What Touchstones Looks Like

The Four Stages of Group Development

A cornerstone of the Touchstones process is the awareness of the Four Stages of Group Development. Understanding this process and how it functions in a group can help discussion leaders to understand group behaviors and how and when to intervene to address them. Below is a brief explanation of these stages and video clips to demonstrate what discussions look like along this developmental process.

Discussion Group Formation

Stage 1: Participation

Students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas engage in their first discussion at the start of the Participation Stage.

Stage 2: Cooperation

Students at the University of Maryland Baltimore County engage in whole group discussion in their first semester as a group during the Cooperation Stage.

Stage 3: Active Listening

Students at Frederick Douglass Academy (NY) show they are moving toward more discussion leadership mid-year during the Active Listening Stage.

Stage 4: Shared Leadership

High school juniors in Cecil County (MD) Public Schools show their ability to lead the discussion themselves during the last marking period of the year in the Shared Leadership Stage.