When instructor puts students in a group to work on project, its important that the instructor set the pace for the group and provide them clear giude line
I see the students grow and develop as they work in their groups. They want to represent their groups well and work together for success. Some of them who may not be the best students challenge themselves to do well. When they all work together well, the presentations are phenomenal. Teamwork is very important in their careers and working together in groups at this stage helps them to understand that concept.
Some of the educational outcome I witness from my students that work successfully within small groups are...
Conflict Management/Resolution
Collaboration
Team skills
Communication skills
Diversity experience
The majority of complaints I receive from students in relation to group projects surround...
They do not like having their grade dependent upon other people's work.
They do not like it when all group members do not take group work seriously.
Therefore, I have my small groups create team stewardship agreements which allow the group to make additional rules/expectations and establish penalties for non-compliance. Everyone in the group must sign.
Dr. Jeannette K. Jones
at the beginning of each class i will identify the students which have industry experience and suggest them as group leaders. it is then up to the indiv.groups to accept or choose their own leaders.
I find that participation greatly increases when students are put into groups-- they enjoy it! Cooperative learning is also so important. It builds all kinds of skills that they will need in the "real world."
I find the strong student in the full class will still dominate the group. I try putting the weaker student in the lead position and watch what happens.
When reviewing for a Mid-Term or Final, I divide the students into study groups and have them play Jeopardy. This makes them competitive and far more interested in the material.
I teach Culinary Arts, some projects lend themselves well to group work, however, I find that for the most part in tends to limit the student in thinking for themselves, and many times making their own mistakes. There are always students that want to do all the work in the group in order to make sure they get the best grades. Some students work better alone, and can truly grow when challened individually.
In my personal opinion,students benefits the most on learning groups by understanding the cultural diversity which is involved in it. They realize that in many work enviroments, students will have to share a desk, bench or office, and therefore work in teams or groups. They also realize that the final outcome as a group is more important than as a individual.By realizing the importance of shearing inforamtion towards a common goal, students develop better and stronger interpersonal skills.
By students working together in work groups I have offten seen students who were not too sure about how a project was to be completed, or had doubts about how it was to be completed have the light bulb come on ! (oh yea.......I got it now)it seems to make it better for the students who do not quite get it and also allows the student who does understand to help out !
Having learned students learning abilities, One student in general very quiet and to himself. Did not want to interject outloud in class. But when it came to doing our drawings in class as team He opened up when he reallized He wasn't alone
Being in the mtorcycle field has made this a hard topic having a aray of experience, from none to almost expert.I have seen the slower students sit back and watch and learn which I think works for them because they stay focused on the task at hand.The more experienced ones sometimes need a little reminder that it's not their show and to let others get involved.By being a sort of traffic cop and monitoring the flow of things I see even the shy people getting active.
Hi Todd! I very much apprecaite your observations and hope that our forum participants will review your points - excellent examples of an interactive classroom.
On the individual grade challenge, I know that some instructors, when limited by resources and dependent upon evaluating group work, have used assessments like brief written assignments, rubrics, checklists, etc. to help with the individual grading.
Thanks again,
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
Bravo! Bravo!! What a wonderful example, Kristin, of an interactive learning activity that not only engaged the subject, but developed critical skills as well. I am excited that you were able to use a technique or follow a suggestion from another participant in the forum. I hope that all of our ED106 participants will visit the different discussion posts.
Thanks!
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
From your post, Wayne, "Some groups work well together some don’t. Either way I believe it’s a good lesson on working in a group toward a common goal"
...and such a realistic lesson in regards to survivng the workplace. You're right, each group has its own dynamics and approaches tasks at hand different ways; just as long as the team's desired outcomes, expectations, and ground rules are well defined.
Thanks for your input!
Jay
ED106 Facilitator
We frequently work in groups; I allow them to develop their own dynamics within the group. Some groups work well together some don’t. Either way I believe it’s a good lesson on working in a group toward a common goal.
One of the best experiences I ever had with group work was when I had students work together to present a lesson to their classmates! This was an idea another instructor who shared teaching duties with me in this module suggested. I was not very excited about it at first. I was concerned that the students might not be able to present the information accurately or in enough depth. Boy, was I WRONG! Our students not only put together AMAZING presentations that I still use to this day, but the whole class really bonded over this. These students gained far more than experience in researching and sharing information...they formed a strong, lasting network that they utilized to obtain employment and provide one another with support during the early stages of their career.
I am always trying to find new group-work assignements, role-playing exercises, etc. These can also really help a quiet non-participant to open up and thrive!
Kristin
I agree. I often use learning groups to get the students to evaluate the purposes of modern electronic engine management systems, and while I assign the groups I allow the members to assign responsibilities within each group and clear it with me. The students quickly figure out who will be their spokesperson, who will be best suited for research and who will provide written documentation. They expore the subject, each within their own learning style.
I then have each group present their information and have the rest of the class evaluate their performance, which of course, I reserve the right to modify. It seems to be an effective way of learning and having the students form cooperative positions within a group.
I have long ago learned however not to allow the students to chose their own groups, because in most cases their motives are purely social rather than learning oriented.
Another note; I would like to be able to base the students' evaluation on individual achievement rather than on group achievement, but our lab excersizes are restricted to group activities and individual grading is very difficult. Because of lack of training aids, time and equipment, up to 70% of their lab grades is based on group performance. I still make every effort to focus on individuals within each group to offer a more fairly based grade that reflects each individual's achievement.
Regards,
Hi, Brian, true, larger groups often get off track more easily with some members just going along with the flow. I have found through teaching and training that an optimum group size is 4 to 5, depending on the activity or desired outcome. Agree?
Thanks,
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Lois! Thanks for your comments! These are good examples of the value from utilizing student learning groups.
Just curious, how would you approach the situation where the topic is new to all students in the group? How might you keep them on track?
Jay Hollowell
ED106 Facilitator
