What Is A Study Group And How Does It Work?

From the selection of group members to target agreement – there are many factors that influence the success of group work. Because learning groups are not always groups that learn! Even if we are highly motivated to set up a study group, that is by no means a guarantee for efficient learning. It is best if you observe the following ten rules for efficient study groups, then nothing can go wrong!

What Speaks For Group Work?

In learning groups, we benefit from many different learning processes. Group work always requires individual work. Before meeting your fellow students, you have already dealt with the subject matter independently. You then apply your knowledge and individual skills in the learning groups. That means: In order to be able to work in the study group, you would first have to study independently!

Of course, we also learn from the group members. We learn which learning strategies our fellow students use. If their strategies and methods are more effective than ours, we try them. If we have positive experiences with other learning strategies, we adopt them. We would not have been able to achieve this optimization without the study group. 

How Do You Learn In Study Groups?

You learn by sharing! Humans are social beings and learn a lot from and with each other. In learning groups, we make use of the targeted exchange of knowledge. The most effective method for learning groups: Everyone has already dealt with the subject matter and worked out the topics relevant to the exam. You have acquired a good base of knowledge. Then you meet in the study group and go through the topics. You explain to each other what you have learned. Group members are allowed to comment, annotate, add and criticize. As long as the parts of the conversation are roughly evenly distributed and you criticize constructively, everything is fine! Exchange is the best learning tool!

Study groups are particularly suitable for oral exams because you practice speaking and explaining. This would not work for essay writing, for example. If you would need help in this field online essay writing service could be an option for you here. 

 You can also go through a specific exam situation within your study group. Let your fellow students test you. They ask you specific exam questions that you have to answer. They then evaluate the conversation with you. This way you can find out where there are still gaps in knowledge. You can also combine this with the following homework: Everyone has to think about specific exam questions and the corresponding answers for the next meeting. With this learning tool, everyone first learns individually and then again by asking questions in the group. Questioning in the study group is also great as a dress rehearsal for the exam. On the days leading up to the exam, we usually have the feeling that we can’t do anything. Your study group offers the ideal opportunity to convince you otherwise in a dress rehearsal! 

How Do Study Groups Work?

A group can do more than an individual. Can, but doesn’t have to! Although we benefit from additional knowledge and skills in group work, we often suffer from a loss of motivation, coordination, or concentration. Fortunately, you can prevent this by creating a good basis right from the start and checking again and again during the group work whether your study group is working.

Pay Attention To The Right Group Composition!

Group work is like a house: the most important thing is a stable foundation! If that doesn’t work, everything else falls apart. Therefore, choose the right group members right from the start! What do you have to pay attention to?

Group size: Not too much and not too little! The larger the group, the easier it is to work on controversial topics and develop a creative task. For learning groups, on the other hand, the group should be rather small. This means that the speaking part of each person is greater, and you don’t get bogged down so quickly. A group size of 4 to 5 people is ideal!

Keep a good study group in the cast! Group members who have been working together for six months show significantly less social loafing than newly composed study groups. You develop a high level of interpersonal trust and a consistent routine.

To Sum Up 

Now you know more about what a study group is and how it works. We hope that this information will help you to gather your dream study squad and achieve the best results.

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