Small Group Teaching at Oxford
Author: Freya Cox Jensen
Type: Conference Presentation
Currently used to teach certain papers for the Oxford History BA, the class of eight to sixteen students is a learning environment which can substantially enhance the academic and personal development of undergraduates in the course of their degree, providing an alternative to the more normal, two- student ‘tutorial’. However, owing to the changing nature of the A level, and insufficient preparation to ensure that the expectations of teachers and students are in alignment, the opportunities afforded by small group teaching are too often missed. Using research into student perspectives on the further subject class gathered by means of interviews assessment exercises, this paper explores the ways in which class learning in History is approached by those ‘teaching’ and those ‘learning’, and suggests ways in which both might better work together to make the small group experience more enjoyable, and more productive. |