I think they should be penalized but I haven't figured totally how to do that yet. I am finding more and more that the students who do all the work are not trusting that the other students will do thier work or they are perfectionists and don't know how to let go.
I like your stewardship agreement. I think I will implement. I see the same complaints you have. I have students presenting a group presentation for a speech class. I tell them up front it is as much about how they work in a group as it is about the presentation. I have them create an assignment list and sign off but yours sounds better. Right now I am trying to design a group project where every member of the group will teach something to the others in the group. Example: If you are good at outlines, you are not allowed to create the outline but you are allowed to teach the others how to create an outline and so forth. I haven't worked out all the kinks yet. Right now I am thinking of getting former students to help me design this group project.
Most of my students enjoy the group experience. They learn to look at a problem in different ways based on the experiences, values, cultures and backgrounds of the group members.
As we all know, when teams gel, the end results can be magnificent. When they do not gel, the whole team process can be agony for all involved. Most of the time in the "agony cases," in my college on line teams, a small amount of intervention on my part takes care of any problems. However, there are times when communication problems between team members will not go away. Other than removing the "problem" team member from the group, any suggestions? I do hate breaking up teams, but at times I have seen no other option.
some of the older students feel more of a connection with the other students by sharing thier lifes challanges so far
Student learning groups work great, they feed off each other and learn more. The only draw back is if they don't get along.
For some, it's about feeling part of a team. Group work has to be one of the hardest goals to accomplish.
How much time should be given to group activity? Any general rules?
A cosmoploitan approach to learning, using diff pounts of view, eliminates stagnant ideas and creates challenging new ones.
You can get students involved more, and they get more work done. They feel good about it.
Jay,
thanks for bringing this point to our discussion board. I am a big fan of study groups and I always encourage students to form them. Students learn from each other in the groups and they learn by explaining the material to each other. They are less embarrassed to ask questions in a small group then in front of the entire class. It works really well in getting ready for the exam or test. I am looking forward to see what other advantages are there for study groups.
Irina
To me, students learn best when they are actively involved in the process. The students in a group must perceive that they "sink or swim" together, that each member is responsible to and dependent on all the others, and that one cannot succeed unless all in the group succeed. Knowing that peers are relying on you is a powerful motivator for group work. This has worked best for me.
Brandy
Some educational outcomes that I have experienced through the use of student learning groups are establishing and maintaing solid communication techniques such as ice breakers. Another outcomes invlolves tailoring individual tasks to fit the skills of each group member.
Team work or group work ~ the ability to work in a team and communicate. I typically choose my student groups randomly and ask students to rate their own performance and the performance of each group member. This aids in student accountability and responsibility. I have found that students tend to be honest in rating their own performance. I use their ratings and the overall group performance to compile a numerical grade. I believe students can grow through the learning experience of team work. Everyone must contribute in order for the team to be successful. It is also a great reflection exercise. Effective communication is key to all team performance.
Sometimes students like voluntary groups to help grasp basic course concepts, but more often they do so based on common interests or goals. For example, a number of students wanted to learn how to use MS OneNote, a note taking program. This was student intiated, and resulted in more effective organizing of research materials in the individual course research project.
What I'm wondering is how to achieve a balance between instructor interest and intervention in such groups. Should he/she get involved from time to time, or just nudge the group along as needed?
When students are allowed to discuss openly with their peers, they tend to share and leatrn more.
By sharing and engaging these ideas, you can then foster a more productive and enriching learning environment.
One of the problems that I have experienced with a student learning group is that not all students contribute to the project leaving one or two dedicated students with all of the work. This is where peer evaluation can identify the slacker and ensure that the students who prepared the work are rewarded. However, do you think that there should be points allocated for the success of the group dynamic? In this case, the the students who did all of the work would be penalized.
clearly, students that are placed in small learning groups benefit from the diversity of the group.....In our particular environment we are fortunate to have many students from different cultural as well as academic backgrounds, and this facilitates in the learning process. Moreover, the team members of the groups act as there own oversight committe so to speak to actualize the completion of projects.
As an instructor, I find that I am forced to organize information when I have to teach it, which enhances my overall understanding of the material. I think the same thing happens when students have to organize themselves in a group, and divide and prioritize the material, and decide how it all fits together.
