Tutorials and lectures: Collaboration in class
Structure tutorial group work so every student feels needed and befriended, building a supportive peer community.
Design structured, varied activities
- Use formats like Think-Pair-Share or jigsaw activities instead of unstructured discussion.
- Assign partners or small groups intentionally and consider reshuffling every few weeks to broaden networks – while remaining mindful that some students may benefit from consistency5.
- Design tasks that value varied contributions, explicitly recognising students’ unique strengths and intense interests4,10.
- Normalise student-led focus aids such as body doubling, where peers work silently together9
Set clear expectations and roles
- Provide structured support for group work—such as role rotation charts (e.g., facilitator, scribe, reporter) and contract templates that guide respectful participation and shared expectations. Adapt these tools to suit your course structure and students’ needs.
Actively monitor and support groups
- Circulate the class and learn names, so that you understand participation patterns and dominance.
- Intervene with guiding questions to invite quieter students or give private feedback.
General tips for facilitating successful group work
- Explain to your class that groupwork can be challenging for everyone, but learning to work well in teams is one of the most important skills for any scientist (actually, this applies to nearly all jobs). The days where major scientific advances are made by individuals toiling alone in dark rooms are long gone – the big advances in science now are most often made by teams that include a diverse range of people – people with different fields of expertise, and people with a range of different perspectives and ways of thinking. That is, the most successful groups include people with different expertise and training, genders, ages, cultural backgrounds and ways of thinking. Neurodiversity can be a superpower – e.g. if it allows a group member to think of things in a different way to the rest of the team, or spot something everyone else overlooked.
- Some students have equitable learning plans that allow for them to have an alternative to group work, and might need to work alone. However, learning to work as part of a team is a really important skill, so if at all possible, try to find ways to help your students to get involved. There are several things you could do to facilitate neurodiverse student participation in groups, including
- Helping students to join a group, or allowing them to work with one or two people they know and are comfortable with
- Allowing students to work in smaller groups
- Helping students to find a particular role within a group
- Encouraging groups to set up group chats so that students can contribute in a written format if they don’t feel comfortable speaking
- Allow groups to sit in a quieter spot outside during groupwork (which can get quite loud inside).
- Encourage students to talk to their groupmates about what helps them to work at their best.
- Encourage groups to set clear expectations and roles (see above).
- Emphasise the importance of making sure that all group members feel valued, included and engaged. Tell groups that if they notice that one of the group members is not participating, they should not assume the worst, but instead tactfully ask what is going on for the student, and see if the group can do something address the issue (e.g. group members often stop participating if they find their early contributions are not taken seriously, or if they are dealing with anxiety and feel out of their depth).
Why it matters—Structured roles, contracts, and monitoring create a supported environment, reduce anxiety, and let students contribute unique gifts and purpose.
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