Making Academic Discussion groups work for YOU

Before I begin, I would like to let you know that the level to which you benefit from a group discussion depends heavily on your personality. i.e. how well you work alone vs how well you work in a group.

There are some people who have the feeling that they cover more ground (get more content studied) when they work alone. True as that may be, it is important to remember that the main purpose of group discussions is not just about the magnitude of what you’re covering, but mostly about how well you understand what you’re covering at the very end of the day. This is because it involves a lot of interactions with different minds on a single idea, comparing and contrasting each other’s views and research, and finally coming to an agreement on the right approach to the concept in question.

I’m not saying that discussion groups are for everybody, but in my view, they have the potential to be extremely helpful to each and every student, because it is very common (human, even) to misunderstand, or misinterpret a concept and stick to that wrong concept, all the while thinking you got it right; just because no one has come around to telling you otherwise, or because you haven’t taken the initiative to find out the way other people view this concept.

How much information can someone really grasp straight away in class?

There are some people who believe they can grasp information directly from a class session, and some of them think that this cancels out the need for group discussion time in their schedules… and I honestly can’t say whether or not this is true for you… but just a thought; if you grasp so well in class already, don’t you think you would be at an even a higher advantage if you engaged in a helpful discussion?

Okay, so discussion groups are important, but how do I choose one?

It is pretty common knowledge as a student that if you want to up your grades, hanging round top performers is generally a step in the right direction; this may tempt you to try and create or join a discussion group with them. And this is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s good to associate with them because as you associate with these top performers, you get to know their routines and strategies that help them to keep achieving such impressive grades; and it makes it easier to apply some of their tricks and lifestyle patterns into yours to enable you attain results similar to theirs at the end of the day.

However, it is important also to consider the pace these people are moving at… because there’s a possibility that in the whole group of about 5 people, (Side note: When it comes to population of discussion groups, usually less is more. This is because smaller ones encourage more personal interactions. Larger ones of 10+ people become more akin to a seminar, than a discussion group) you might find you are a person who gets average grades, or you personally are behind in syllabus coverage; But now you’re interacting with people who are even far ahead of the class coverage level; who have so much additional knowledge on top of what has been taught in class. And while this may be a good source of information, chances are you’ll find it hard to contribute to the discussion, and it may end up becoming like a lesson for you, as opposed to its intended purpose of being a discussion group aimed at encouraging you to test your knowledge.

In my opinion, I would advise a student desiring to join a discussion group to look for one in which you can match the pace of the other group members. Don’t quote me wrong, though. I am NOT saying you should join a group in which everyone else is performing terribly, (That may lead to a situation where the rest of the group is over dependent on you); rather pick a group to which everyone can contribute and learn from each other.

The discussion group you choose should be one in which you feel free to give your take on different concepts, share them and get feedback or improvement upon your current understanding of the topic at hand. All members of the group should equally be able to express themselves freely and be corrected where they err. This then becomes a good thing; because in such a group, you benefit from both your strong points and your weak points; Your confidence in your current knowledge gets better, as your weak points are brought out to light in a healthy way, and you are pushed to go and give them more of your time and attention and research deeper to get a better understanding of the subject matter. This is so much better when compared to a group where it’s like you’re just attending an extension of class time, and everything is new to your ears. Such a group may either be non-beneficial or, worst case scenario, it could even pull you down.

You should form a group with people who can stop and explain for you anything that’s not clear to you. Not those who will belittle you, or make you feel any less-than for struggling with a certain concept or topic. If you are in a discussion group and that’s how the other members make you feel; that is a red flag. It doesn’t necessarily mean that those are bad people; but they may be moving in a different lane, or at a completely different speed from yours. Chances are they’ll leave you behind. They will continue moving at the speed which they are comfortable with and you won’t be able to catch up to them. This may also lead you to fail to get a proper understanding of the topic at hand because you’ll find yourself rushing through things & following the crowd; and yet at the end of the day, you’ll sit for those examinations alone. This will put you in a tricky spot, because you’ll lack the proper depth of understanding you’ll need to ace the questions you’ll face.

In Conclusion,

As you go and form a discussion group, make sure you are comfortable to share your ideas, listen to those of others, and even if you don’t agree with someone’s approach to a concept, feel free to speak your mind! It doesn’t matter whether your view is right or wrong. That’s what the other members are in the group for; to learn and share with each other. Be sure to always contribute; and listen to others. Listening to what other people have to say is key. Keep it balanced and try to learn as you share always.
An additional advantage to a discussion group is that as you explain a concept to others verbally, it solidifies in your own mind, and you get to understand it better. If you can explain a topic to a friend and he/she understands it, chances are your own understanding, as well as your confidence in that topic will be boosted greatly. You’ll naturally even find it harder to forget that topic.

I wish you the best of luck as you carry out those group discussions.

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Angella Mirembe

Loves debate and coding.