A study group is an effective way to prepare for an exam, but only if you use smart strategies for forming effective study groups. A few basic rules will help you out, so you don’t have to be proficient in theories of group work dynamics to succeed.
The biggest pitfall of small groups, including study groups, is groupthink. Groupthink is what happens when someone in a group suggests an idea, and everyone accepts the idea without considering other possible options. Since the original idea might not be ideal, groupthink can prevent groups from brainstorming enough to come up with good ideas. In study groups, groupthink can be a big problem. Here’s a group scenario:
JANE: It says here in my notes that we need to know what country fought the United States Colonies in the Revolutionary War. Does anyone know?
JON: Sorry, I have no clue.
JESS: Me either.
JACK: Wait, didn’t the professor say something about how the U.S. colonies used to belong to Iraq?
JANE: Yeah, I remember hearing something like that too. Didn’t the colonies go to war against King Saddam III or something? And didn't the colonists dump gallons of crude oil from Iraq into Boston Harbor?
JESS: That would explain why the U.S. doesn’t get along with Iraq.
JON: That sounds right, but are you all sure? Maybe we should look it up.
JACK: No, I’m totally sure.
JANE: Me too. Let’s move on. It says here we’re supposed to know what country is directly north of the United States. I can’t remember if it’s Mexico or North Korea.
This is an extreme example (at least I hope it is!) But you get the idea. Groupthink happens when someone suggests an idea, and the group is too quick to come up with an answer. Sometimes group members accept the answer because they don’t like conflict, or because the person who gave the answer has credibility, or because people sometimes value consensus too much when making group decisions.
I see this all the time with my students. When six students answer a question wrong, and they all answer the question wrong in exactly the same way, this is evidence of groupthink.
So what are some effective strategies to avoid groupthink? Read Study Groups: Groupthink.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
