Are study groups a good idea? The short answer is, they can be. What exactly are the pros and cons of study groups? And what is the most effective use of study groups?
There are many benefits to study groups. First of all, they allow students a different perspective to understand the material. Second, they can make it more fun to study. Third, they offer all the benefits of social activities, such as decreased stress levels, decreased sense of isolation, shared misery (when applicable), enhanced esprit de corps, and the possibility of forming new relationships and friendships, including the opportunity to meet new people. Fourth, they can offer additional motivation for students to stay on track. Fifth, study partners can be useful as sounding boards, to bounce ideas around and to receive useful feedback from. Sixth, they can make it easier to do certain tasks, such as preparing for an exam by quizzing and being quizzed by a study partner. Seventh, they may be necessary to try to hammer out complex material, where each group member may be able to contribute something to the common cause. Eighth, they can encourage healthy competition, with group members pushing each other to excel. Ninth, study groups can help offer confidence to group members concerning asking questions of the professor; students are sometimes shy about asking questions, but if several students have the same question, students are more likely to get their questions asked and answered. What about the cons?
Study groups do not serve as a substitute for self-study. There are several points to consider. First, students who attend a study group without adequate preparation will mostly find that they get little or nothing out of the study session. Second, study groups are only as helpful as their component members. Students who are more interested in chit chat or telling war stories than actual study can sidetrack or even hijack the effectiveness of the study group. Unprepared study partners are frequently dead weight to the study group. Third, study group size must be considered. Groups that are too large become unwieldy. Small groups may, but may not, suffer from a lack of diversity. Fourth, there can be such a disparity in knowledge and competence of group members that the most knowledgeable and competent group members may actually be losing time when they are forced to explain everything from A to Z to the unprepared or less competent group members. Reciprocal teaching is helpful to everyone in the group, while one-sided teaching is usually only helpful to the one being taught. Fifth, there is a hidden danger with study groups that students should be aware of. Suppose that a study group is working on an individual project as a group. Most teachers and professors would be okay with that. But what if the group works together and works each homework problem by the committee method? When the committee answers are correct, this is not usually a problem. But when the group members have the same wrong answers, the entire group may be charged with giving and receiving answers. Since it was not a group project, each group member is supposed to do their own work. A way to avoid this problem is to get input from fellow group members, but then evaluate the information and make an independent decision about what the correct answer is. That way group members will have different answers, avoiding a charge of copying. Sixth, study groups can result in a loss of self esteem of group members who are lagging behind other group members; the slower group members may do better in a slower study group, or working on their own before the group meeting so they don’t feel as intimidated by the faster group members. Seventh, study groups require members to rely on other people; partners may cancel at the last minute, show up late, show up unprepared, not show up at all, or not be inclined to get anything done even if they do show up on time. Finally, study partners have to be sufficiently compatible to create a good learning environment. If a group member is domineering, a non-contributor, or has a different learning style than other members of the group, the group dynamic may not work.
In conclusion, study groups can be a useful, helpful, and fun way to study, and have many benefits. However, study groups do have significant limitations that may, under certain circumstances, blunt their effectiveness.
Here are some helpful hints concerning study groups:
- Small study groups are easier to work with than large groups.
- Be prepared by studying the material yourself first.
- Require that your study partners are prepared, or drop them from the group.
- When study partners get off topic, be ready to bring the group back on task. If study partners do this consistently and it is hurting your performance, consider abandoning that study group.
- Find study partners who can help you close your learning gaps and move up to the next level.
- If you’re top of the class and bored, consider asking some people who you would like to be around to join you in a study group. Granted, you’ll do most of the teaching, but you will have some fun also and maybe be less bored.
- Study groups are a great way to meet people. Take advantage of this feature.