Students explore each other’s viewpoint on a statement or dilemma. This activity can be used at the start of a lecture. At the end of the lecture students can be asked if, based on new insights and information received during the lecture, their viewpoints have been adjusted in some way. They can either discuss this with the same student as in the beginning of the lecture, or write it down individually.
A buzz group is an activating educational format in which students think about a problem in a structured way for 5 to 10 minutes.
The buzz group technique is very suitable for encouraging students to think intensively about a standpoint, statement, dilemma, central or difficult concept from the material, or a controversial or difficult question from a test. Students explore each other’s standpoint and exchange knowledge and perspectives.
This activity can be used at the beginning, during, or at the end of a class. At the beginning of a class or workshop, it can serve to quickly engage with the material. At the end of the class, students can be asked if, based on new insights and information they have gained during the class, they have adjusted their position in any way. They can discuss this with the same student as at the beginning of the class, or write it down individually.
Characteristics
- Type: short-term group assignment
- Suitable for: large lectures, but also small working groups
- Time spent during an educational meeting: 5 to 15 minutes
- Group size: 2 to 5
- Preparation time: less than half an hour
Execution
- Start. Introduce the assignment and indicate what is expected from the students and how much time they have. Mention that after each group (or a few groups that you will designate), their response will be asked for.
- Divide the students into groups. A simple technique to ensure that students do not always work with the same fellow students is to assign numbers to the students and then ask them to form a group with the same numbers. If the students are still somewhat unsure or do not feel safe, try addressing that issue first. See, for example, this teaching tip.
- Group phase. The students discuss how they want to approach the assignment and then the problem presented by the teacher. Take about 5 minutes for this.
- Share. The teacher asks all students for their answers and involves them in a broader discussion where various perspectives are addressed. If there are many groups, the teacher should personally assign a few students (or groups) to collect responses. Take about 5 minutes for this. Mentimeter can be useful in the sharing phase to quickly gather and share all answers/opinions/observations centrally.
- Finish.
A more extensive form of a Buzz group is the Think-Pair-Share technique, where students first have to think about a response themselves. Or the Peer Instruction technique, where students reveal their answer halfway through the assignments and the teacher can decide whether the students have already acquired sufficient knowledge or if another round is necessary.
Mixed Classroom phase?
Fase 2: EngagingMixed Classroom strategies?
Dispelling the illusion of explanatory depthFor which total group size?
More than one hundredBetween fifty and one hundred
Up to fifty
Up to twenty five