Group Graphic Organiser

The Group Graphic Organiser allows students to work in small groups to share knowledge and capture ideas and broader thinking on a question or topic, and to summarise their findings.

Rationale

This activity gives students an opportunity to share knowledge in a visual manner and clarify their understanding of key concepts and relationships of subject matter. The output of the graphical organiser can also identify areas where additional learning is required.

Learners/Context

Graphic organisers allow students (either individually or working in small groups) to visually map and improve their understanding of key concepts and relationships of a topic or subject matter.

Alignment

This learning activity gives students the opportunity to work together to share and improve knowledge and understanding of key concepts and relationships.

Instructions/Processes

Prior to semester:

Decide how you will use a Group Graphic Organiser, for example:
- Determine cause and effect
- Brainstorm and map concepts and ideas
- Classify and/or compare and contrast concepts
- Organise problems and solutions
- Establish relationships - relate information to main themes and ideas
- Establish sequencing
- Structure a writing project.
Decide whether to use Google Draw template to create a Graphic Organiser or select a suitable generic graphic organiser such as a concept map, spider web, mind map etc. (see Resources/Technology for access to various types of Graphic Organisers) - the type and format of graphic organiser used will depend on the task and group.
Decide what level of scaffolding students will require on the Group Graphic Organiser, for example:
- Remove or delete all labels and descriptions
- Level descriptions/definitions but remove key terms
- Remove all relationship lines and arrows
- Remove key labels or relationships
- Jumble the labels on the document.
Write simple instructions on the Group Graphic Organiser.
Print sufficient copies of the Group Graphic Organiser for distribution to students.

In class:

Designate groups (4-6) or ask students to self-select groups.
Explain to students the value of graphic/visual organisation of information, concepts and ideas.
If necessary, provide an example of a populated Graphic Organiser for students to aid their understanding of the activity requirements.
Distribute the Group Graphic Organiser you have created to each student/group and ask students to work together in their groups to use the graphical organiser to build a visual map or diagram that demonstrates their shared knowledge about relationships between facts, concepts or ideas.
Ask each group to share results of their completed Graphic Organiser and a representative of the group to summarise their findings.
Discuss the process itself and the similarities and differences in the completed Graphic Organisers.

Conditions/Critical Success Factors

Knowledge of and access to Google Draw.

Access to Blackboard.

Resources/ Technology

Using Google Draw: (https://support.google.com/docs/answer/179740?hl=en)

Graphic organiser templates:

(http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/02/list-of-free-graphic-organizers-for.html)
(https://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/)
(http://www.teach-nology.com/worksheets/graphic/)
Search Google Images using the term ‘graphic organiser’.

Related Category:

Active learning

Online learning

Download Pattern:

Economics_M_GGO.pdf

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Design Pattern

Group Graphic Organiser