What activities are suitable for small group work?

• lengthy collaborative group activities such as moots, mock trials, live or simulated casework, field or project work
• problem solving exercises such as case studies, or in-tray exercises (ie where students work though a sequence of documents, each of which requires a decision, and groups then compare their results with those of other groups)
• writing exercises such as drafting a case note or legal document, writing a newspaper report, composing rules on how to write essays or how to avoid plagiarism
• games and simulations, role play
• spontaneous activities such as brainstorming or small group discussion within a seminar; buzz groups are useful short exercises to break up the monotony of one way communication (such as a lecture) and make students do something – for example discuss with their neighbour a question set by the lecturer

This is not an exhaustive list. You’ll find that you’ll discover and develop your own activities.

Last Modified: 2 August 2010