AGQTP: Element 5 Action Research

Supporting Groupwork withOnline Learning

Kelli McGraw and Luisa BoscoMacquarie Fields High School

Element 5! This project was designed to increase our

knowledge of how different group work configurations could be used in a class to

achieve a variety of classroom management goals. Online learning tools – a class ‘blog’

and a class ‘wiki’ – were also used in the project as both a support mechanism for the group work, and also as a direct strategy for developing a safe and challenging learning

environment. Of particular interest was learning how to ensure the safety of students

in online environments.

NSW DET G&T PolicyTeachers may use a variety of teaching and learning strategies to

support gifted and talented students, including:

• various grouping strategies • accelerated progression • extension activities within and across classes • enrichment • negotiated contract work • open-ended questions, activities and assignments • online learning • hypothesis testing and problem solving • individual research and investigation • opportunities for peer tutoring and assessment • mentors with specific expertise.

Grouping Strategies

Term 1: Friendship groups (groups designed a magazine cover)

Term 2: Special interest groups (students selected a novel to study and worked with others who had selected the same novel)

Term 3: Mixed-ability groups (based on pre-testing of student knowledge of

familiarity with video games)

A class blog was made to support group projects

edublogs.org

Students could add comments

on the blog and receive feedback at

point of need

A class wiki was made to support group projects

pbwiki.com

Groups were responsible

for maintaining a range of

wiki pages.

Student contribution

is easily monitored.

Maintaining my own blog for professional learning and

reflection was a great strategy for sharing my

ideas with others.

http://kellimcgraw.wordpress.com/

Key Observations: Groupwork

• Friendship groups can limit creativity unless scaffolding e.g. jigsaw grouping is used

• Special Interest groups foster intrinsic motivation, but organisation must be flexible and the product must be clear

• Mixed Ability groups require a high level of task scaffolding e.g. use of specific ‘roles’; mandatory communication etc. to foster group cohesion

Key Observations: Online Learning

• Engaging students in online spaces encouraged dialogue and creative thinking

• Online communication enabled (most) ‘quiet’ students to have a ‘voice’

• Groups appreciate an online space that they can take ownership of and be accountable for

• Students appreciated timely, personalised feedback

• Students require boundaries and guidelines for successful online working