Group Projects
How to get certain students to work in a group when he/she is used to working by themselves?
Hi Mary,
In response to your question I have meetings with my groups as they work through their assignments. I ask each member to brief me on where they are at. This lets me know if everyone is carrying their own weight in terms of work. These meetings are very brief and occur when I give the groups work time. I can tell very quickly if someone is not doing the work. I encourage them and try to get them going if they don't I pull them out of the group and they don't receive any points for the project. I have had very good response to this method because they know I know they are not doing the work so they get on the ball and get it done so the total project is completed successfully.
Gary
Hi, Gary-
If you assign each student "some part of the work" in a group project, what do you do when one person does not do their part? If someone else in the group does that person's share, how do you reward them if there is no extra credit involved?
Ruth mentions allowing students to choose who is on their team, which I have found to be very productive. Oftentimes, students have worked on past group projects together; therefore, they know who they can count on.
Denise and Shajan both mention they use an evaluation sheet to allow students to grade each other on the group portion. I do this too, sending out the evaluation sheet early in the game. This also serves to motivate team members to do their share. I do, however, make sure I let all students know I have the final say on the score :-)
I also have students work on group projects, and pick groups randomly the very first day by doing a drawing for each project type or title. I have the class help to grade presentations, and have the group identify roles they played in working together both positive and negative, and grade each other on their progress. This gives students the opportunity to give feedback (and we talk about feedback/constructive criticism) while lending a voice to the process they experienced.
I run into the problem of dominating students too, but my main issue with group projects is, since I teach in a creative field, that the group relies too heavily on the student who they perceive to be the most creative. It's hard to spot when this is happening though. I usually don't find out until the final critique and realize the entire project is in the style of one person.
Hi Shajan,
These are the same results that I have gotten in evaluating individual efforts in a group setting. I like to use learning groups and it does take some effort to evaluate each student but I have found the results well worth it.
Gary
This is something I have done in the past as well. It's not easy going through everyone's comments as I ask why they would give their group member a certain grade. But knowing that you are being evaluated by your peers, does help push them to work a bit more as they now know that even if the instructor isn't able to see all that's going on, someone else is watching.
Hi Ruth,
There are many types of group methods. So you need to try and create groups that are effective for everyone involved. I have had great success with the assigning of students to groups randomly. By having the expectations laid out clearly I have not had any problems with the dominate student in the group taking over. I monitor the groups carefully so I can make sure that everyone is contributing and getting something from the process.
Gary
This is a good approach and may reduce the dominance of some Students.However, Students who work well to gether learn better when they chose their group partners than when they are forced to work with Students they do not know. Assigning Students to groups so that they can become friends could caouse that dominance spirits to Students who may perceive new Studes as being incapable to participate in a way that will earn a good grade for the group.
The Dominant Student will take over the project so that he/she can make the grade for him/herself.
Dominance dsuring group activities is a major challenge to Instructors. What I find to be helpful to me is to asign each Student his/her part. I make it clear that even though this is a group participation, the grading process will evaluate each participant based on his/her content, presentation style, desruptive behavior during the presentation. I also ask every group member to reprot those dominance and disruptive behaviors to the Instructor to that he/she can talk to the Student with thos beahaviors.
All projects in my classroom are group oriented, make sure to pick students that dont normally work together so the whole class can become friends
I have students in a group fill out a sheet that lists what grade they feel the other members of their group should receive. I notify them in advance that we will be doing this. This helps each student to become motivated within the group.
Hi Barbara,
I make the assignments in the group work where each student has a contribution to make. I talk with each group and let them know how the team is going to operate. When someone takes over I move to that group and through questioning draw the other members of the group into the session. If the dominate one keeps on I will put that person out of the group for an activity and that allows the remainder of the group to get their work done. I also talk with dominate students and let them know they have to let others contribute as well. This discussion generally solves the problem.
Gary
I carefully assign groups and force those students to push through his/her discomfort.
My biggest challenge is dealing with students who tend to dominate group activities and do not give other students an opportunity to participate. Thoughts?
Hi Nathaniel,
The key to work groups is the work assigned. Make each student responsible for some part of the work and then combine those efforts into an end product. This way you will be showing students how they can work together for mutual benefit. This is going to be essential when they are in the work world.
Gary
