At the start of the semester, I introduced base groups by organizing students according to their majors. These groups served as consistent discussion teams, fostering a sense of familiarity and academic camaraderie. Each class began with a check-in question, allowing students to share personal updates and engage in low-stakes discussions related to the day’s topic. This routine helped establish a welcoming and interactive classroom culture.

Midway through the semester, I reshuffled the base groups, encouraging students to connect with new peers while maintaining the structured discussion format. This adjustment prevented over-familiarity, which can sometimes hinder dynamic exchanges, and ensured that students benefited from fresh perspectives.

To reinforce the educational rationale behind base groups, I designed a dedicated class slide explaining their purpose from an educational psychology perspective. This not only provided students with a clearer understanding of the strategy but also modeled how research-based pedagogical approaches can be applied in real learning environments.

By implementing and adapting base groups, I aimed to balance stability and novelty in student interactions, ultimately enhancing engagement, collaboration, and classroom discourse.