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How to Create & Run Effective Study Groups

“No one is wiser than all of us” – this old proverb remains true, emphasizing the importance of learning in a collective environment. When you study in a group, you not only absorb knowledge from teachers but also have the opportunity to exchange, discuss, and learn from peers who share the same aspirations. So, how can you establish and operate an effective study group? Let’s explore the secrets with “Học Làm”!

1. Why Form a Study Group?

Study groups offer many practical benefits, helping you enhance learning efficiency, develop soft skills, and achieve holistic personal growth.

1.1. Enhance Learning Efficiency:

  • Share knowledge and experience: Each member in the group may have unique strengths, helping to complement each other’s knowledge and create a more complete and solid understanding.
  • Deeper understanding of lessons: Through discussion and debate, you will gain a clearer understanding of complex concepts and issues, and find more effective solutions.
  • Develop thinking skills: Study groups help you develop critical thinking, presentation, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, among others.

1.2. Develop Soft Skills:

  • Communication skills: Study groups are an opportunity for you to practice communication skills, listening, sharing, persuasion, and build good relationships with friends.
  • Problem-solving skills: In the learning process, group members will work together to solve difficult problems, thereby developing problem-solving skills effectively.
  • Collaboration skills: Study groups help you learn how to coordinate, share tasks, assign responsibilities, and work effectively in a team.

1.3. Improve Learning Spirit:

  • Reduce stress: Study groups create a fun and comfortable atmosphere, helping you reduce stress and pressure in learning.
  • Increase learning motivation: When accompanied by friends, you will feel more confident, and learning motivation will also increase.
  • Promote healthy competition: Study groups create healthy competition, motivating you to study harder to avoid being “outdone” by other members in the group.

2. How to Establish an Effective Study Group

“With united hearts and minds” – an effective study group needs to be based on the unity and shared aspirations of its members.

2.1. Define Common Goals:

  • Before forming a group, you need to clearly define the common goals and learning direction of the group.
  • For example: improving math scores, preparing for semester exams, reviewing knowledge for university entrance exams, etc.

2.2. Choose Suitable Members:

  • You should choose friends who share the same goals, aspirations, and have similar learning abilities.
  • Look for friends whose strengths complement each other, creating a well-rounded study group.
  • Avoid choosing friends who often chat privately, are not serious about studying, or are unwilling to cooperate.

2.3. Build Group Rules:

  • A set of common rules is needed to ensure unity, responsibility, and efficiency in the group’s activities.
  • Group rules need to be agreed upon and followed by all members.
  • For example: time, study location, methods of sharing materials, forms of testing and evaluation, etc.

2.4. Clearly Assign Tasks:

  • Share tasks and assign responsibilities to each member in the group clearly, in writing or verbally.
  • Note: tasks should be assigned according to the abilities and strengths of each member.

3. How to Operate an Effective Study Group

“Practice what you learn” – to make group study highly effective, you need to apply appropriate learning methods.

3.1. Prepare Lessons Before Group Study:

  • Before group study, each member needs to study independently, prepare lessons fully, and note down difficult points and questions that need to be answered.
  • Thorough preparation will make group study sessions effective and avoid wasting time.

3.2. Discuss Actively and Effectively:

  • During discussions, each member needs to actively share opinions and discuss enthusiastically, while maintaining a respectful attitude towards each other.
  • Members should be encouraged to express their opinions and not be “boxed in” by one person’s thinking.

3.3. Use Effective Learning Methods:

  • Apply effective learning methods such as: learning with images, learning with videos, learning with games, learning by doing, etc.
  • Choose methods that are appropriate for the lesson content and the preferences of the members.

3.4. Check and Evaluate Learning Outcomes:

  • After each study session, the group should take time to check and evaluate the learning outcomes of each member.
  • There should be appropriate forms of testing, for example: answering questions, small group discussions, doing exercises, etc.

3.5. Build Team Spirit:

  • In addition to studying, the group should organize fun and recreational activities to build team spirit and strengthen friendships among members.
  • For example: organizing birthday parties for members, weekend outings, organizing team-building games, etc.

4. Things to Note When Forming and Operating Study Groups

4.1. Choose Suitable Members:

  • Do not choose members who are too different in ability, as this will lead to a situation where “one person is overloaded, while others have nothing to do”.
  • Look for friends with similar abilities, shared aspirations, and the ability to complement each other.

4.2. Build Clear Group Rules:

  • Group rules need to be agreed upon and followed by all members.
  • There should be clear forms of discipline to deal with members who violate the rules.

4.3. Assign Tasks Appropriately:

  • Assign tasks that are appropriate to the abilities and strengths of each member.
  • Avoid “task assignment” that is “boxed in” or “role-playing”.

4.4. Discuss Actively and Effectively:

  • Each member needs to actively share opinions and discuss enthusiastically, while maintaining a respectful attitude towards each other.
  • Avoid “private conversations”, “lack of focus”, or “disrespect for other people’s opinions”.

4.5. Regularly Check and Evaluate Learning Outcomes:

  • There should be appropriate forms of testing, for example: answering questions, small group discussions, doing exercises, etc.
  • Test results will help the group “adjust” in time any “errors” in the learning process.

5. Expert Advice

“Continuous learning” – according to education expert Nguyen Van A (author of the book “Secrets to Effective Learning”), group study not only helps you improve learning efficiency but also “develops essential soft skills for life”. Education expert Bui Thi B (author of the book “The Art of Learning”) also “encourages young people to actively participate in study groups” because “it will help you “enhance communication skills, develop teamwork skills, and “boost learning spirit”.

6. Engaging Story About a Study Group

In July last year, class 12A of Nguyen Du High School organized a special study group session to review knowledge for the university entrance exam. The group consisted of 5 members, all excellent students, with the common goal of “getting into top universities”. They shared materials, discussed enthusiastically, and helped each other “overcome difficulties” in learning. As a result, all 5 members “achieved their aspirations” to enter top universities, with “impressive” scores. The story of the class 12A study group “is proof of the power of unity and shared aspirations”.

7. Suggested Related Articles

8. Conclusion

Establishing and operating effective study groups is an optimal solution to “improve learning efficiency, develop soft skills, and “achieve holistic personal growth”. Be “proactive” in forming study groups, “use” the secrets “shared” in this article to “create an effective learning environment” and “achieve success” in your studies!

Do you have any questions about forming and operating study groups? Leave a comment below, we are “always ready to support” you!

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