Getting Connected

Jenny: I worked in a group for the first time in years recently and it was a challenging experience because different people bring different things to the table, and the group can go in different directions, so sometimes it takes longer, but it's a really rewarding experience as well, because you feed off each other's ideas and it leads to social events too, like dinners, a few drinks, things like that.

Anthony: I find some of the most interesting ideas come out of that discussion that you have in groups where you're doing group assignments, and in some of the debates that you have, and some of the arguments that you end up having as well. I suppose also most students feel a little bit isolated at first, so as soon as you're put into that group situation it breaks down some of those barriers and helps you to make contact with other students.

Joan: Oh for sure.

Chi: I think a really good idea is to set up a reading group for peers in the same subject, so perhaps you could meet an hour before your class started, talk about that week's reading; as you said, talk about the issues, some of the debates, or you could meet after class.

Anthony: And it could even go beyond that to cyberspace. There are a lot of discussion groups online, probably about the same sort of material and you can also set up wikis and things like that, to help facilitate that; the interaction and discussion with each other.

Joan: Actually that would be a really good idea.

Chi: And it doesn't even have to be groups of students doing the same subject. There are lots of postgraduate student groups around. If you want more information you can go to UMPA, or you can even get funding to set up your own group.

Jenny: I started a writing group with a few other people, and a group of us would do reading nights and workshop our writing.