Student Grouping Strategies to Maximize Engagement
Question: How many ways can you group a class of 30 learners into teams of five?
Answer: 142,506
In other words, a ridiculous amount of possibilities! That's before even before considering the decisions still to come:
- Do you change groups for every project or keep them the same for an entire semester?
- Do you vary ability levels or group learners with similar aptitudes?
- Do you let students create their groups or assign them into carefully selected teams?
How we group learners can have a significant impact on student engagement and classroom management. That’s why we’re breaking down the pros and cons of the top student grouping strategies, along with practical ways you can implement each in your learning environment.
Let’s explore the options in detail and examine when each strategy is most effective.
Student Choice (Self-Selection)
The most common method of grouping is student choice. Allowing learners to choose their groups takes very little instructor work. Once you set parameters (how many are in a group, necessary roles to fill, etc.), learners select teammates on their own and get to work. Expect that they’ll choose their friends first, then classmates they believe will be “good teammates,” followed by people sitting close to them.
☆ Improved group dynamics.
☆ Positive individual attitudes toward the group.
☆ Higher outcome measures (grade or score).
☆ Less instructor planning is required.
☆ Higher level of group cohesion on average.
☆ Self-segregation into homogenous groups.
☆ Less diversity of perspectives and decreased creativity.
☆ Remainder Problem: Some students get left out in the selection process which leads to feelings of exclusion and a lack of group cohesion.
☆ Group work time is less focused.
In short, student choice is a great option if you have a reliable group of learners you trust to work well together. However, keep a close eye on the group dynamics to ensure they are students are focused on the task at hand and do not intentionally exclude any of their classmates.
Randomness
Another grouping option that takes relatively little instructor work is a random assignment. Random assignments can be done in many different ways. Consider drawing cards or popsicle sticks with student names written on them or choosing every nth student from a class roster. This method ensures that learners work with people they might not otherwise interact with, and it takes the stress off of students for group selection. This can be a great strategy for classmates who have not worked together previously or do not know each other well.
☆ Minimal instructor planning is required.
☆ Encourages group diversity.
☆ Builds communication skills with classmates that students might not regularly interact with.
☆ More focused group work time.
☆ No one is left out in the selection process.
☆ Students may be unsatisfied with the selected group and approach projects with a negative attitude.
☆ Lower group cohesion.
👉Try this strategy from Cubelets BOT Builder to form groups randomly while maintaining control over group sizes.
Random Brick Draw
Step 1: Place colored building bricks in a bag. The colors should correlate to the desired number of groups (e.g.: 4 colors for 4 groups). Adjust the number of bricks for smaller or larger group sizes, ensuring that the total number matches the number of learners participating.
Step 2: Have each learner draw one brick at random. They’ll be grouped by the color brick they selected.
For an added touch, challenge groups to use their team’s color to build a brick team emblem. This fun activity helps build team spirit and fosters a community within their randomly formed groups.
Academic Ability Level
Grouping students based on ability level is common, especially in elementary classrooms. All gifted and talented programs are a modified version of this strategy. Creating groups based on ability level can either be helpful to learners or create perceived unfairness. By separating high achievers from low achievers, an educator can personalize learning and assign modified projects to each group based on their ability to complete them. This may, however, lead to learners identifying as low-ability or low-achievement learners, disincentivizing them to try harder and widening the gap separating them from the upper group.
☆ Allows customized pacing based on student needs.
☆ Content can be repeated or expanded depending on understanding levels.
☆ Improved depth of student learning.
☆ Perceived unfairness in comparing top academic students to underperformers.
☆ Widens achievement gaps.
☆ Requires additional instructor planning.
STEM education extends beyond academic ability; it’s about Priming Your Students' Power Skills by preparing them for real-world challenges.
Programs like Survivor Camp are a great way for learners to develop these skills. For example, as groups navigate survival challenges, they learn to rely on each other’s unique strengths. These experiences help build self-confidence as learners see the many ways they can contribute to the team’s success, fostering resilience and boosting their problem-solving skills.
Interest-Based
Interest-based grouping can be a great strategy if you are assigning a project with multiple possible topics. In this method, students select the subject they are most interested in researching, which determines their pair or group. To create a framework for learners to choose their favorite option, you can create a list of pre-approved topics or allow students to propose subjects.
☆ Engagement increases when students are interested in the project.
☆ Passionate learners will create better end products.
☆ Does not work if all students are working on the same assignment.
☆ Friends may falsify their interests in order to work together.
👉After completing a Choose Your Own Podcast Adventure graphic organizer, Discover Podcasting learners are grouped based on their preferred topics and podcasting formats. How? Through a quick game of Five Corners, of course!
For this strategy, educators designate four corners and one additional spot, each representing a different podcast style. Using the notes, learners move to the area that matches their interests. The excitement builds as they gather into their chosen clusters—they’re about to meet their new podcasting crew! In groups of 4-6, these teams are all set for the epic podcasting adventure ahead.
Cooperative (Role-Based)
In cooperative groups, each member is assigned a specific role or title. This means there is a job that they are responsible for on their team. Assigning roles gives students increased ownership over the project and supports group accountability. In "Assigning Individual Roles and its Effect on the Cooperative Learning Setting," Bonnie Coggeshall found that “groups reduced the amount of time students might get off task and increased the amount of participation within the groups.”
☆ Everybody has a role — creates a sense of purpose and belonging.
☆ Individual ownership and responsibility.
☆ Builds collaboration and teamwork among all group members.
☆ Improves group efficiency.
☆ Models real-world teams.
☆ Potential disagreement based on desired roles.
☆ “Blame Game” — group can isolate underachieving team members if their assigned role is incomplete or brings down the total score.
☆ Roles can create inequity in the amount of work required.
👉Drone Designers is a great example of cooperative groups in action. In this innovative program, production teams design, choreograph and program small aerial robots for creative performances. Each team member has an important role in the drone's final performance, thanks to the concept of rotating roles.Starting from Day 2, all learners take on each role. This helps them familiarize themselves with the responsibilities of each, building their confidence and ability to lead throughout the production process, regardless of their assigned role.
As a bonus, each team gets official production team lanyards. These production team role cards (pictured below) serve as a daily reminder of everyone’s specific responsibilities. It’s a simple addition that fosters individual ownership and mirrors the professionalism of real production teams.
What’s the Right Answer?
Try out a few different methods and see what works with your learners. Consider mixing and matching, even within one project. Combine randomness, student choice and cooperative grouping by randomly assigning groups and allowing learners to choose who will perform which role.
While no grouping strategy is perfect, understanding assignments’ goals and your learners’ personalities will be essential to creating successful groups. PCS Edventures makes it easier for educators by providing specific grouping suggestions in our educator guides. See for yourself! Sign up as a STEMbassador and receive free access to curriculum samples across all grade levels.
Did we leave out a strategy?
Let us know what works for your students in the comments section below!
