Group-work video resource

Help for tutors > Observation & discussion points

Each episode includes a number of observation and/or discussion points. The observation points are designed to help tutors to provoke discussion about the video clips whereas the discussion points raise more general issues around the defined learning outcomes.

The following provides details of the learning outcomes, observation and discussion points for each episode. There is also a link to a PDF version of this information that can be printed for reference. (A pdf of the entire ten episodes with an option to just print for a single episode?) Click on a link below to view the information for the required episode.

Episode 1 - The first meeting
Episode 2 - Getting started
etc

Insert all ten episodes listing the observation and discussion points for each, for example:

Episode 1 - The first meeting

Observation points:

  1. First impressions - Imagine that you are a member of this group, what is your first impressions of each fellow student? What did they say or do to give you this impression?
  2. Barriers to communication - What are the barriers to communication experienced by this group? How would you suggest they overcome them?
  3. Reading body language - Watch the video clip again and make a note of instances of body language that give some indication as to how the students might be feeling.
  4. Group composition - This group was selected by the tutor. In your opinion what are the benefits and disadvantages of the group being selected in this way.
  5. Assumptions and opinions - What assumptions are the group members making about each other and what opinions are they forming? At the close of the meeting how do you think the students feel about each other?

Observation points II (the analysis video clip):

  1. Your experience - Think about your own experiences as working as part of a group. How did the first meeting go? How did you contribute to the group? Did you act in a similar way to any of the students in the group?
  2. Managing the discussion - In what ways do various group members encourage discussion? What additional strategies do you suggest?
  3. Ground rules - Identify the group rules the group suggest to help them work together. Can you see any problems with the rules and how they have been agreed? What are the benefits of having ground rules?

Learning outcomes:

Main topics:

First impressions
Reading body language
Group composition
Assumptions and opinions

Sub topics:

Barriers to communication
Managing discussion
Ground rules

Episode 2 - Getting started