Course Design: Ideas for Graduate Student Instructors

The Discussion Class: Interaction Functions
by Marilla Svinicki

The discussion class is essentially a small group attempting to complete a task. As such, the class can function more efficiently if the individual members are aware of the kinds of actions they can take to make things move smoothly. Each of us has a typical way of acting in a group. Some people like to lead, some act to keep the group focused on the task and some serve to keep the group from taking itself too seriously. Below are listed several different ways people normally act in a group. Which ones describe your own style?

Task Functions

Information and opinion giver. Offers facts, opinions, ideas, suggestions, and relevant information to help group discussion.
Information and opinon seeker. Asks for facts, opinions, ideas, suggestions, and relevant information to help group discussion.
Starter. Proposes goals and tasks to initiate action within the group.
Direction giver. Develops plans on how to proceed and focuses attention on the task to be done.
Summarizer. Pulls together related ideas or suggestions and restates and summarizes main point discussed.
Coordinator. Shows relationships among various ideas by pulling them together and harmonizes activities of various subgroups and members.
Diagnoser. Figures out sources of difficulties the group has in working effectively and the blocks to progress in accomplishing the group's goals.
Energizer. Stimulates a higher quality of work from the group.
Reality tester. Examines the practicality and workability of ideas, evaluates alternative solutions, and applies them to real situations to see how they will work.
Evaluator. Compares group decisions and accomplishments with group standards and goals.

Maintenance Functions

Encourager of participation. Warmly encourages everyone to participate, giving recognition for contributions, demonstrating acceptance and openness to ideas of others, is friendly and responsive to group members.
Harmonizer and compromiser. Persuades members to analyze constructively their differences in opinion, searches for common elements in conflicts, and tries to reconcile differences.
Tension reliever. Eases tensions and increases the enjoyment of group members by joking, suggesting breaks, and proposing fun approaches to group work.
Communication helper. Shows good communication skills and makes sure that each member understands what other members are saying.
Evaluator of emotional climate. Asks members how they feel about the way in which the group is working and about each other, and shares own feelings about both.
Process observer. Watches the process by which the group is working and uses the observations to help examine group effectiveness.
Standard setter. Expresses group standards and goals to make members aware of the direction of the work and the progress being made toward the goal and to get open acceptance of groups norms and procedures.
Active listener. Listens and serves as an interested audience for other members, is receptive to others' ideas, goes along with the group when not in disagreement.
Trust builder. Accepts and supports openness of other group members, reinforcing risk taking and encouraging individually.
Interpersonal problem solver. Promotes open discussion of conflicts between group members in order to resolve conflicts and increase group togetherness.

You'll notice that the first ten of these functions focus on getting the job done while the second ten focus on keeping the members together as an amiable group. Both types of actions are important to the effective work of a group. Each person can play more than one of these roles in a group. Being aware of what you normally do and working at some complementary skill in the other half of the process will make you a more effective group member and will help the group work more smoothly as well.

Use this questionnaire, "What Do You Do in a Group?" to determine how you act in a group.