Page 13 - SBA Handbook 2020 - FINAL

3. Where possible, schedule in-class time for students to work on their SBA. The SBA
should not be seen as a totally out of classroom activity.

4. Teachers are expected to submit to the Council common group marks for SBAs that are
completed in groups.

5. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the SBA activities in class activities. This may
include providing opportunities for presentations and feedback from teachers and
peers. This will help to build students’ confidence and improve their skills and
competencies.

Recommended Approaches to Group Work

Groups are teams established to collaborate in order to complete specific tasks while
developing skills such as collaboration, cooperation and communication. In organizing for
group work, it is essential that students are sensitized about the dynamics of group work and
the characteristics they are expected to demonstrate as members of a group.

Research suggests that manageable group sizes are best for ensuring quality input from each
member. The optimal size of a group will vary according to the resources needed to complete
the task, the skills of group members, and the nature of the task. Groups of 3 - 6 members are
widely recommended in order to ensure that the value of group work is maximized and the
challenges associated with larger groups are minimized (Slavin, 2010; Zakaria & Zanaton,
2006; Kooloos et al. 2011; Gilles, 2016). There are recommended group sizes in some
syllabuses, however, where this is not indicated it is entirely up to the teacher to determine
group size as long as it is justifiable.

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