2.3 Setting up a group

Providing a structure within which learners can work together to support each other and share experience is at the core of this course. Forming effective groups is an important facilitation skill.

Activity 8

Think about a meeting or discussion that you were part of which left you feeling irritated or frustrated. Note down why you think you felt like this, in your learning log.

Discussion

You might have mentioned:

  • One person dominated to the exclusion of others
  • There was no clear agenda
  • One item was allowed to run on and the agenda was never finished
  • It was interesting but there was no clear plan for what happens next

Now turn these around, reflecting on those things that didn’t work in a group we can arrive at some sense of the things that help establish groups. If you are setting up a face-to-face meeting there are a number of simple things to keep in mind.

Be flexible about meeting times – try to find times and a place to meet that will work for everyone.  You will need to think about some practical things.  Can you find a place with internet access?  Is it suitable for group discussion? It is good to avoid too much background noise and find somewhere where people can sit in a circle or round a table (a formal classroom set up can be intimidating and off-putting).

When you meet you will need to decide what you want to achieve in the time available, i.e. set an agenda.  You may want to choose someone to chair/facilitate the meeting.  The chair’s job is simply to:

  • Keep an eye on the time so that you do get through your agenda
  • Make sure that everyone gets a chance to speak
  • Make sure that at the end of the meeting everyone knows what the next step is (for example, the arrangements for the next meeting)

Learning new things is exciting and scary.  So it is really important to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels it is OK to ask questions.  Simply formulating and asking a question can help both the person who is asking, and the rest of the group, to develop their thinking.

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TEDxCanberra team meeting [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (CC BY 2.0, Gavin Tapp)
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The photograph shows a group of people sat round a table in a restaurant.  One group member is talking while the other members are listening. There are various items on the table, including a notebook, a mobile phone, cutlery and drinking glasses

TEDxCanberra team meeting (CC BY 2.0, Gavin Tapp)

You may want to agree your own simple ground rules, for the group.  To create an environment in which everyone can grow in confidence it is important that all the group members show respect for each other.  This includes:

  • Respecting each other’s ideas
  • Not interrupting each other
  • Everyone’s opinion counts
  • Being honest with each other

2.2 Getting started

2.4 Establishing a study group