Student Accountability in Group Projects
I believe that when grouping students together it is crucial that you ensure that all students are assigned roles and contribute as equally as possible. Otherwise, the group dynamics will not allow for student engagement in the activity.
Steven `,
I agree that this is a great technique & if the groups are together on more than one project this role can be rotated.
Dr. Ryan Meers
One of the ways to keep the strongest or most knowledgeable student from completing the task or project by her/himself is to make one person in every group the project manager. This will endure that everyone gets a change to get involved as well as allowing the student who is the project manager to demonstrate he or she has mastered the material.
It most certainly can be a challenge working on group projects, as there are those students who take charge, and there are those students who are quite shy and sit back not wanting to contribute much. One way I deal with this is to assign each student in the group a specific subset assignment, and them have them come together to present their project to the entire class as a whole. This way everyone gets to shine.
Kasey,
I agree that we need to make sure that each student is learning what they can while realizing they must drive the learning themselves.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I advise people to use caution when they assign roles to students in groups. Oftentimes, the roles provide different students with different opportunities to learn. Thus, some students may not be learning what they should be learning, whilst others are getting more out of it than expected. This unbalance can lead to extremes of student success and student failure.
In the end, it typically comes down to which students want to actually learn. The ones who want to learn and succeed will typically do whatever it takes, including dragging along the other group members. Students must be motivated themselves in order to succeed. The groups can lead to a hostile learning environment quickly. It is easy to contain a spark when it is a spark; the forest fire is not as easily quenched.
The difficulty in providing individual accountability in a group setting is one that many students are aware of - and use to their own advantage. The whole concept of groupthink (going along with others despite personal disagreement), social loafing (letting others do the work because the will), and a general complacent demeanor all become painfully obvious to those who choose to use these hurdles.
I find that if I require a Team Charter created by the students that outline goals, conflict resolution processes, assignment responsibilities, and so forth - they have a greater sense of accountability for their actions within the group. I also perform several 'milestone checks' throughout the group project to see how the team is progressing and who is doing what. Finally, I have each member of the group assess themselves and each group member on specifric criteria including communication, attendance, assignment completion, etc. I use these assessments to gauge what individuals are doing as percieved by their peers - and if it aligns with my own observations.
I find when people are given clear, measurable criteria that they will be assessed by - there seems to be a better outcome by individuals in the groups.
Groups are a necessary evil with evil being the key word. In my college classes you have the 1% that contributes just enough and refuses to do anything more. Then you have the alpha's that want to run the show ignoring others input. I work at a technical school in live labs with 30 students in 10 groups. It is a difficult task insuring all are contributing equally to the workload and one I find time consuming and frustrating. Although I am forthright in telling them that contribution is 33% of their grade and I hold them accountable. You would not believe the arguments on grade day when they see their scores.
Sherri,
I agree, help them to find those roles that are key & determine who would be the best fit. Part of the learning process.
Dr. Ryan Meers
