Students learn best when
they are actively engaged in the processing of information. One way to
involve students in active learning is to have them learn from each other in
small groups or teams. Research shows that students working in small groups
tend to learn more of what is taught, retain it longer than when the same content
is presented in other instructional formats, and appear more satisfied with
their classes (Davis 1993, Barkley, 2005). But then in practice, teachers
are faced with difficulties in deciding who should work with whom and there is
also the issue that sometimes students tend to like to work with just some of their
classmates. This common dilemma has sparked a search for a solution which could
be quick, random and if possible computer-based!! It sounds like MISSION
IMPOSSIBLE but I managed to find a
great tool for choosing students randomly! It’s called THE HAT and you just have to download and install this
free program on your computer. It is only available for PCs. For more
info go to: http://www.lauracandler.com/strategies/smartboard.php
