A modification of Bradshaw's Method of Group Allocation when you do not know the students

Noel-Ann Bradshaw's method for allocation of students to groups involves asking students to form small groups themselves which the lecturer pairs up to make large groups based on his or her knowledge of the students involved. This is a compromise between self-selected and lecturer- or randomly-assigned group allocation methods. The former is preferred by students, while the latter is perhaps more realistic of team work in employment. A modification to Bradshaw's method is proposed for circumstances when the lecturer does not know the students. This asks the small groups to perform a formative task with audio recording, to produce an outline (not word-for-word) transcript indicating group interactions and to reflect on group dynamics in discussion with the lecturer. This provides the lecturer with rich information about how the small groups operated, which can be used to pair the small groups to form large groups. It also provides the students with a formative learning experience and encourages the development of understanding and articulation of skills in relation to group work. A detailed description is given of the method used along with student feedback and lecturer reflection. The conclusion is broadly positive, with suggestions for minor changes to improve the method.