How can I communicate well in groupwork, seminars and tutorials?

Strategies for comfortable communication in groups

Sometimes group work does not go smoothly. Students often feel that work load is not spread fairly, or that they cannot participate as they wish to because one or two group members are too competitive or controlling.

A great deal of your work is in groups and grades depend on the groups working efficiently. This workshop uses the advice of students across the University to show you what you can do if your group meets difficulties.

In this series of workshop recordings we focus on:

• What behaviours do tutors hope to see in you during discussion group work?
• How can you get a deeper understanding of what leadership means in group work?
• What can you do right now to develop these deeper leadership skills in yourself?
• How can you help your fellow group members develop them too, so that they trust each other more, expect more from each other and want to develop and support each other in the group task?
• What can you do to help your group to think together more critically, more deeply and faster?
• What can you do when one or two people seem to dominate the group?
• What can you do when you or another person is too shy to participate in group discussions?
• What has happened to other students who have tried these group discussion work strategies in terms of their social and learning experiences and their grades?

Please go to Academic English and Study Skills Development for further information on our workshops and drop-in sessions and for further details of all the support the CAE team provides. You can also email aessd@herts.ac.uk if you have any queries.