Soundbooth Plus | Grouping Module

The teacher console has a grouping module incorporated in it. This interacts with the student module so that a list of all the members of a group are listed on each group member’s screen.

There can be up to 15 groups with unlimited numbers in each group. The size of groups is totally at the discretion of the teacher and groups can be of differing sizes. Students can be added to groups or they can be removed and added to another group.

Grouping feature showing two groups in pairs

Mode of operation

When students log in and select their teacher a list of their names appears on the teacher screen. If group working is required the teacher selects students by clicking on their name in the teacher module and a right click on the mouse brings up a ‘Join the group’ option.

The group is automatically numbered and coloured and the selected students are placed in a table with the group number and an identifier of the number of students in a group against each student’s name. Large buttons are placed alongside each group to make it easy for a teacher to either listen in or join a discussion.

Additions to the group

Additional students can be dragged and dropped into the group. To remove a student from a group a right click on the name gives an option ‘Remove student from group’. The student is then placed at the bottom of the list to either work individually or be attached to another group.

New groups can be formed at any time and all groups can be collapsed at once.

Anonymously listen in or join a group discussion

The teacher can listen to any group anonymously or join in speaking with a group, when the teacher name appears in the group list on students’ screens. A teacher can also talk to all students logged in to the lesson.

The normal functions of the teacher module are available and so indicators that a student is either listening or recording are shown on the teachers screen and additionally a green indicator shows when a student is speaking.

Ability to record any or all audio

Each student can record any part of the role play or discussion and can pause/restart or stop recording at any time. The recording will include all spoken input from other members of the group and items within group lessons are identical to normal class working where graphics, instructions and stimulus material are included in items so students know exactly what they have to do.

Soundbooth Plus grouping can be used in many ways. For simple role plays where an item contains a description members of the group can take it in turns to act out a scenario. Where a school has language assistants there can be concurrent small groups running each mentored by an assistant.