Small Group Roles

There are many ways for teachers to assign roles when they ask students to collaborate in small groups. The virtues of the system below are that the roles don't divert participants from participating in the activity and everyone, not only a reporter, gets to reflect and synthesize what happened.

Roles: Assume roles according to alphabetical order of last names.

  1. Facilitator of Participation
  2. Orienter for the Activity
  3. Timer
  4. Reporter

Phases of Small Group Activity: I. Getting Together to Begin Activity
II. Activity
III. Synthesis and Reflection
IV. Report




Phase I. Getting Together to Begin Activity

  1. Facilitator of Participation
    • Choose a space and set up chairs so everyone can face each other and hear comfortably.
    • Bring everyone into the group, not off to one side or facing the group on an angle.
    • Make sure everyone in the group is introduced to others they don't know.

  2. Orienter for the Activity
    • Give your version of the activity and goals, invite others to revise this, and check that everyone knows what's going on and why. If it's not clear after that, call for instructor's attention.
    • [Teacher inserts here a description of the Activity, specifying time allocated for each phase.]


Phase II. Activity

  1. Facilitator (cont.)
    • Insure everyone gets a chance to speak.
    • Bring people back into the group when they have withdrawn (on their own or in a 1on1 discussion).
    • Ask for time out for a check-in when withdrawal recurs/persists.
    • Take notes to aid synthesis and reflection by yourself and for the group.

  2. Orienter (cont.)
    • Call for instructor's attention when group needs more guidance about where they are going.
    • Take notes to aid synthesis and reflection by yourself and for the group.

  3. Timer
    • Watch time, prompting group to move onto next task or prompting facilitator to make space for people who haven't had time to speak.
    • Insure that clear time is left at the end for synthesis and reflection.
    • Take notes to aid synthesis and reflection by yourself and for the group.

  4. Reporter
    • Take notes to aid synthesis and reflection by yourself and for the group.

Phase III. Synthesis and Reflection

  1. Facilitator
    • Check in quietly with anyone who has stalled in their synthesis and note-making.
    • Digest the content and process of the discussion and make notes on your own conclusions and open questions.

  2. Orienter
    • Digest the content and process of the discussion and make notes on your own conclusions and open questions.

  3. Timer
    • Digest the content and process of the discussion and make notes on your own conclusions and open questions.

  4. Reporter
    • Ask everyone to mention one highlight, appreciation, or issue needing further work from the content or the process of the discussion. Make notes.
    • Prepare to report back, either spoken to the class as a whole or given to instructor.

Phase IV. Report

4. Reporter
  • gives report, either spoken to the class as a whole or in written form for the instructor to disseminate.


    © Peter Taylor, July 2001