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TweetBeing part of a study group has a number of benefits. Not attending classes alongside other students can rob you of their differing viewpoints, which can help you form opinions and take in the proffered information quicker and more efficiently. There is no need to miss out on that type of interchange because it’s possible to form a study group online. A study group will enable you to compare notes and exchange ideas and concepts. Being part of a study group can also help you overcome the tendency to procrastinate in getting your schoolwork done.
Small Groups
In most cases a small study group is recommended. If you limit the number of people in your group to a half dozen, or less, it will optimize the group’s ability to communicate with each other. Larger groups tend to cause logistical problems, such as scheduling conflicts. This is true whether the study group meets in person or online.
Be Organized
In order to assure that your study group meets its goal, which is to enhance the knowledge of its members through an interchange of ideas, you should set an agenda for each meeting. Set a specific start time and a definite time the group study period ends. Make sure all the group’s members are aware of the deadlines–this should help to hold unwanted chat sessions to a minimum. The agenda should include details on what is discussed and when. For instance, you may want to set aside the first few minutes to go over what you discussed during the last study group session. After that, the major portion of the meeting should be devoted to going over new material. The final few minutes can be dedicated to setting an agenda for the next meeting and discussing ways to improve your study group.
Group Study Assignments
Although each member of the study group should be regarded as equal to all the other people involved, you should come up with a way to keep the group on track. The easiest way to do this is to assign, or vote on, a select member whose responsibility it will be to lead the group, and another to act as secretary or meeting recorder. It may also be a good idea to elect a moderator, whose job it will be to keep the meeting running smoothly. You may also want to have someone act as liaison between the group and your teachers.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the “officers” should be clearly defined. The leader will set the agenda, with input from the other members. The secretary/recorder will save chat room transcripts and distribute minutes of the meeting. The moderator’s responsibility will be to make sure the members of the group stay on-topic during the meeting, and the liaison will act as go-between with teachers concerning any questions the group may have regarding subject matter.
Where to Meet
Your online study group can meet in any number of virtual locations. Chat rooms abound, including on social media websites, Google Chat, AOL Instant Messaging, and so on. You can also use Skype and other web-conferencing tools as your base of operations. If you limit the size of your group to 4 to 6 people, it shouldn’t be overly difficult to maintain order within the chat room.
Assembling Your Group
Finding members for your study group shouldn’t be hard. You can post messages on online bulletin boards or ask for your teacher’s help in finding people who want to form a study group online. You may even want to start an interaction with other study groups to compare notes from time to time.
Guest post from Karen. Karen writes about the best online universities for BestOnlineColleges.com.
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