Advantages And Disadvantages Of Small Group Learning

Small group learning is one way of education, where students form a group to study some topics together (Shrawder, 2009). It is now widely used in all levels of teaching in many countries all around the world. Learning in small groups is quite different from the other two learning methods mostly used by university students, which are individual learning and large group learning. Unlike individual learning, where one student study independently by himself or herself, small group learning usually involves 3 to 6 people and they learn new things cooperatively. It is also different from large group learning in that small groups are more controllable, and everyone can participate in the conversation. Learning in small groups can promote students’ interaction and motivation, helping them to achieve the goal in a more comprehensive and effective way. It activates the initiation and creativity of students, as well as training their ability of communication, problem solving and coordination (Davis, 1999). These …show more content…
In addition, they have many projects and manipulative work to do. Consequently, group work is largely required. A research on effects of small-group learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology, SMET in short, showed that collaboration in SMET courses give students a sense of the way scientists and engineers work, and prepare them for cooperation in these SMET professions (Springer, 1999). Engineers always work in a group, people from different fields combine their knowledge together to work on one project. But is group work also applicable for engineering students when they are learning something new? Whether it is really effective for engineering students to conduct small group learning will be discussed in the