Making Group Work Effective and Enjoyable
CATE TA Workshops
September 9, 2026
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Location
Teaching excellence Building (TEB), Room 201
Address
924 South Morgan Street, Chicago, IL
Calendar
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Overview
Much of student learning happens through social interaction, and TAs play a key role in shaping those experiences. Whether you're guiding classroom discussions, leading a lab section or leading a lecture section, you can foster more effective collaboration by facilitating structured and inclusive group work. In this workshop, we'll explore how group work supports student learning and examine practical strategies for managing group dynamics. We’ll also reflect on previous experiences with group work to inform how to make collaborative learning in our classrooms more engaging and enjoyable for the students. We'll also consider ways to encourage student participation and accountability, even when you're not the one designing the activity. Come away with tools you can use to support productive peer learning in your own teaching context.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Describe how group work aids student learning while also making classrooms more manageable.
- Identify common group work challenges and brainstorm strategies to navigate them.
- Explore and adapt strategies to make group activities more engaging for students.
WORKSHOP FORMAT: This workshop will be held in the Teaching Excellence Building Room 201 (924 S. Morgan St)
WORKSHOP FACILITATOR: Katie Kruzan, kkruza3@uic.edu
WORKSHOP CONTACT: teaching@uic.edu
Inclusivity & Accessibility Information: CATE is committed to making events as accessible as possible. CATE’s in-person events typically involve a combination of presentation and discussion-based activities. We welcome ASL interpreters, note-takers, and accompanying assistants to all CATE events. The TEB is wheelchair accessible with an elevator to the second floor space. The TEB space is equipped with fixed-height tables that are moveable and can be reconfigured. There are single-occupancy, all-gender, accessible bathrooms on the second and basement levels of TEB. If you have any accessibility questions, requests, or to coordinate accommodations, please contact the CATE team at teaching@uic.edu.
Date posted
Aug 3, 2026
Date updated
Aug 3, 2026