As you’re well aware, we’re all in some pretty strange times. With students joining online classes and adjusting to a new way of life, everyone needs to adapt. One of the biggest changes is how students engage in studying.

Just a year ago, classmates could organize study groups to go over difficult material and ask each other questions. While it’s still possible to do that, students need to move online. If you’ve never done that before, though, how exactly do you go about putting the perfect group together? Well, there are a few important factors to keep in mind.

Select a Moderator

If you didn’t already know, video calls with multiple people can get messy. Even in everyday conversation, we often talk over one another. So, to eliminate all that, select an appropriate moderator to keep things in line. Keep the conversation organized, focus on the agenda, and don’t let people speak over anyone. You can also share the role every week so everyone gets a turn and the duties don’t fall on one person.

Set an Agenda

To keep things on track, have an agenda in place as well. This responsibility can also be passed down each week. Here are just a few items you should consider including each week:

• have opening statements to let everyone know what you’ll talk about
• make sure everyone gets a proper amount of time to talk
• wrap up with closing statements before everyone logs off

An agenda assures that the conversation doesn’t lull or drift completely off course. Do yourself a favour and send each group member the agenda in advance as well.

Choose the Right App

Not everyone has the social apps that you do. So, if you have Slack but someone else only has Skype, you’ll need to choose which platform you want to connect on. Contact your group members and figure out which platform would be best. You may also want to do your own research into which apps are best for the number of people you’ll have.

Be aware that if someone hasn’t used the app you choose before, you’ll need to teach them. Spend some time (or write a document) explaining the basics off the app if you think it’ll help them. You want your group members to feel comfortable and have the basic know-how so they don’t get tripped up each week.

Have a Separate Email Folder

To keep from losing your hair, separate all study group files into its own folder. Store all important data in its own place so you can retrieve any files someone might need down the road (including yourself).

Wrapping Up

Having an online study group will take some time to adjust to, but soon it’ll be second nature. Find the right people, appoint a moderator, and keep talking points relevant with an agenda beforeh