Academic How to create an efficient virtual reading group

Getting ready for classes is always at the back of my mind at the beginning of the semester. During my first semester as a graduate student in the IEDP program at Penn GSE, I was not only learning virtually but doing it from a different time zone. I felt overwhelmed with figuring out where the readings were for my courses, ensuring I had gotten the readings relevant for the week, completing the readings, and finally turning in any discussion posts/assignments due for the week all on my own.  Creating a reading group with peers in my courses allowed us to support one other in figuring all of this out.

Before starting graduate school, I was quite nervous about reaching out to my classmates to create a reading group. We know that the world of virtual learning brings with it the uncertainties of socializing and reaching out for support. To my pleasant surprise, I found classmates who are also interested in forming a reading group. Here is how we produced an efficient system that drove accountability, support, and fun!

1. Reach out and find classmates with common classes - A quick ask on the class chat group/zoom chat is a good place to start. A group of 4 students would be ideal in ensuring equal workload and increase the likelihood of finding matching times to meet. Once you find your peers, create a group chat on a platform such as Slack or Teams to help you coordinate and stay in touch. The Graduate Student Center has a Slack workspace that you can join to create accountability groups.
2. Pick a weekly time and stick to it – Based on the group’s common class schedules, find a time and day in the week when you can meet to discuss readings. Create a recurring calendar event for the entire term so that you do not have to decide on a new meeting time each week. You can use this weekly calendar from the Weingarten Learning Resource Center to schedule your meetings.
3. Come up with a process – As we began our meetings at the beginning of the semester, we realized that having a process before and during meetings helped ensure we all were on the same page regarding expectations. Start the meeting with a quick pulse check (read: venting about the pandemic and constant submissions).
   
   For our group, this involved
   - One member posting the list of readings from the syllabus on the group chat each week. Group members would then sign up for the readings they would take notes on
   - One member sending out the link and invite for the weekly group meeting,
   - One member ensuring the shared Notebook file on OneNote (free through your Penn account and great for making notes!) was updated before the meeting for everyone to review. Having notes to review before the meeting makes it easier to have an efficient meeting as everyone has a primal understanding of the topic for discussion. The meeting time can then be spent sharing questions, critiques, connections to other readings – making it a more enriching experience for everyone.
   
   This is something that worked for groups I was a part of, feel free to start with some fun question each week or a different process altogether.​​​
4. Rotational or fixed roles – Something that helped the reading group that I was a part of was having designated roles that would rotate within the group. These roles would involve overseeing the steps in 3). Having the rotational model ensured that everyone had equal say and responsibility in getting the work done.
5. Seek feedback and brainstorm ideas – As the term paper proposals and deadlines approached, having a group brainstorming session or hearing feedback from your peers is always helpful (and reassuring). As we are all studying in isolation and interacting through screens, having someone hear your ideas and help you build on proposals always helps! You can use this assignment breakdown template to help you get started.

The reading group helped me build a sense of belonging and community – something I crave while studying through a screen. It helped in ensuring I was in control of all the tasks expected from me and I didn’t miss any deadlines. The Weingarten Learning Resources Center has readily available templates and calendars that can help you and your reading group manage your tasks. I encourage you to start your own reading group today!