What is Small Group Analysis?
Small Group Analysis is a method used to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies in order to help the instructor improve his/her techniques and offer a better educational experience.
Purpose:
This exercise provides the instructor with constructive feedback from his/her students by keeping the suggestions anonymous and encouraging free communication by eliminating the pressure of direct confrontation
How does it work?
Small Group Analysis is relatively simple and takes only six easy steps to complete:
Step One: A formal request is submitted mid-semester to schedule a date and time with an impartial member of the Faculty Commons.
Step Two: A CFC staff member attends arranged class period and takes 30 minutes without the instructor present.
Step Three: The class is then divided into small groups to discuss the effectiveness of the instructor’s teaching methods.
Step Four: After a brief discussion each group writes a short summary of their collective thoughts.
Step Five: The Faculty Commons staff member later formulates the summaries into an anonymous report explaining the students’ opinions.
Step Six: The CFC then gives the report to the instructor so he or she can amend any possible problems.
Advantages:
Small Group Analysis offers multiple advantages to benefit long-term improvement
- The anonymous nature makes students more comfortable sharing their opinions
- The free expression of grievances tells instructors what pieces of their teaching methods need to be amended
- Knowing the difficulties the students are having allows instructors to fix any problems they may not have known about otherwise
- Personalizing teaching methods increases class efficiency and creates an environment better suited for education
Availability:
Small Group Analysis is available to all instructors.
Support:
For other questions or scheduling contact one of the following: