then loses its way.
This could be for several reasons, including:
- One or more members of the group become bored and decide to disengage or to distract other learners.
- One or more members of the group encounter difficulties with the work. This leads them to disengage or to distract other learners.
- The instructions for the activity lack clarity. This leads to ambiguity about what is expected. Learners therefore disengage from the task.
- The discussion is truncated due to lack of engagement, deliberate sabotage, or a mistaken belief that the aim is to finish as quickly as possible.
- Members of the group experience problems around roles. For example, two members want to lead the group and neither will back down. Or no one wishes to lead the group and silence follows.
There are three elements that make up group discussion:
- The topic for discussion.
- The learners who are doing the discussing.
- The relationships between the learners.
The teacher can deal with the first of these by minimising ambiguity, giving explanations, and modelling.
The second and third can be dealt with by assigning group roles.
This involves giving learners roles to fulfil while they are taking part in discussion.
Every member of a group may be given a role, or just a select few.
The decision will be determined by the teacher’s knowledge of their learners.
They will use this to help decide which option is most likely to bring about success.
Roles help structure a discussion.
They help minimise the likelihood of problems occurring.
Giving learners a job creates a sense of responsibility. It gives them a duty they need to complete to help the group be successful.
It is harder to disengage from a discussion if such expectations are incumbent upon you.
Also, roles provide a definite point upon which learners can fall back if they become uncertain or unsure of what they are meant to be discussing, or what the discussion is about.
The roles provide a safety net that can catch learners before they become disengaged or distracted.
You can assign lots of different roles.
It is best to keep to a small number at first.
Learners can then become familiar with these and the demands they make.
It is also important that roles are rotated over time. Learners can become frustrated if they are given the same role over and again.
One option is to create a set of role-cards, and to hand these out at the start of a group discussion task. This gives learners a reference they can use as a reminder.
Here’s a selection of roles, complete with explanations:
Timekeeper
It is this person’s job to keep track of time. They must ensure the group completes all the work in the allotted time. They will need to keep the group informed of how much time is left and indicate when it is necessary to move on.
Scribe
It is this person’s job to take notes on what is discussed. They should not try to write everything down. Instead, they should try to note down the main ideas and the general points that come out of the discussion.
Leader
It is this person’s job to lead the group. They should keep people focussed on the task, ensure everybody gets an opportunity to speak, and move the discussion on if necessary.
Devil’s Advocate
It is this person’s job to challenge the ideas and arguments that people put forward. They should do this by suggesting the opposite of what has been said, looking at things from a completely different viewpoint, or by giving counterexamples.
Stingray
It is this person’s job to challenge the rest of the group’s thinking by making original and unusual contributions. This person should look at the topic and the comments people make from a different perspective to everyone else in the group. This will help them to challenge other people’s thinking.
Midwife
It is this person’s job to help other people explain their ideas. They should ask questions like: What do you mean by that? Could you give us another example? How could you explain your idea slightly differently?
Gadfly
It is this person’s job to keep picking away at the discussion. They should ask questions that ensure people are making accurate and precise contributions. They should not let people get away with generalisations or comments that are unclear.
Demander
It is this person’s job to demand reasons, evidence, and examples from other group members. If someone makes a claim and does not provide sufficient support, the demander must press them to develop their argument until it is stronger and more persuasive.
Observer
This person does not contribute to the discussion. It is their job to observe the discussion and to give feedback. This feedback could be about how individual members contributed and how the group worked as a whole. Or it could be about the ideas that were put forward and discussed.
Motivator
It is this person’s job to motivate their fellow group members. They should maintain a positive attitude and communicate this to the group. If anybody becomes disengaged, the motivator should try to get them back on track and fully involved with the discussion.
