Some teachers say students should be organized into group study. Others argue that students should be made to study alone. Discuss the benefits of both and state the more effective method in your opinion.
The debate over whether studying in group is superior to studying alone has long been in question and educational experts are deeply pided over this issue. From an objective perspective, Im strongly convinced that both methods have their own superiorities.
One of the major superiorities of group study is that it provides an environment in which students can exchange ideas with each other. It is well known that knowledge knows no bounds, so it is almost impossible for even an eminent1 professor at university to have a good command of everything, let alone an ordinary student. In consequence, students should be pided into different groups or classes so that they can communicate with, learn from and help each other.
Another obvious advantage of studying in group is that students have the opportunity to learn to socialize with others. Many sociologists point out that people in modern society are more isolated2 than those in ancient times mainly because they do not have enough opportunities to get alone with others. Under such circumstances, it is unreasonable3 to deprive the students of the chance to socialize by arranging them to study alone.
However, we should not overlook the fact that studying alone also has its unique merit----effectiveness. In a big class, TOP students might feel bored because the teacher does not give them enough material to learn whereas poor students might feel just the opposite because the teacher gives them too many materials to digest. In other words, the teacher usually slows down the rate of progress or reduces the content of his lesson in the light of students with lower ability.
Comparing the benefits of both sides, I deem group study more effective only if the class or group is not too big.
