Assessing Group Work
Group work can be difficult to assess.I feel it is the instructors responsibilty to assess each student individually when assigning group work. My children are in the state university system and they are sometimes asked to work in groups on projects. They are sometimes frustrated because most of the time some of the group member(s) don't complete their portion(s) of the project and they either have to complete the missing portion(s) themselves or have to suffer the lowered grade because that portion the other group member(s) did not complete.
Hi Mark - From your post it seems that one member of the team is not doing his share of the work. I recommend having a team survey of each other at regular intervals during the course of the project. Then, once you get the negative feedback it would warrant your speaking to that other student. Best wishes! Susan
During this term while teaching a Marketing principles class I have assembled 9 students into three groups to work on a project and presentation. In one area of assessment being the student's participation I am having no problems getting feedback from one particular group because two of the members are constantly complaining about the other. And what is so interesting I ask for benchmarks and deliverables and this team always have their materials on time. I try to encourage them to get a long and concentrate on the end product which has helped but I would love to know just how to keep down the strife within the group. Any suggestions?
I have to agree that lab group tasks are very challenging to assess as there is usually a slacker and one person does all the work.
HI Marien- Thanks for your post to the forum! Making sure that students understand that in group work they will also be assessed individually is essential. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career! Susan
I love group projects for so many reasons. However, assessing performance of each student is tough. I've altered how I do it frequently. Right now I'm using a rubric with comments that student fill out about their group members. students receive credit if they complete it thoughtfully and they receive a score based on how their group rates them and the comments they receive. I've also gone from doing this just at the end of the project to a few times during the process.
I agree with that Susan. When I started teaching, I had that problem when I assign assessment on group, some students did not did there work, but after I ask to do a journal about each person on the group, how did what and also stay in that that will be part of the grade, evaluating each other and been sure that everybody work, it improve a lot.
Hi Kristine-Thanks for your post to the forum. You do a great job assessing individuals doing group work. Thanks for sharing! Susan
I teach an online class in which a team project is required. Yes, assessing each student fairly is always a challenge! I let the teams know in advance that it's in their best interest to use the team discussion board (in the course software) for the bulk of their communication. This is the only place where I can go and evaluate the extent of each person's participation. The students also evaluate their teammates at the end and complete a progress memo midpoint in the project. Each student doesn't necessarily receive the same grade on the project. These things seem to put the students at ease from the beginning.
Hi Lindsay- I agree completely - with group projects periodic check-ins are really necessary for all of the reasons you mention. Best wishes- Susan
I completely agree that students need to evaluate each other at the end of a paper/project. In addition, instructors could have a policy where students would check in midway through the project with their instructor to evaluate group members. If there are any issues, the instructor could follow up with that student individually. I think this is necessary in some situations. Students doing a majority of the work could be frustrated, and if they just do the assignment themselves without cooperation with their team, this gives the student who didn't help at all at least a passing grade, which is not deserved!
I use a "peer" system myself. I tell the students that that will be a portion of the grade. This usually goes ok, but sometimes it's used by other students as a chance to "attack" another. I sometimes tell them I will throw out the high/low and average what's left.
Hi Gail - Thanks for mentioning the mileposts or checkpoints as students proceed on projects - ABSOLUTELY necessary! Best wishes- Susan
Yes Susan. I provide my students with an evaluation rubric where each student can evaluate each of their teammemebers with the same criteria. I also tell the students that a portion of their group grade can be based on these evaluations. This seems to motivate the students to participate.
An additional method is to have milestones or checkpoints throughout the project.
Group work is escpecially useful in simulaitng the work environment. Each member must be held accountable for their contribution. I find it helpful to grade team members both individually and collectively in addition to peer assessment.
HI Melissa - Here is some advice from a Miami Univ. of Ohio Professor that I have found useful. Best wishes - Susan
Hi Melissa - Here is an idea from a Professor at Miami Univ. in Ohio that I have found useful. Of course you would need to include this in the grading rubric for the project. Best wishes! Susan
Hello Susan,
Do you feel that this is always the best policy? Is it possible to to give individual grades in a group assignment?
Thanks,
Melissa
Hi Elizabeth- I also try to set up interval assigments that lead to completion of group projects. As we all know, procrastination is often a problem! Best wishes - Susan
Hi Susan,
I agree, I think the more information and organization on the project they better the class succeeds. In group projects I will assign particular assignments on a weekly basis to insure that the group project is being done.
