Indirect teaching or teaching in small group

1. Indirect teaching or teaching in small group M.Hosseinzadeh,MD Faculty of Medical Education SBMU

2. Outline • Definition • Its potential • Perspective of students and teachers • Evaluation

3. Small group • The problem of developing small group teaching depends as much on student training as on teacher training. Stenhouse 1971

4. What is small group? • Small group work is characterized by student participation ,a specific task, and reflection • it is possible to have a small number of students and a tutor and yet participation by the students remains minimal.

5. How much small ? • by definition a small group comprises of 3-20 student and usually one tutor. • best group size for complex issues is five or six. • twenty is the approximate upper limit for group interaction.

6. Reason to choose • Moving from a teacher-centered approach to education to a more student-centered approach • However the reason for choosing small groups should be dictated by the educational objectives of the session.

7. What are the potentials of small groups? • It familiarizes students with an adult approach to learning • It encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning • It promotes deeper understanding of material • It encourages problem-solving skills • It encourages participation

8. What are the potentials of small groups? • The development of communication skills • The development of intellectual and professional competencies • The development of presentation skills • The personal growth of students (and perhaps the tutor)

9. Higher order intellectual skill • Logical reasoning • Criticalthinking • Synthesizing • Evaluating evidence or data • arguing rationally • Problem-solving

10. Methods of small group teaching • Workshops • The post-lecture tutorial • Clinical skills sessions • Seminar paper • Communication skills sessions • Problem-based learning tutorials • Case studies and simulations • Clinical teaching sessions • Ward-based • Ambulatory care • Community-based

11. Two important dimensions of Teaching practice High Lecture Problem-based class Case study Degree of Structure Seminar paper while paper is read Discussion following reading of seminar paper Post-lecture tutorial Poor Tutor dominated Student dominated Dominance

12. Tutors perspective about advantages of SGT • The informal atmosphere • Their attainment is not constrained by pressures of curriculum, • I can be stimulated by students’ ideas. • Hearing the spontaneous insights of students. • More feedback opportunity • The educational goals as a contract between me and the group.

13. Students perspective about advantages of SGT • A greater influence on what is being discussed • You can discuss issues together rather than be told them. • Being able to participate and to find out other peoples ideas. • It’s less formal, there is the possibility of asking questions. • You get more individual attention. • I like the flexibility of small group. • It teach you how to converse in a literate manner. • Helps develop your power of analyzing problems and arriving at solutions.

14. Tutors perspective about problems of SGT • Keeping my mouth shut • Getting a discussion going • It requires considerable skill to direct discussion • It requires considerable more mental alertness and flexibility than a formal lecture • Keeping on your toes all the time • Very difficult to establish the kind of atmosphere in which students will begin to talk • Shutting up the vociferous • Bringing in the meek • How to deal with a poor or irrelevant answer

15. Students perspective about problems of SGT • A small group can easily be dominated by one person • Long silences • You can’t hide out • Being asked to contribute when you don’t want to • Being directly asked vague questions • A feeling of being assessed by the lecturer through your answers to questions and your attitudes • You have to have completed a certain amount of work to understand what’s going on

16. Evaluating small group teaching • Direct observation • Interaction analysis • Question analysis • Leadership discussion

17. Rating schedule for Tutor Good group leader _ _ _ _ Fits into the group _ _ _ _ Patient _ _ _ _ Never Sarcastic _ _ _ _ Lively _ _ _ _ Pleasant manner _ _ _ _ Interested in students _ _ _ _ Interested in my ideas _ _ _ _ Treated me with respect _ _ _ _ Encourage me to discuss problems _ _ _ _ Clearly audible _ _ _ _ Interprets theories and ideas clearly _ _ _ _ Gets me interested in his subject _ _ _ _ Stresses important material _ _ _ _ Uses good examples and illustrations _ _ _ _ Appears confident _ _ _ _ Is up-to-date with knowledge _ _ _ _ Poor group leader Too forceful Impatient sarcastic Monotonous Unpleasant manner Not interested in students Not interested in y ideas Does not treat me with respect Unable to discuss problems Mumbles Leaves me confused Bores me All material seem the same Never gives examples Not confident Not aware of latest developments

18. Rating schedule for Tutorial Well organized _ _ _ _ Good progression _ _ _ _ Tutorials are well prepared _ _ _ _ The group enjoys meeting together _ _ _ _ Time is well spent _ _ _ _ New material covered _ _ _ _ Blackboard: easy to read _ _ _ _ Overcome difficulties through lecture _ _ _ _ Mudded Poor progression Tutorials are not well prepared The group does not enjoys together There are a waste of time Merely repeat lecture materials Blackboard: illegible Difficulties not dealt with

19. Rating schedule for student’s response I am fully aware of my progress _ _ _ _ I enjoy contributing _ _ _ _ I look forward to the tutorials _ _ _ _ I have learnt a lot _ _ _ _ My comments have been welcomed _ _ _ _ I am more inclined to continue the _ _ _ _ subject I seem to be working in the dark I try to say nothing I would prefer not to attend I have learnt nothing My comments have not been sought I have developed an aversion to the subject

20. Rating schedule for the whole course Difficult _ _ _ _ Too much material _ _ _ _ Vocationally useful to me _ _ _ _ Interesting _ _ _ _ I will do further study _ _ _ _ Easy Nothing much in it Waste of time Boring I will not pursue it

21. Brown’s interaction analysis system total LT / / Q Q / Q / Q / / / Q / / 14 ST / / Q / Q / Q 7 2 S / / LT lecture talk ST student talk S silence Q question C correction E explanation S summarizing The lecturer talked for approximately 60% of the time, the student for 30%. The lecturer asked 5 question, the students 3. This small group session is too tutor-dominated

22. Question analysis Type Level Quality Style Target Directed Confused Undirected Encouraging Broad Narrow Recall Thought Neutral Threatening Clear 1 2 3 4 5 6

23. Leadership style Total 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Giving advice, direction, Being critical, evaluative Offering judgment Prescriptive Authoritative Giving information Interpretation, being didactic Informative Directly challenging Attitude, beliefs, actions Confronting Releasing tension, Encouraging laughter, Other emotions Cathartic Facilitative Eliciting information, Encouraging self-directed Problem-solving Catalytic Supportive Being approving, Confirming, validating Total authoritative score : Total facilitative score : A/F ratio:

24. Summary • Small group is about interaction • Possibility for more students activity as well as following the structure • Why choosing small group • Different perspective from students and faculties • Evaluation