How to design and deliver a small group teaching session

Jacqueline Harley Programme manager, Higher Education Department, Government of Jersey Health and Community Services, St Helier, Jersey

Why you should read this article:

• • To understand how small group teaching sessions can assist participants to learn new knowledge and skills

• • To learn how to plan a small group teaching session by setting aims and learning outcomes

• • To appreciate the importance of assessing participants’ learning and addressing gaps in their understanding throughout the delivery of small group teaching sessions

Rationale and key points

Small group teaching sessions are commonly used in healthcare to deliver education, provide practice updates and support continuing professional development. Such sessions can provide opportunities for participants to acquire new knowledge, foster peer relationships, consolidate learning and develop skills. This article provides a step-by-step guide for nurses and other healthcare professionals on designing and delivering a small group teaching session.

• A small group teaching session requires considered, detailed and methodical preparation.

• When designing a small group teaching session, it is important to determine its aims, learning outcomes, group characteristics, location and timeframe.

• A well-planned small teaching session includes learning activities that are constructively aligned to the aims and intended learning outcomes.

• Assessing participant learning and addressing gaps in their understanding is essential during the delivery of small group teaching.

Reflective activity

‘How to’ articles can help to update your practice and ensure it remains evidence based. Apply this article to your practice. Reflect on and write a short account of:

• How this article could improve your practice when designing and delivering a small group teaching session.

• How you could use this information to educate your colleagues on small group teaching methods.

Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2023.e2100

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

@harleyjacq

Correspondence

j.harley@health.gov.je

Conflict of interest

None declared

Harley J (2023) How to design and deliver a small group teaching session. Nursing Management. doi: 10.7748/nm.2023.e2100

Disclaimer

Please note that information provided by Nursing Management is not sufficient to make the reader competent to perform the task. All clinical skills should be formally assessed according to policy and procedures. It is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure their practice remains up to date and reflects the latest evidence

Published online: 30 August 2023

Keywords :

continuing professional development - education - educational methods - learning outcomes - peer support - professional - professional issues - training - universities

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Small group teaching is a focused and interactive educational approach in which a limited number of participants engage in discussions, problem-solving and skill-building activities under the guidance of a facilitator. In healthcare, small group teaching is used to disseminate information, develop clinical skills and share practice updates among practitioners. By promoting a collaborative and targeted learning environment, small group teaching can equip practitioners with the knowledge and skills required to deliver high-quality, evidence-based healthcare (van Diggele et al 2020).

This article is intended for nurses and other healthcare professionals who are responsible for delivering small group teaching. It offers a step-by-step guide explaining how to prepare and deliver a small group teaching session, together with a discussion of the evidence base underpinning this activity. The steps and principles outlined in this article can be applied to both face-to-face and online small group teaching sessions.

Preparation

• • When preparing a small group teaching session, identify a rationale for why it is needed and the intended benefits that it will bring.

• • Establish the aims of the session and its intended learning outcomes.

• • Consider the characteristics of the group members including their professional roles, level of experience and the expected group size.

• • Construct a session plan that details how the aims and intended learning outcomes will be met, including modes of delivery, teaching and learning activities, resources, timeframe, assessment and evaluation methods.

• • Determine how you are going to enable different styles of learning. Consider using a blend of visual, auditory and participatory activities such as group discussion, flip charts and PowerPoint presentations to deliver key learning points.

• • Keep the information balanced, bearing in mind that what matters is how well the group understands the content, not how much information is provided to them.

• • Identify any prerequisites that the group members need to meet before participating, such as completing a pre-session questionnaire. Inform the group members of these in advance, providing sufficient time for them to prepare.

• • Establish where you will deliver the session, ensuring that the chosen location has the appropriate facilities to support delivery such as adequate room size, seating and breakout space for group work. If you intend to use social media platforms, make sure you have access to pertinent, compatible software and equipment that are unrestricted by barriers such as firewalls, which might impede teaching and learning activities.

• • Identify the measures you will use to assess the participants’ understanding and learning.

• • Plan how you are going to evaluate the session’s content and design, for example you could ask participants to complete end-of-session questionnaires.

• • Consider how you will evaluate your performance. For example, you may want to complete a reflective account or invite a peer to observe the session and provide feedback on your delivery.

Procedure

• 1. At the beginning of the teaching session introduce yourself, set the scene and ask the group what they hope to learn from attending. The group’s learning requirements will guide any alterations you need to make to the session.

• 2. Provide a session overview, including its aims, intended learning outcomes, structure, format and timing. At this point, give the participants a chance to clarify anything they do not understand.

• 3. Once the session has been introduced, use your session plan as a guide to ensure coherence, optimal flow and appropriate timing.

• 4. Be prepared to make minor modifications in response to issues such as timing or managing group engagement, should these arise.

• 5. During group breakout activities be prepared to move around the room and ‘tap into’ these discussions to check the participants’ understanding and learning. Monitor the time taken by such activities, since these can often run over if not carefully managed.

• 6. Record notes on the session plan about those parts of the session that require further development, such as aspects of group work that did not work so well.

• 7. Use questions frequently throughout the session to facilitate critical thinking and assess participants’ learning.

• 8. As the session concludes, summarise the key learning points and identify the ‘take home’ messages.

• 9. Invite group feedback about the session’s content and design, including what worked well and what did not, as well as feedback on what they have learned from the session.

Evidence base

Providing peer group education is an integral part of the professional role of many healthcare professionals, including nurses. Nurse specialists, clinical educators and practice education facilitators are among those responsible for delivering continuing professional development (CPD) education to front-line staff. According to Zhang et al’s (2022) systematic review and meta-analysis, peer teaching is a favourable teaching and learning strategy that is positively associated with the development of theoretical knowledge and procedural skills among healthcare professionals.

CPD education can have many benefits for healthcare professionals, such as the development of their knowledge, skills and professional attributes, increased confidence and enhanced career development (Allen et al 2019). It can take place in a variety of environments, including hospital, clinical and community settings, and can be delivered using formal approaches such as lectures, small group teaching sessions and simulation exercises. Although there are advantages and disadvantages to each of these approaches (Burgess et al 2014, Sørensen et al 2017), small group teaching is increasingly becoming the preferred approach in healthcare professionals’ education (van Diggele et al 2020). Small group teaching is associated with enriching the learning experience and enabling learners to develop their understanding in conjunction with their peers (Xue et al 2021). It has also been found to support the development of teamwork and problem-solving abilities (Dirks 2019).

Figure 1 shows the main components that need to be considered when designing and delivering a small group teaching session. Collectively, these dynamic components underpin, support and facilitate teaching and learning in the session.

Figure 1.

Main components of a small group teaching session

Session plan

Planning is central to delivering a teaching session effectively (Yonkaitis 2020). Session plans provide a blueprint for delivering teaching by detailing the dynamic components required to meet the aims and intended learning outcomes. Moore-Cox (2017) emphasised the value of planning for nurse educators, suggesting that it enables them to plan and record activities intended to encourage active classroom learning. Table 1 shows an example of information required for a session plan.

Table 1.

Example of information required for a session plan

Session title:
Date and time:
Duration:
Expected number of participants:		Actual number of participants:
Aim(s) of the session:
Intended learning outcomes: By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
Time (minutes):	Facilitator activities:	Participant activities:	Resources:
	Example: • Welcome • Introductions	Example: • Questions and answers	Example: • Presentation • Trust policies
Additional observations:
Facilitator’s name:

Aims and intended learning outcomes

Underpinning the small group teaching session are its aims and intended learning outcomes. The aims are the overall expectations for a session, while intended learning outcomes specifically identify the different steps that the group members need to undertake to meet the session aims and demonstrate their learning (Butcher et al 2020). Learning outcomes should be constructively aligned with the session aims and should reflect the intended learning, while being mindful that learning cannot always be guaranteed (Biggs and Tang 2011). In this way, the group members can identify the level of learning and understanding that is expected of them.

Group characteristics

Effective teaching requires an understanding of the group’s characteristics, since this can enable the facilitator to tailor the content, pace, level and teaching methods required to meet the group’s needs and preferences (Kelm and Niven 2019). By recognising group dynamics and individual communication styles, engagement may be improved, effective interaction can be encouraged and the overall learning experience of participants can be maximised (Merlin et al 2020).

Teaching and learning activities

Hughes and Quinn (2013) proposed that educational content should be made available through a variety of activities to address different learning styles. The facilitator should be aware that individuals may have a mixture of preferred learning styles and activities, such as those outlined by Honey and Mumford (1992) (Table 2). These preferences can inform the choice of resources that group members access, as well as their level of contribution in group teaching sessions (Kurt et al 2022). Offering a variety of teaching and learning activities can play to the group’s strengths and promote engagement, thus enabling a higher level of understanding (Clynes et al 2020).

Table 2.

Preferred learning styles and activities

Type of learner	Preferred style	Preferred activities
Activist	• Learns by doing • Engages in new experiences wholeheartedly and impartially • Relishes the present moment • Thinks deeply because they prefer work that is challenging and requires concentration	• Brainstorming • Problem-solving • Group discussion • Puzzles • Competitions
Pragmatist	• Tests out concepts, theories and methods to discover how well they function in the real world • Looks for novel concepts and seizes opportunities to try out new applications	• Case studies • Problem-solving • Group discussion
Reflector	• Enjoys taking a step back to think about their own and other people’s experiences • Gathers first-hand information, then considers and evaluates it from different angles before reaching a firm decision	• Paired discussion • Personality tests • Self-analysis questions • Feedback • Time apart • Coaching • Observing others
Theorist	• Places the highest value on logic and reason • Prefers to determine the theory that underpins each activity • Enjoys synthesising and analysing data • Combines and transforms contradictory data and observations into comprehensible theories	• Using theories • Models • Statistical data • Anecdotes • Quotes

(Adapted from Honey and Mumford 1992)

Learning environment

Learning in the classroom can be optimised by the physical environment and classroom design (Han et al 2018). Important environmental conditions include space, lighting, noise and ventilation. Additionally, the spatial layout and functionality of furnishings such as tables and chairs have been shown to be conducive to promoting dialogue and interaction (Han et al 2018). Auditory and visual systems are also important, since collectively these systems can promote an engaging and effective learning environment (Han et al 2018). Auditory systems include items such as audio speakers and microphones that improve audibility and clarity of sound, while visual systems include multimedia screens and whiteboards.

Assessment of learning

One of the main factors that can influence learning is formative assessment. Bennett (2011) suggested that formative assessment is a prevailing enhancement to learning that is useful in determining the level of knowledge and understanding attained by participants. It can also identify gaps in knowledge. Learning can be formatively assessed by using measures such as learning checks, assessment tasks and the use of low-order and high-order questions (Lipnevich and Panadero 2021). Low-order questions focus on recalling and describing facts, for example ‘Describe the stages of Tuckman’s team formation theory’, whereas high-order questions require analysis and synthesis of the information, for example ‘Critically appraise Tuckman’s team formation theory’.

Session evaluation

Session evaluation is important for ensuring and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, and it can assist in determining the usefulness and relevance of a small group teaching session (Biggs and Tang 2011). Feedback can be gathered from the group through evaluative measures such as questionnaires, which review the session content, course materials such as supplementary reading materials and modes of delivery such as group-led activities. The application of a structured measure for feedback provides opportunities for participants and the facilitator to identify the strengths of the session and areas for improvement.

Requesting input from colleagues and personal reflection can be beneficial for developmental purposes, supporting the facilitator’s professional development and improvements to the teaching session. Peer observation – which entails fellow educators observing and learning from each other’s practice and providing constructive feedback (O’Leary 2020) – can encourage a critical and reflective conversation about teaching and assessment practices. This practice can enhance the facilitator’s self-awareness, confidence and facilitation skills.

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