Study Groups That Work: A Step by Step System for Deeper Learning and Higher Grades

Tiffany Broussard is a learning design specialist and educator with over fifteen years of experience developing evidence based academic support programs in higher education. Her work focuses on translating cognitive science research into practical, accessible strategies that help students learn more effectively, regardless of their background or academic discipline.

Broussard began her career as a teaching assistant during graduate school, where she noticed a consistent pattern: students who studied collaboratively in structured groups consistently outperformed those who studied alone, even when the solo studiers had higher incoming grades. This observation led her to a decade of research and practice in cooperative learning, peer instruction, and study group design. She has designed and led study group training programs at three major universities, working with thousands of undergraduate and graduate students across STEM, humanities, and professional programs.

She holds a master's degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in Learning Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin, where her thesis examined the role of structured interdependence in small-group academic outcomes. She has presented her findings at conferences including the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL).

Currently, Broussard serves as Director of Academic Success Initiatives at a large public research university, where she oversees peer learning programs, tutor training, and first year transition support. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family and maintains an active presence on her blog, where she writes about learning strategies, study habits, and the science of academic success.