Abstract
In this article, I describe several pedagogical tools used in my group processes course to help students understand how group processes contribute to inequality and how to effectively intervene on these processes. I pair experimental research with work in natural settings to help students trace the development of theories across levels of application and understand their usefulness outside the laboratory. I incorporate reading reflections and simulation exercises that encourage students to apply course material to their own group experiences and make abstract group processes and their consequences more visible for analysis and action. I use complex instruction to promote more equitable interactions in diverse student groups and to model the implementation of a theoretically derived status intervention. I use innovation labs to deepen these connections by asking students to apply group process theories to explain real-world problems, design theoretically derived interventions, and consider how their efficacy could be evaluated. Together, these practices help students develop a deeper understanding of theoretical mechanisms and their applications while learning to recognize and address inequalities in interactions, groups, and networks.
Recommended Citation
Rogers, Kimberly B.
(2026)
"From Awareness to Action: The Group Processes Course as Design Laboratory,"
Feminist Pedagogy: Vol. 7:
Iss.
4, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/feministpedagogy/vol7/iss4/5