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Group work
Speaking in public can be challenging for many students even in small group situations. They may feel very inhibited about entering into a discussion or they may perceive certain aspects of discussion, such as any comments made about their contribution, as being critical of them and thus threatening. On the other hand, they may become very enthusiastic about a particular subject and either find it hard not to dominate the discussion or reluctant to allow it to move onto other areas. The following suggestions, though not exhaustive, can be of benefit to all students regardless of ability.
Creating the environment
- Ensure lighting and seating enable all participants to see each other. Make sure that acoustics are good.
- Create an atmosphere that is open, positive and supportive.
- Allow sufficient time for students to settle down and demonstrate their skills.
- Enable students to have immediate success with learning.
Encouraging participation
- Do not force participation. If the student can work with one other student, plan activities for them to work together. The other student can then report back to the group.
- Write main points on the board to reinforce understanding and to allow students to keep track of the discussion.
- Give positive feedback early and frequently to help students feel that they can do well.
- Arrange a note taker.
- Give students extra time to formulate answers.
Student issues
Some students with mental health conditions and learning difficulties may find two-way communication hard for a variety of reasons.
- Use carefully worded unambiguous questions. Write them up on the board so students can refer to them.
- Use literal, precise language and avoid colloquialisms, metaphors and analogies which could be hard to follow.
- Give concrete, tangible examples which relate to daily experiences.
Some students with ADHD may have difficulty when sitting in a circle because they may not know on whom to focus, as they want to focus on everything that is going on.
- Give them visual and auditory cues to help them focus on only one thing at a time.
- Bring back their attention by recapping or summarising the information periodically.
- Tell them what to focus on. Write a list on the board of topics being covered so they can follow the progress of the lesson visually.
- Provide a schema or overview to aid prediction and comprehension.
- Suggest memory aids to help link information.
These suggestions while helping students with particular issues, will also help all students in general such as those from a non-English speaking background, students new to a university environment or stressed by information overload.
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