The aim is for a group of students to become a team that pulls together and supports each other. In order to get to know each other, it is usually sufficient to put students together, let them solve a mini-task together and talk about rules and procedures.
Especially in intercultural and interdisciplinary contexts it is essential to clarify what expectations exist:

• Who brings what prior knowledge with them?

• How do we want to shape the cooperation?

• What should the desired form of communication look like?

• What do the different stakeholders offer and want?

Unfortunately, usually no time for reflection is scheduled. But it is only in reflection that the decisive further development takes place. That is why the teacher should allow time for feedback. Only in this way it is possible to perceive positive experiences and successes and to address difficulties in order to offer solutions.

The appropriate group size is determined, on the one hand, by the framework conditions (supervision must be adequately guaranteed; the less experience the closer the supervision) and, on the other hand, by the task itself (the level of the learning objectives, the competences addressed, etc.).

The group size should not be less than five people and the problem should be appropriately complex so that it feels useful for the students to manage the effort of a division of labour.

An uneven number is helpful if the group is to make many decisions.

It makes sense (especially in the Bachelor’s degree) to always think about what you can do when individual team members leave during the semester. The smaller the group size, the more serious the effect on group performance. Nevertheless, an ideal group size should be observed, where every team member bears responsibility.

Possibilities to cope with are:

• Team redefines guiding questions and task as well as expectations.

• The remaining participants are distributed to other groups.

• Teacher offers additional support for the group.

• The teamleader tries to organize additional support to compensate for the lack of individual team member.

Attention: What effect will this have on the achievement of the learning objectives and the assessment? A fair balance must be struck here.

Students should be given the opportunity to experience themselves in a team from different perspectives during their studies. In this way, they can determine whether they are suited to a particular role. They receive valuable feedback that helps them to realistically assess and improve their competence.

It also promotes the learning process to have to record a lively session in writing or, as a moderator, to ensure a productive working atmosphere.

In groups of eight people or more, we recommend using at least the roles of team leader and a secretary. It is advisable to fill both roles as “dual leadership”. This prevents disorientation in case of illness, departure and both persons can support each other.

Students who take on the role of a tutor must be prepared for this task by the . An exemplary network of training courses and offers has already been created here to prepare tutors for their demanding tasks.

It is also important to maintain contact and exchange with students during the course. The quality of supervision can be increased in this way and any conflicts that may arise can be better identified and resolved.