Author Description

This toolkit is designed to be used interactively at a distance. It can be used on your own in relation to groups of students with whom you are working. However, since the most immediate way of exploring group process is to be looking at a group in which you are a direct participant, we hope it will also be of use in staff development activities, where you can actively engage with some of the material in groups of olleagues.Section 1 sets out the underlying rationale for this toolkit, concentrating on the advantages of working in and with small groups within the specific context of the Open University. Section 2 deals with the process of planning and facilitating small group work, while Section 3 covers the facilitation skills required. Section 4is concerned with the process of observing how well groups are working and reflecting on the information gathered, while Section 5 looks at the issues of how to respond when things are not proceeding according to plan. Section 6 addresses some of the issues involved in facilitating learning how to use newtechnologies, especially computer conferencing.