Building better study habits: UTM’s facilitated study groups provide fun, social learning environment

Martin Carangal says his first year of university was “horrible.” His group of friends was a “bad influence” when it came to attending classes and his GPA suffered.

Now a high school math and science teacher in Halton Region teaching the very subjects he initially struggled with, Carangal (HBSc 2017) overcame that rough start in his second year after he realized he had to turn things around. He made new friends who, in turn, introduced him to the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre’s peer-led facilitated study groups (FSG).

“I wish I went to FSGs in first year because I had a great time in second year because of FSGs,” says Carangal, who graduated from U of T’s OISE in 2019.

The voluntary, drop-in study groups, led by upper year students who receive facilitator training, are designed to help students build proper study routines, explains Thomas Klubi, program manager and learning strategist at the skills centre. The groups help students improve skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, and “test wiseness,” as well as build an understanding of expectations. The groups have shifted to an online format this year, due to the ongoing pandemic.

Facilitators understand the culture, rhythms and paces of the course and can help their peers look beyond the due dates and mark distribution on the syllabus, Klubi continues. “A facilitator can say, pay attention to some of the things they’re building into the course in terms of course objectives and philosophy, the sequence of lectures, the connection between the side readings and lecture material, the guest speakers, when are the office hours and how to prepare for office hours.”

What facilitators don’t do is offer answers. They’re not there to teach, review material, do homework or offer feedback on essays. They instead help their peers become more effective at studying. “If a teaching assistant is a content expert, a facilitator is a course expert. They complement the other course resources,” Klubi explains.

He adds that the groups are basically a way to get students to study together, model proper study behaviour and learn to get the most out of an hour, working collaboratively.

Noting the facilitators were very good – he still keeps in touch with at least one – Carangal says, “They never told me I was right, but they affirmed my process.”

His experience was so positive, he became a facilitator and later a program assistant, overseeing other facilitators. In both roles he was given access to professional development – learning skills he now uses in his high school classrooms.

Linda Duong, who graduated from UTM’s concurrent teacher education program in 2016, knew about the study groups before she even started first year, thanks to her brother, who was a facilitator. She says the groups gave her an opportunity to meet new people and practice problems.

“FSG is different than class. It’s more social,” she recalls. “It really set up an environment where students can engage with each other, mentor each other and work on problems to solve together.”

Duong, who also became a facilitator and program assistant, says that in one session, another student shared a trick for memorizing the first 20 elements on the periodic table by sharing a “cute” story learned from a high school teacher.

“It showed me different ways to approach learning and that it can be an enjoyable experience,” says Duong, who now works at U of T’s Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.

Energized just by reminiscing about his time attending and facilitating study groups, Carangal doesn’t hesitate to encourage students to take advantage of the free program. “It’s a great place to network with upper year students and that alone is a great reason to attend,” he says. “It’s a great place to apply knowledge separate from self-review or trying to absorb it in a lecture. It’s a great place to meet other people and create that supportive friend group.

“Having a group of friends with the same goal or mindset is so important.”

For more information about facilitated study groups, how to access them and a schedule of available drop-in sessions, visit the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre website.