Pogil - Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning

    • HSPI Classroom Photo 4
    • HSPI Classroom Photo 4

Stage 2 - POGIL in your Classroom - Moving from Teacher to Facilitator

As with any instructional technique, you will experience both successes and challenges when using POGIL.  This section includes tips from our practitioners about the kinds of things that come up during day-to-day implementation in the classroom and can help you make adjustments to refine your instructional practice.


Class Discussion

“It can be a messy and frustrating business, this class discussion…It is so much easier to tell students what you know and think, to retreat to the more controlled world of the lecture.  Keep in mind that discussion can do more to stimulate students’ minds and interests than any other form of teaching we know, and that under the surface much more learning is taking place than we may think.”  Laing, D.  “Nurturing Discussion in the Classroom.” IN Smith,K., (ed) Teaching, Learning, Assessing:  A Guide for Effective Teaching at College and University.  Oakvill, Ontario:  Mosaic Press, 2007.

  • Brilliant lecturers are not always brilliant discussion leaders.  Get advice from colleagues who are good at facilitating discussion.
  • Read up! There are hundreds of resources available online with ideas on leading effective class discussion. Here’s a sample Faculty Focus article with 6 tips.
  • Create a question Parking Lot in your room.  This could be a corner of the board, a laminated poster, or a clipboard in a designated spot.  Provide each group with “sticky” notes prior to working on an activity to use for recording questions they would like to address with the class. The notes will give you a framework to use for discussion and can also serve as a record of points of confusion in the activity.  You can also direct groups to add questions to the Parking Lot that you would like to cover with the full class.
  • Refer back to models or key questions within the activity during discussions.
  • During discussion, ask for student-provided evidence to support each answer.
  • Examine whether the class discussions supported the learning goals for the activity.  Did the discussion center on or detract from the activity?
  • Keep it positive!  Help students learn to frame complaints or concerns using the language of constructive criticism.
  • Model pro-social discussion skills for the class.  Help students transfer what they have experienced and seen during class discussions to the discussions taking place within groups.

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Formative Assessment - Reporting Out

Ongoing assessment is a key tenet of POGIL pedagogy and vital in actual classroom practice. Reporting out and other formative assessments enable a teacher to take stock of student understanding, control the pace of group work, uncover misconceptions, and make needed adjustments within a lesson. We encourage you to develop a full repertoire of formative assessment tools, such as these made available through the West Virginia Department of Education, including multiple methods for groups to share their work. 

During the Activity
  • Practice a quick way to get everyone's attention (raise hand, chime, flash lights, rhythmic clap, etc.).
  • Have students report out at specified points throughout the activity, such as at the stop signs or keys, not just at the end.
  • Group Consensus strategy - Have each group write an answer/ summary/ report of a particular point or question on board.  If all the answers aren’t in agreement, give each group 2 minutes to agree to change their answer or to defend their reasoning.  Continue the cycle of “agree or defend” until the class reaches full consensus.
  • Use “clicker” questions, which can be answered either with actual clicker sets or by using colored index cards, numbered cards, or simply number of fingers in the air.  The CWSEI site has multiple clicker related resources.
  • Consider incorporating some movement into your reporting out processes - students walk to the board or overhead to record something, group members stand up while their spokesperson is reporting, etc.
End of Activity
  • Have students reflect and share the 2 most important things they learned.
  • Even if you don’t finish the POGIL activity, take 5 minutes to review and summarize.
  • Ask - What was the most important thing you learned today?
  • Create a “Three things I learned today” form for students to complete.
  • 3,2,1  - 3 things I learned, 2 things I’m unclear about, 1 thing I still have questions about.
  • Ask - What was the muddiest point of today’s activity?
  • Make sure that you debrief before the students leave the room to make sure that everyone understands the key ideas before trying to do any HW.
  • Important to provide links for students if the POGIL terminology differs from their HW or textbook for a similar concept.
  • Have a ticket out the door or other exit slip question after a POGIL activity.
  • Use the last 5 minutes of class to highlight notes and summarizing main points of activity.
  • Always check for student misconceptions.
  • Remind students to refer back to key questions during homework.
  • Many teachers recommend the book Classroom Assessment Techniques

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The Mini-Lecture

Even in a student-centered classroom, there are times when a “mini-lecture” is necessary and appropriate. 

  • Use only on an as needed basis - not routinely.
  • Don’t just repeat what the kids already know.
  • Can be done in individual groups as well as with the whole class.
  • Use at a really important point for reinforcement.
  • Use at the Stop signs or Keys in the HSPI activities.
  • Use at points of total confusion when a group is stuck.
  • When the third group asks the same question, it’s time to stop everyone, drop the pencils and roll out the mini-lecture.
  • Be sure to bring the class back before beginning a mini-lecture.  Announce “Now we are going to have a mini-lecture” so students know what you are doing!
  • Use with factual content that cannot be deduced.
  • Use with demos that are used as models.
  • If using a mini-lecture during a POGIL, do so after the initial "Exploration" questions or at a “Read This” box.
  • Use at the end of a POGIL activity or to begin the next class.
  • Use to link POGIL to post activity assignments, homework or assessments.
  • Keep mini-lectures brief.
  • They are impromptu, so be prepared and aware of the topic and associated misconceptions.

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Pacing

Controlling the pace of a class filled with students working in groups is a skill POGIL practitioners strive to master.  Here are some suggestions to help get you started.

Within the activity
  • Determine set check points for the activity.
  • Facilitator should suggest number of minutes or a time to get to a certain question.
  • Have clear instructions with time limits to get to “X” question.
  • It’s good to set clear time expectations for each section / model of the activity. Ex - “You have 10 minutes to complete the first ____ questions.”
  • Make a 2 minute warning announcement to be at a stop sign.
  • With some classes, there may be a better flow when you let every group go at its own pace, but check at specific questions.
  • Clearly and consistently establish which questions need to be directed back to the group for discussion and which should be directed to the teacher.
  • Try writing comments on the board instead of saying them outloud, so there are fewer verbal "blips" in the work flow of the class.
  • Have students keep pen/pencil down until consensus answer has been reached and then everyone writes the same answer.
  • Don’t allow individuals within a group to rush ahead.
  • One of the roles, usually the Manager, should be in charge of time keeping for the group.
  • Circulate with a highlighter and make a mark on the Manager’s activity as a non-verbal cue.
Between groups

  • Use an ambassador from a faster table to help a table that is moving at a slower pace.
  • Split up a fast group to work as facilitators in slower groups.
  • Split up a slow group and send them to a faster group to ask questions.
  • Permit a “spy” to go from one group to another.
  • Reporting out helps control pace. When slower groups see another group posting an answer, they tend to speed up.
  • Groups influence each other which helps keep steady class pace and completion of activity.
  • Ask groups for quick feedback related to time/pace - What question are you on?   Ask Manager to indicate with 1, 3 or 5 fingers how much time is needed to get to the designated reporting out point.
  • Start a conversation in a fast group with the extension questions that requires deeper thinking to slow them down.
  • Use extension questions to slow down fast groups or for differentiation. If extension questions relate with specific models, redirect the group at the appropriate time.  For instance,  if you see them finishing the Model 1 questions quickly and you know the 1st extension question relates to Model 1, direct them to complete that question before they move on.
  •  Is a group slow because of management or because they are deep thinkers? 
  • Have a group that finishes write quiz questions for the next day.
  • Allow a fast group to begin homework.
  • Have a challenge / extension planned for faster groups.
  • Reading portions of the activity aloud helps keep the groups together and moving at a steady pace. 

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Student Groups

“What children can do together today, they can do alone tomorrow.”  L. Vygotsky, 1962

Most teachers have attempted some form of group work with students, with varying degrees of success.  The same is true for POGIL practitioners  - establishing effective cooperative groups can be a challenge!  Every classroom has its own unique dynamic; sometimes groups “click” and other times they “crash and burn”. We encourage you to sift through these ideas with your specific situation in mind - what has worked in one classroom may or may not work for you.   

  • Grouping is very individual and every class will be different.
  • Review research about cooperative learning and student groups.
  • The Cooperative Learning Institute is a good starting point for information and research about the benefits of cooperative learning.
  • In general, heterogeneous grouping is supported in the literature.
  • Most teachers use groups with 3 or 4 students.
  • Teachers report success with single gender groups, or 2 girls/2 boys, but avoid 3:1.
  • Observe social skill level of class to determine whether groups should have 4, 3, or 2 members.  Consider that lower skill students may need smaller groups.
  • Keep student reading levels in mind when making up groups.  You may need to consider smaller groups if the class is predominately low reading levels.
  • As a beginning teacher using POGIL, consider starting with pairs and work up to larger groups.
  • Teacher selected groups are typically recommended.
  • Rearranging completely dysfunctional groups is permissible.
  • Put quieter students in the middle of a group of 3 to enhance participation.
  • Avoid groups of 5.
  • Be careful not to have 3 good friends with an outsider.
  • Good friends are not always good group members.
  • If allowing self-selection, encourage students to choose their groups with an eye for selecting an “environment for success”.
  • When groups don’t work, frame it as information for future choices rather than as failure.
  • If you have a group of 3, someone must do more than 1 role.
  • Place “high” with “middle” and “middle” with “low” but not “high” with “low”.
  • Group the highest performing students together to prevent frustration and to allow students in other groups to have the opportunity for leadership.
  • Use the Test of Logical Thinking, available on developer Kenneth Tobin's website here  to help identify different types of thinkers.  Consider using this information to form initial groups.
  • Random grouping can work well, especially at the start of the school year.
  • Randomly assign groups to start, then, after you get to know students better or after the first test, change the groups.
  • Consider how often you re-shuffle groups.
  • It’s a good idea to keep groups the same for one quarter or so.
  • Keep the same group together for multiple activities, but switch roles.
  • Monitor group dynamics and tweak groups if necessary.
  • Some teachers report that female students work best if they are across from each other rather than side-by-side.
  • Have each group choose a team name.
  • Set clear expectations for full participation in the activity.
  • Equal pacing among group members is important.
  • Make sure students are using roles and everyone participates.
  • Integrate students as much as possible.
  • The group Manager must work hard to ensure that every voice is heard.
  • Help students become familiar with all roles.
  • Introduce/asses process skills after they have the roles under control, not immediately.
  • Personal relationships, both yours with your students and theirs with each other, will increase the student’s participation. 

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Classroom Management / Dealing with Challenges

  • Remind groups to read everything on the page.
  • Demonstrate and practice how to explore a model. Most students don’t have good observation skills.
  • Demonstrate and practice following instructions.
  • Preview non-science, formal language vocabulary with low level  / ESL readers before the activity.
  • Remember that struggling readers may also have lower social skills, so basic manners of listening without interrupting, working with a partner (not ignoring, saying please and thank you and being encouraging /not mean, etc ) may need to be instructed and practiced before taking on a POGIL activity. (see Interpersonal Effectiveness videos)
  • Students need to learn personal effectiveness before they can be effective in a role.
  • Emphasize working together, staying together (not working ahead with partners) and assigning responsibility for reading.
  • Students with IEP’s work well in POGIL groups - try using a volunteer reader in the group.
  • Roles cards with sample scripts allow autism spectrum students to succeed in group work invisibly.
  • Prepare students or groups individually to work with students with special needs.
  • ESL students need time to grow into the reader role.
  • Special Ed student may always be the reader because it is a role they can fulfill.
  • In some buildings there are intensive reading classes with highly skilled teachers who can help you structure reading tasks for the lowest levels of readers.  Use the resources available in your building!
  • Most buildings attempt to improve reading scores will have some type of reading strategies across the curriculum and these can be helpful to implementing POGIL as well.
  • Pre-teach or remind low level / ESL readers strategies for decoding multisyllabic words, scientific phrasing, underlining, key words, etc.
  • Set up a time for absent students to come in and work with others to make up activities.
  • Pair up absent students.
  • Absentee’s from all classes meet after school as a group.
  • Be prepared to move students due to absences.
  • Standing at lab stations can help with sleepiness at 7am.  You can choose to alternate full group reporting out with speaking from seats. 
  • When facing resistance from high achievers, make them aware that research says the best way to improve retention of information is to teach a topic, so they are helping themselves by coaching others.
  • Use closure questions with high achievers so they know they have learned something.
  • If you have several dominating students, try putting them together in one group so they can’t dominate all the groups in the class.
  • Be prepared to move students when necessary.
  • If you have one dysfunctional group, you might want to let it be.  By splitting it up, you might end up with 4 dysfunctional groups.
  • On rare occasions, it may be appropriate to have a student be his/her own group of 1.
  • Pull disengaged students aside and address.
  • Groups lose participation points if one group member is off task - encourage good peer pressure.
  • Have students rotate papers in a group after answering each question. 
  • Don’t allow one person to just “copy” all the answers.
  • Address change in student attitude as students transfer from traditional class and over time.
  • Students need to know that you are “all in”.
  • Model what you want students to get out of this work - name the process skills being used.
  • Students don’t need the answer key - do not give it out.
  • After an initial exposure period, most students accept POGIL rather than resist.
  • Grade class participation to hold students accountable.
  • Students build confidence from doing POGIL successfully.
  • Use standard effective classroom management techniques (such as proximity control and establishing routines).
  • Be sure the activities have reproduced cleanly and that all models are clear and readable.

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Process Skill Development

  • Have students reflect on process skills as well as content. The POGIL Instructor's Guide has good questions to stimulate discussion and reflection.
  • Ask for feedback on process skills from students and then have them self-reflect.
  • Choose one process skill, not directly written into an activity, to emphasize per activity.
  • Balance introduction of a new process skill / expectations for process skills with the difficulty of the content of the lesson (ie - easier content lesson is a good time to ask students to focus on a particular process skill).
  • Students need to evaluate how the group is functioning, measure its effectiveness.
  • For each activity, pick out at least one process skill that you want your reflector / analyst to observe and report on.
  • Use the “Process Analyst Report” form as one way to encourage focus on process skills.
  • Have students complete SII evaluations of process skills.
  • Have the Process Analyst give feedback to his/her team at a few points during the activity - stop signs, keys, specific questions.
  • Teacher walks around and prompts any individuals who are not on task, to encourage effective participation.
  • Develop interpersonal skills before starting POGIL activities.
  • Use the Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills videos to model desired behaviors.
  • Remind students about the transferability of process skills and how important process skills are in life.
  • Emphasize the value of process skills in the workplace.
  • Write content and process objectives on board for students, to ensure transparency and reinforce your expectations for growth in both areas.
  • Model politeness.
  • Include peer evaluations and feedback on process skills.
  • Emphasize teamwork!
  • Take every opportunity to point out the power and value of multiple perspectives.
  • Finishing first in the group is not the goal.
  • Stay on pace with peers.
  • Obtain agreement among group members.
  • Develop collective knowledge of the groups/class.
  • Reinforce the idea that reading everything aloud is important.
  • Notice how the groups process questions and tasks.
  • Encourage active engagement.
  • Encourage growth in communication skills during oral reporting out, class discussion and on written activities.
  • Problem solving - don’t be afraid of things you don’t understand.
  • Read the “Why” box in HSPI activities to make real world connections.
  • Develop compare & contrast skills.

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