The Open University Students Association (OUSA)
in the West Midlands

 

Self Help Groups (SHG)

What is a Self Help Group (SHG)?

It is exactly what is says - a group of students who get together to discuss their course material, related items and, possibly, other things.

What are SHG's for?

Whether it is because the students

Whilst some students may have difficulties in one part of the course and be helped by others, in another part of their studies it may be the other way around.

How is a SHG formed?

The easiest way is to speak to the other students at your tutorial or, if you are quick enough, at the Introductory Evening before the courses start. In addition, the tutor has a list of all the students who have agreed to release their names and addresses. Swap your details with each other and arrange a time and place to meet. If you have phone numbers, you may decide not meet an djust to ring each other. Normally, SHG's meet regularly. One SHG, on a foundation course who had tutorials once or twice a month on a Monday, decided.to meet every Monday. This kept the continuity going - when there wasn't a tutorial there was the SHG.

How about a virtual SHG?

Use our Bulletin/Message Board or FirstClass to meet people on the same course. Enrich your understanding of the course material by becoming a SHG or just a Study Buddy (Thats another person on the same course; as against a group). If there is a demand for a special board for a particular course then this can be organised.

Where do SHG's meet?

Anywhere that suits most people. A pub, your local study centre or a members home - the list is endless. You can book study rooms at the Regional Office as well. Remember that you may have to spread your paperwork out and therefore need large tables. A busy pub on a Friday or Saturday evening may not be the best option.

Organising your first meeting

Get together after the tutorial and arrange the first meeting. The date, a time and a venue.You may have a topic to discuss already or you may leave the decision on that until the meeting. The topics and the way that the meetings are organised (if they are formally organised) will depend, to some extent, on the subject matter. A Social Science meeting will be quite different froma Maths meeting.

The OU suggest that all the members of the group prepare for the first meeting in the following way:

  • remind yourself of the first unit (which you will have already read)
  • write down what you consider to be the gist of the unit in a few sentences and without refering back to the books
  • note the points that you found most difficult.
  • write down the most interesting points
  • note your general reactions to the unit
  • write down the references for any sections that you did not understand

Take the notes with you and pair up with someone else - preferably a stranger, so that you are extending yout range of contacts in the SHG..

Suggested activities

Working as a pair.

  • compare notes
  • see if you can clear up any difficulties for each other
  • jointly draw up a list of points you want to discuss
  • agree on 3- 4 sentences that give the gist of the first unit
  • decide on the key concepts in the unit

Small group discussion

  • decide as a group what you are going to try and cover and the order
  • discuss the points
  • recap occasionally
  • identify key concepts by comparing your lists
  • compare the gist sentences from you work in pairs
  • towards the end of the meeting produce a summary of the main issues

This is quite a formal approach and many SHG's just talk around the recent parts of the course or the next assignment. An important note here is that it is not cheating to discuss assignments as long as your submitted assignment is your own work. You could safely discuss:

  • the meaning of the question
  • the approach to answering it
  • the background

Many students have found SHG's a great help in the past. Give them a go.

This information has been based on material produced by the Open University, East Midlands Region, Social Science Bulletin (1990)