Assign small mixed-ability groups and manage group functioning and rotation for collaborative feedback tasks¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

For CFTs, the article recommends assigning students to small groups of two or three, mixing more capable with less capable students so a more knowledgeable peer can help, negotiating group membership with students, and monitoring group functioning through positive interdependence and occasional rotation of members. The article states, "as Storch (2002) suggests, small groups of two or three students are more effective because they maximize the opportunities of participation among students." Group size may flex with class size, and rotation can be based on student preferences, mixed genders, and mixed proficiency levels.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Teachers and students should negotiate the choice of selecting pair or group members
• Teachers should weight factors like language proficiency, writing ability, and pair dynamics

Constraints¶

• In large classes of 35 to 40 students, four or five students per group may be necessary to complete the CFTs during a class meeting

Target Learners¶

• EFL college writing students

Target Learning Goals¶

• Maximized participation opportunities in collaborative feedback
• Mutual support in recognizing gaps in writing

Related Strategies¶

• Train and model the collaborative feedback process before students notice gaps (pre-noticing stage)
• Establish Group Roles
• Structuring Group Work

Examples¶

-

Key Sources¶

• Barnawi, O. Z. (2010). Promoting Noticing Through Collaborative Feedback Tasks in EFL College Writing Classrooms. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 22(2). https://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/