If you are a social learner, you are a generally social person. In terms of your learning in particular, you tend to:
- Learn well by bouncing your ideas and thoughts off other people and listen to how they respond
- Prefer to work through issues, ideas and problems with a group
- Are a mostly confident communicator AND listener
- Generally aren't afraid to ask questions
- Can give AND receive constructive feedback
Top tips for studying in a group
Express yourself!The energy and accountability that groups can provide can be a real positive, and social learners thrive explaining what they know to other people.
Recalling your knowledge to others in a group can: > Build your confidence in your knowledge > Give people in the group new or alternate ideas / ways of thinking! |
Be a good listener too!One of the best things to for your others in your study group is to just be there as an ear to listen.
Be sure to offer plenty of feedback and ask plenty of questions, as social learners love to hear both praise and concerns from a peer. Be active learners and talk out ideas, problems, approaches to questions, etc. |
Learn / revise visuallyWhen in a study group, use visual representations of info whenever possible to create ideas, solve problems, or revise knowledge.
Check out the collection of model mind maps here - use different styles to suit your purposes, e.g.: > Lotus - group points & evidence (+ hard copies in the Library) > Flow - sequence information > Fishbone - compare arguments |
Divide and Conquer!Use the different skills and knowledge in a study group to discuss task approaches, or even divide up large tasks.
Online blogs or discussion groups can also be a great source for ideas to approaching tasks and syllabus areas. Popular ones include: > ATAR Notes > Matrix Education |
Keep it productive!Recognise that groups can often become easily distracted.
They can waste quite a bit of time having conversations or looking at content not connected to learning. If you are studying with a group, set out your goals before you start working, plus plan to take frequent breaks. |
Use a good group spaceThe Freshie Library has fantastic social learning spaces, featuring:
> Large tables with whiteboard surfacing > Whiteboard walls > TVs you can cast to and work through Docs, watch videos and do quizzes collaboratively! Make a meeting room booking here. |
Although social learners often prefer to learn with others around them, it is important to also be comfortable with working alone occasionally. After all, you need to complete most tasks and your exams independently.