In a recent post, I discussed the benefits of study teams.  In this post, I will offer a few tips on how to form study teams.  Before moving on to that topic, though, I want to share one more reason students should form study teams.  A long running study at Harvard University by Dr. Richard J. Light, Professor of Education, found that participation in study groups was one of the best predictors of success in college.   So students who learn how to make good use of study teams in high school will have a leg up on college.  You can read more about Dr. Light’s study here: Harvard Education Study

Now, let me cover some of the basics of forming study teams.

How large should a study team be?

The ideal size for a study team is probably 4 or 5 students.  The teams should be large enough to have a diversity of skills, viewpoints, and learning styles, but not so large that just keeping the group organized becomes an administrative burden for its members.  A team should have at least 3 members at a minimum and no more than 6 at a maximum.

How do you select the members of a study team?

There are three basic strategies: let the students pick their own teammates; hand select the teams yourself; or assign members randomly (such as by drawing names out of a hat).  Allowing students to pick their own teammates may have the benefit of making students happier about their teammates.  However, since students will inevitably choose their friends, the drawbacks are that teams will tend to lack diversity and that teams may socialize more than they work.  Hand selecting can work if you already know your students well enough to compose teams with diverse skill sets.  However, if you’re forming teams early in the school year (which is a good idea), this may not be possible.  The random approach has the benefit of simplicity and fairness.

How long do study teams stay together?

The teams should stay together at least for the full semester.  You may want to shuffle team members for the next semester, or, if things are working smoothly, keep the teams stable for the entire school year.

When do study teams meet?

Study teams should meet regularly outside of class.  Teams should meet once a week.  Ambitious teams may choose to meet more frequently.  Ideally, you should also schedule some time for students to work in their study teams during class, again, at least once a week.

How do study teams work?

Study teams meet at least once a week outside of class to review and discuss course materials and assignments.  In Tool for Teaching, Barbara Gross Davis discusses three basic study team models.  In one model, all team members read all the assignments, but each member specializes in one particular area and shares his or her expertise with the team.  In another model, the team activities vary from week to week, reviewing a reading assignment one week, reviewing a completed test the next, and so forth.  In the last model, a set of study questions serves as the agenda for each meeting.

I prefer the last model mentioned, particularly for high school students.  Davis is addressing college instructors and discussing how study teams function at the college level.  At the high school level, I think more structure and guidance from the teacher is necessary.  A set of study questions, either provided by the teacher or created by the students themselves as an assignment from the teacher, is a simple way to provide the structure needed.  In my next post, I’ll discuss how to accomplish this using FunnelBrain.