Small Group Information



OVERVIEW

Small Groups are an important way for students to connect with their instructor and one another. These meetings provide a very different way to handle the course materials and concepts learned throughout the term. The Small Groups also represent a way for students to get to know their classmates and develop life-long relationships. This informational page has been provided to help facilitate the small group meeting experience.




GETTING STARTED

Timing is Important. You should try to contact yourSmall Group within the first few days of the term start. Please note, Small Group members may unexpectedly change prior to the first day of the term based on enrollment.


You can find your Small Group members by going to the“People” link in the left-side course navigation.Then click on the small groups tab. You can also click on “Groups” from the main navigation menu to see your Small Groups listed for all courses.


Make Contact. You are free to contact your SmallGroup members through the Canvas inbox, email, or by creating a Workplace Group chat. Please note that some students use a “preferred name” in Workplace so please try a combination of the last name and first initial when searching for members.


We recommend creating a Workplace Group chat to coordinate your meetings so you can consolidate all your communications into one place.


First Things First.  When making contact and trying to setup a meeting, we recommend that you choose your first meeting time before setting the dates for the entire term. If your schedule allows you to do so, then you may set the entire schedule for the entire term. When getting started, we encourage you to establish one place of communication and at least the time of your first meeting to alleviate the greater logistical pressure of setting a meeting time for the entire term.


We encourage you to take the first 20 minutes of the first meeting to discuss these logistical details.


Meeting. To meet with your Small Group, at the designated time, go to the Zoom links for Small Groups page (linked in the Course Information module). Then click on the Zoom link that has been designated for your particular Small Group.





SMALL GROUP MEETING EXPECTATIONS


For General Courses (please see expectations for counseling courses, below) -


Students are expected to meet and respond to the discussion prompt(s) in an hour-long (minimum 60 minute) online meeting using the providedZoom Links.


You are responsible for submitting the Small Group attendance quiz per the assignment instructions.


For General Courses (courses starting with AP, BT, PC, PT,ST, etc.), students are required to provide a brief 200-word summary of the highlights from the meeting.


If you had a question that you could not answer in your Small Group meeting, then we encourage you to submit one through the attendance quiz (though this is not required). Instructors will respond directly to you or through a Workplace video.



For Counseling Courses (courses staring with ‘PTC’)-


Students are expected to meet and respond to the discussion prompt(s) in an hour-long (minimum 60 minute) online meeting using the providedZoom Links.


You are responsible for submitting the Small Group attendance quiz per the assignment instructions.


Please note, for counseling courses starting with ‘PTC’,there is no requirement to submit a summary of your small group meeting. You are highly encouraged to submit a question to the faculty through the attendance quiz (though this is not required). The faculty will answer these questions during the Live Faculty Events or through a Workplace video post.




SMALL GROUP – ALTERNATIVE ASSIGNMENT

If you are unable to attend a Small Group meeting, then you may submit the Alternative Assignment for 50% credit for the meeting you miss. Please note, this option can only be utilized twice during any term for a course. Please contact your small group and notify them of any absence. If you are experiencing an unexpected and unavoidable situation, then please also reach out to your instructor as they may allow you to receive 100% credit for submitting the Alternative Assignment (please note that instructors only provide this exception for legitimate, excusable reasons).


The Alternative Assignment can be submitted within the SmallGroup attendance quiz. Please draft your response on document and save it to your computer and then copy and paste your answer into the space provided. You will be required to answer the discussion prompt(s) in400-500 words.





FAQ

  • A Small Group member is non-responsive? If a Small Group member is non-responsive, then please reach out to support@wts.edu. We may be able to help connect your group.
  • How are groups determined? Why am I in a group with people from halfway across the world? We do our best to place Small Group members within the same time zone. However, when students are in a time zone that differs from other students, then we try to place you in a smaller group with a time zone on the East or West coast (depending on availability). We also try to create groups of four (4) members. However, if members are in different time zones, then we will try to put you in a group of three (3) members. The largest group size is five (5) members.
  • I have to miss a number of meetings during a term. If you have to miss a number of meetings, then please reach out to your instructor to see if other arrangements can be made. Also, please notify your Small Group members so they can proceed without you.
  • I want to change my group. We do not allow you to change Small Groups once the term has started unless you have a personal conflict (which will be reviewed by Student Success). Please reach out to support@wts.edu if you find yourself in a hard situation. However, we want to encourage students to reach out if you find that a member is misbehaving or creating a hostile environment within your Small Group.
  • I want to stay in my group in future terms. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate this request due to the logistical difficulties in assigning Small Groups.
  • What if our Zoom Link is not working? If the Zoom Link for your Small Group is not working, then please contact support@wts.edu. We encourage that you still try to meet through the Workplace Group Chat (using the video chat feature) or by using Google Meet through your Student Email Account.