Abstract:

As an educator today it can be difficult to keep students engaged in large lecture classes. Today's students do not seem to be very interested in digital slideshows or open discussions. So how do teachers reach their students if the tried and true lecture format is no longer as effective as it once was? One suggestion is to break the class into smaller groups and even allow these groups to meet outside of the normally scheduled class time. This allows students the chance to engage with other students who they may never have talked during a large lecture class. Group learning can also promote active learning and peer-to-peer learning. Flipped learning can also be incorporated into group learning.

While it can be difficult to break up a large lecture class into functioning groups there are a variety of ways to efficiently break up the class into smaller, more manageable groups. Many teachers may just continue to lecture to larger classes as that is what has been done in the past, and that is the established norm for teaching a large number of students. There is also the issue of time management, and just how much time teachers have to incorporate new curriculum ideas like small group work. Many factors may keep a teacher from using small groups in their lecture classes, but today’s student may benefit from a variety of learning practices that include not only the the traditional lecture, but also smaller group work.

The focus of this paper will be to examine the research on how group learning helps facilitate learning in larger lecture classes. Active learning, peer instruction, and flipped learning will also be examined as they can all be incorporated into a group activity. Suggestions on how educators can include group work within their lecture classes will also be included.

Keywords:

Learning practices, learning styles, active learning, flipped learning, peer instruction, peer-to-peer learning, group work, lecture.