What are online group dynamics and why are they so valuable?
The virtual environment is more capricious than the face-to-face one. In fact, tasks such as getting to know your students, building relationships and engaging them in your classes require a superb effort.
In this context, we need to put ourselves in the students’ shoes and provide them with all the facilities to communicate comfortably with their peers.
As an e-learning teacher, you need to find tools and resources with which to achieve this closeness and interaction. And for that, two things have to happen: on the one hand, you have to know perfectly the medium you are going to deliver the training and check that it is useful. On the other hand, research your learners.
Who are they, what are their insecurities, what makes them tick, are they fit for the activity?
A good way to find this out (and much more) is through online group dynamics.
Read on to find out what they are and how they benefit you as a teacher.
What is an online group dynamic?
An online group dynamic is a collective activity (usually a lot of fun) aimed at group integration, trust building and commitment.
And what is their basis?
Social psychology, from which the discipline ‘group dynamics’ originates, studies how social relationships (and individual strengths) influence behaviour.
In this sense, group dynamics is seen as a tool to understand the dynamism, changes and problems of groups (hence the rationale for this type of group exercises).
For some years now, they have been integrated into the e-learning sector as they are dynamic, free expression activities, which help to motivate and deepen relationships with learners.
Check them out below!
Benefits of group dynamics in e-learning
Often, to the detriment of the course syllabus, it is a good idea to dedicate several sessions to online group dynamics. Even more so at the beginning, when you have to try to bring the group together at all costs.
Although group dynamics are fun in the classroom, remove the technological barrier (physical distance) and keep the class together and lively, there are many teachers who, worried about falling behind schedule, decide to dispense with them.
Big mistake!
The rewards are enormous. It is better to invest some time in cultivating a good atmosphere from the beginning than to spend it on resolving conflicts with the advanced class.
There are many reasons to do group dynamics activities. However, the common denominator remains the same: to create a comfortable atmosphere, to encourage dialogue and to bring the group together.
After what has been said, we can say that they serve the following purposes:
- Increasing student engagement.
- Create group cohesion
- Build confidence.
- Promote communication and empathy.
- Nurturing learners with useful resources to face challenges
Aspects to consider when choosing virtual group dynamics
Since not all of them work for every profile and purpose, it would be appropriate to consider a number of factors before conducting a group dynamic.
Learning objective
Do you want to promote discussion, encourage creativity, or perhaps develop a skill?
The icebreaker or icebreaker dynamic, for example, is the ideal way to help students get to know each other. And like this one, you will find others recommended for different circumstances.
Design the online group dynamics according to what you want to achieve.
Learners profile
Before deciding on an online group dynamic, it is mandatory that you know the characteristics of the class.
Keep in mind that there are group dynamics for teenagers and some that are more suitable for adults. Your age, interests, knowledge or expectations will help you to choose the right type of activity.
Select the best one for your students according to your needs and training objectives.
Group size
A certain number is necessary to make the activity work. A group of more than 10 students is best.
E-learning platform
When you are going to do an online group dynamic, consider the possibilities of the virtual scenario.
First of all, it is essential that your platform is very easy to use and that you know it inside out. In this way, relations with the students will be more agile and you will not have to interrupt the activity to worry about possible problems with navigation.
At the same time, it is essential that the e-learning platform has tools that are adapted to the needs of your dynamics (it goes without saying that of your training courses as well).
As you can imagine, many activities must be carried out live. Therefore, it is necessary that the platform incorporates tools for synchronous communication (such as a room for videoconferencing).
Duration of the online group dynamics
When starting a group activity, you need to plan the time you need to complete the activity. Bear in mind that, depending on the number of participants, you will need more or less minutes.
Under no circumstances should you leave the activity halfway through.
Materials to be used
What resources do you have to offer group dynamics?
The computer is, without a doubt, the essential tool. You should also have the minimum requirements for a good online teacher, such as a webcam and a microphone of a certain quality.
Dynamisation
The role of the facilitator (in short, the teacher) is to explain the online group dynamics to all participants.
In this sense, you have to know the group and foresee the possible situations that may arise in order to solve them quickly and ensure that the activity flows correctly.
At the same time, you must ensure that the rules are followed.
10 group dynamics examples
Now it’s time to get practical!
On the web you will find many games to play online in class. Virtual quizzes, live tests… Use all the solutions you think are appropriate. At the end of the day, they are just strategies to bring the group together, keep their attention and help them.
Here are 10 fun and effective team dynamics.
Choose an animal
In Pick an animal, participants will think of an animal that begins with the first letter of their first name, and a quality that describes them with their surname.
Then, the idea is for everyone to share their creations.
Let’s look at an example of effective team dynamics:
Your name is Óscar Núñez. Choose an animal that begins with ‘O’: bear. Now, find a defining quality that begins with the letter ‘N’ in your surname: noble. From being called Óscar Núñez, you become the great ‘Noble Bear’, a nickname you can use in class.
Present your space
Present your space is a great way to get to know the skills and creativity of your students.
The aim is to invite them to present the place where they are studying or working and observe how they are performing.
The time machine
The time machine is an online group dynamic that is very popular.
It consists of each student going back to a period in history in which they would have liked to live and explaining their reasons to the rest of their classmates.
What's behind
What’s Behind is widely used as an icebreaker.
Students will have to activate their webcam and show themselves for 15 seconds. After that time, they turn it off.
The challenge is to guess what the participant was wearing and what was around or behind them.
The spot
To make The Spot, each student has to create an advertisement about him/herself and offer it to the group.
The participant in turn will have to argue its qualities (if possible with a lot of art) and the rest of the classmates will have to decide whether to buy it or not.
Group comments
Group discussions are about presenting a video, text or podcast for students to watch, read or listen to at the same time.
Afterwards, the teacher will raise questions that will invite discussion.
The First to solve
The first to solve involves dividing the class into small groups and assigning them the same exercise to solve.
The group that gets it right as quickly as possible wins.
Trivia
Trivia is the classic quiz that we will create with the theme of the subject in question.
To generate the cards you can use Kahoot, a tool with which you can create, present and share questions with a team of players remotely.
Toothless and live
Toothless and live is a super fun online group activity.
The facilitator opens the activity by introducing himself to the group of students… but without showing his teeth!
The rule is to talk to the rest of the class, even if you have to change your face and intonation to hide your teeth behind your lips.
Borderline situation
With Limit situation, the idea is to present the trainees with an extreme, hypothetical situation and test the behaviour of the group.
How? By asking them questions that give them a glimpse of how to face and resolve the situation in a logical, rational and, above all, consensual way.
About online group dynamics
As we have been saying, online group dynamics are exceptional for encouraging discussion and participation.
However, it is imperative that you have a good e-learning platform where you can put these types of activities into practice in real time.
evolCampus, for example, is a learning environment adapted to the needs of teachers and students in which you can carry out group dynamics and upload or create content for your classes in any audiovisual format.
You may be interested in trying it out.