Flash 15: Analytic Teams

Do you want students to go beyond surface-level skills when trying to engage in analytical thinking? Analytic Teams is a collaborative learning technique that develops analytical skills by putting students in groups in which each student assumes a role needed for critical analysis.

icon shows a team with five members against a yellow background

In this 15-minute micro session video, you’ll learn about the analytic teams technique, how you could implement it in your teaching context, and the modifications you could make to make this technique fit your teaching needs.

 
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Analytic Teams is a learning technique that creates groups which each student assumes a role needed for critical analysis. On this video, you will see:

  • What the approach is and the research that supports it.
  • How to implement.
  • How to adapt it to different teaching contexts.
  • How to use a planning tool to help you implement.

Why is this teaching technique effective?

If your goal is for students to use the complex skills needed for critical analysis, then analytic teams support students on their way to mastery. Because this activity breaks down the steps for critical analysis, it prompts students to acquire those skills individually at first. Some students might be uncomfortable in their given role because it is more of a challenge to them and that achievable challenge helps support their growth mindset in realizing that they can in fact develop certain skills. Finally, analytic teams increase participation through the team roles and equalizes participation because every role is needed.