Type of Student Work

Benefits

Challenges

When It Is Suitable

Connections to Theory

Individual

Students work at their own pace, they are confident about what they know and what they need to send more time on, they can use their preferred learning styles and strategies

Students don’t get the benefit of learning from and working with their peers

Giving it, Getting it, final tasks/assignment

Deductive Learning, Learning Styles & Strategies, Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Pair

Students have the chance to work with and learn from their peers; struggling students can learn from more capable peers; it is especially useful for students who prefer interpersonal learning settings

If students are not matched up well (i.e. low students together, high students together, a higher student with a low student but they don’t work well together, etc.) pair work won’t be useful; the ability of the students to work in this way needs to be taken into consideration

Giving it and Getting it activities, Inductive learning activities

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Inductive Learning

Group

Group work provides more opportunity for practice, an increased variety of activities is possible, increased student creativity, the Zone of Proximal Development increases

As with pair work, the groups must be carefully selected to ensure students can work productively; not all students are able to work to their full potential in this situation; assessment of student progress can be challenging

Giving it and Getting it activities

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, Assessment for/of learning