Group sorts and grids are categorization exercises. “[C]ategorization is regarded as a process of determining what things ‘belong together’, and a category is a group or class of stimuli or events that so cohere” (Zentall, Galizio, & Critchfield, 2002, p.237).
With the group sort and grid active learning technique, students practice understanding concepts by organizing pieces of information into set categories. In this activity, students sort specific terms by placing them into different categories or into the blank cells of a grid.
Watch this short video for an explanation and examples of teaching with Group Grids [2:08]:
Uses
Good for introductory-level courses
Good for students learning new terms and building schemas to understand the field or discipline
Provides a visual way to introduce and explain new terms in a mini-presentation
Helps to clarify terms and develop categorization skills during participatory practice
provide a pre- and post-assessment in class
Helps students to remember information to prepare for quizzes and exams
Provide students with a grid with columns and rows that consist of pre-set categories. Explain each category briefly to ensure students understand.
Provide a scrambled list of terms, names, equations, images, or other items that belong in the different categories. Review or explain each term briefly to ensure students understand them.
Model an example, providing a rationale for the decision. This can include a description of why it fits in one category/grid space, or why it doesn’t fit in other categories/grid spaces.
As a class or in teams, students sort the items into the correct categories or grid categories.
Debrief the categorizations with the class. Post a completed grid for students to review later.
Use simple 2-column grids with broad categories to examine a particular topic or concept, such as pros and cons, costs and benefits, advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, cause and effect, fact or fiction, etc.
Provide students with an empty grid, and ask teams to use them to create their own grids using information from the course
Use images instead of words
When students are familiar with the activity, they can be asked to complete a group grid before class (as an “entrance” ticket) or before they leave class (as a post-assessment “exit” ticket).
Adapting to Different Modes
Delivery Mode
Adaptations
In-Person
Create categories or a grid on the board. Write terms on sticky notes. Have students in teams sort the terms by placing them on the board spaces. Debrief answers.
Synchronous Online
As a whole group, screenshare the table with categories or a grid in PowerPoint. Write terms in square shapes. Ask students to make suggestions to sort the terms, and you move them into the spaces yourself. Send students into breakout rooms, and have them used a shared collaborative doc with the categories or grid and the terms. Ask students in breakout groups to sort the terms and place them in the table spaces. End breakouts, and in main group debrief answers.
Asynchronous Online
Create a sorting activity using H5P or eConestoga. Share the URL for the activity, and set a timer to give students time to complete the activity on their own.
References
Barkley, E. F., Major, C. H., & Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Zentall, T., Galizio, M. & Critchfield, T. (2002). Categorization, concept learning, and behavior analysis: An introduction. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. 78. 237-48. 10.1901/jeab.2002.78-237.
Elan Paulson
Elan Paulson, PhD, has been an educator in Ontario's higher education system since 2004. Before joining Conestoga as a Teaching and Learning Consultant, Elan was on the executive team at eCampusOntario. She previously served as Program Director and as an instructor in professional education programs at Western University's Faculty of Education. With a Master's in Educational Technology, Elan specializes in technology-enabled and collaborative learning to support diverse learners. She has also conducted research on faculty participation in communities of practice for professional learning and self-care.
