Social Learning: Deciding to Host a Study Group

We all have a basic human need to connect with others. Spending too much time alone is detrimental to our emotional, spiritual and psychological well-being. We're all aware of this, and so we make an effort to get out and meet people. As parents, we arrange "play dates" for our children and take them to social gatherings. As homeschoolers, we actively pursue opportunities for meeting and keeping in touch with other homeschooling families. Usually, friendship and a sense of community are the main goals, but there's an added benefit: "social learning," or learning through collaboration and discussion within a group. Studies have shown that learning with others is good for our intellectual development. As John Seely Brown and Richard Adler write in their article, "Minds on Fire" (Educause, 2008):

". . . our understanding of content is socially constructed through conversations about that content and through grounded interactions, especially with others, around problems or actions. The focus is not so much on what we are learning but on how we are learning."

What does this mean to us, as educators? It means we need to remember that studying and socializing are not necessarily separate things to be done at separate times. Like chocolate and peanut butter, they go better together. It isn't enough for kids to get together to play after all their studies are done. They also need opportunities to learn with, and from, each other.


My first experience as a group facilitator was modest. I invited a handful of parents and their children (ages ranging from 5 to 12) to my home for an hour or two of singing. I was keenly aware of my lack of expertise as a choral director or vocal coach, but it didn't seem to matter very much. When I was unsure of a melody, others were willing to step in and lead. Most of the time, my eldest daughter or one of the other moms—or both—provided guitar accompaniment. When they weren't available, I plucked out tunes on the piano or we sang a capello. Everyone contributed new songs for us to learn until we had a large repertoire collected in a folder. On a few occasions, we bravely attempted to perform at a senior center, but that wasn't our strength or even our primary goal. The pleasure of singing and being together reigned supreme. Over time, we lost a few members and added some new ones, but for several years the group continued to meet weekly.

A few years later, I offered cooking and sewing classes for my daughter and group of her friends. We decided to focus on international cuisine and Renaissance costumes. For the cooking classes, we devoted an afternoon to preparing a balanced meal, which we then enjoyed for dinner. For the sewing classes, our goal was to assemble one or more garments to be worn at local Renaissance fairs (a passion for them at the time). I provided basic instruction, assistance upon request, and ample time for trial and error. We laughed at our mistakes (making pies together was especially memorable), ate very well, and proudly wore the finished costumes at the end of the year. The experience was truly unforgettable, for me and for them.

It took me a few more years to work up the courage to start offering classes in more traditional academic subjects at the high school level. By then, I had friends who were willing to co-teach the courses with me, and the students were old enough to work with us to select the content and design the format. The social learning experience has enriched my understanding of the subjects as much as theirs. I have been amply rewarded for every hour I have invested in reading, writing and preparing the courses, and the feedback I've received from the students has been wonderfully supportive and positive.

If you've been on the fence, wondering whether the time is right for you to facilitate a group learning experience for your kids and their friends, I hope you will be persuaded to give it a try. What are you waiting for?