School of Medicine Key Educational Skills Workshop

Small Group Teaching

Principal Faculty:

Marieke Kruidering, PhD
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
UCSF School of Medicine

Katherine Hyland, PhD
Assistant Adjunct Professor
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
UCSF School of Medicine

Much of clinical and classroom teaching takes place in small groups. A faculty member can use the skills of leading an effective discussion and encouraging active student participation in a variety of instructional formats including case studies, problem-based learning, and small group discussions. In this session, participants will:

• Discuss different kinds of small groups
• Formulate successful strategies for creating, leading and guiding discussions, and for asking and responding to questions.
• Practice leading a small group session during a hands-on group exercise.

A handout derived from Tools for Teaching will serve as the basis for the discussion. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the characteristics of different kinds of small groups.
• List two factors for success and two pitfalls to avoid in development of new small group sessions.
• Identify strategies for facilitating a small group.
• Develop tactics for effectively dealing with challenging situations in small groups.
• Create guidelines for asking and responding to questions.