Hi Eileen!
Yes, I agree that very clear instructions and expectations should be given prior to the group process. I also think that students should understand what the group process is and how it should work as well as the expected results.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Adel!
I totally agree! Somehow we have to help students understand that balance in any group/team activity leads to the best outcomes.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
In the past, it has been my experience that the groups can be so diverse (at different levels), it is difficult to work with all of them. So now when I assign a group project, I try to make sure each group has a strong leader or two to make sure the group stays on task. Otherwise, I have seen a group project turn into a social experience.
The other way I deal with this is to make it clear there will be a grade for this project, it will count and lay out the parameters up front.
Hi George!
Good point! I think that we often forget the real value of group work because it can be so difficult to get students connected.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED1-6 Facilitator
I think it's just as easy for students who are overachievers to steamroll the weaker students. Then the weaker students get stuck with the easy tasks while the stronger ones take care of the planning and detail work, and no one ends up learning anything new. I think monitoring what the weaker students are learning and being involved in is just as important as not letting one person get stuck with all the heavy work.
Because our school is culinary, a lot of the work we do needs to involve students being able to measure and weigh things on their own because they are tested as individuals. When they work in groups, they tend to pick one person to do the weighing and measuring so that when its testing time, they dont understand how to do it properly
As a librarian and outsider to the classrooms, one major challenge that I face is getting instructors be motivated to use group work since if an instructor has not used this technique a lot or at all they tend to be reluctant to this practice.
Possibly, having too much socialization and not enough actual subject activity. In that case, you might have to re-direct them, or maybe ask a question about progress to get them back on task.
I find that it is difficult to get equal participation from all members of the group. However, many instances have shown that a student who is also being evaluated by their peers, not just their instructor, will rise to the occasion and preform as well or better than anticipated.
Great observation & thanks for the story. The vast majority of our students will be working in a team environment so these groups can help learn, as you said, to deal with a wide variety of people.
A challenge that I find is one I dealt with as a student: being a perfectionist and wanting to control everything, and having to give some of that up in a group setting. I remember the frustration of working with others who were less committed that me. But I also think that some group work is valuable, inasmuch as it gets students used to working with a variety of people and forces them to cooperate, build interpersonal skills, and compromise--all skills needed as an adult in the workforce.
Great points Ann. I too teach future leaders & one of the things I consistently try to reinforce is that to be a good leader you must first learn to be a good follower. Not sure how far that goes, but it's a great principle.
Ryan
The most common problem is that there is always 1 person who no one wants to work with because the "are carried by the others:. I find this in every single class.
Pesonalities are the other problem. I teach people who will some day be leaders and alot of them already work in the field, so they are naturally strong willed.
the third issue I have is that each student wants to "do it myself".
If my class is small enough, I try to let them "do it for themself" and I like to point out that some things are meant to be done in teams because of the work load. Working in a kitchen is a team "sport" and no one person can do it alone.
Keeping the group on track can be challenging. It's easy for a group to get side-tracked and it turning into a social gathering. Also there may be students that start to dominate the group and alienate other members.
I believe that one of the major challenges that faces an instructor when creating cooperative and collaborative learning groups is group conflict. I also feel that learning to overcome group conflict and learning to work together is one of the most important benefits. I don't think it is something that necessarily comes naturally to all people and it is the instructors responsibility to guide individuals within the group by teaching them certain skills such as praising others or taking turns for equal participation and shared decision making. Each week the instructor could emphasize one of these techniques to help develop group work.
I find that may students resist group projects or the concept of working together. It is an oxymoronic idea to dislike group work, because in life we work with others. The difficulties are insuring that all students are contributing. In many cases the non committed students relies on the backs of others. To counter this, I look at the grades and place the achievers with other achievers and the non achievers with other non achievers. The net results are usually the poor study group raises to the occasion or they fight among themselves as to who will do the work. I use this as a teachable moment and point out the needs to work together. I show them the results of not working as a team. This usually works.
Hi Stacy!
I agree! I think it is a good idea to help students understand the dynamics of the group process and that is not just about a project but how a group successfully completes the project.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I agree that personalities can become an issue, however it is something that they are going to have to learn to deal with so that is another learning outcome for working in groups. Unfortunately a negative side effect of forcing them together can sometimes be that it affects the overall learning and enjoyment of the project. This is where the monitoring comes in so you can catch it before it reaches that stage.
Hi Earle!
How do you think we can address this challenge?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Shane!
You probably have read some of my responses and know that I am not necessarily a fan of group work. The main reason that I am not a fan is we assign group work without helping students understand the concept of teams, of brainstorming and how a corporation/business benefits from team outcomes. It's about keeping their eye on the organizational mission.
I also think that group work should have a quick turnaround for completion. This keep those "lazy students" more engaged and reduce that tendency to "diverge to personal conversations".
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
