Organizing Students into Groups
It is the teacher's role to create and organize the group situation. The goal must be relevant to the skills they need and the assignment fit. Discuss a fair division of labor and keep groups together with a clear plan
Hi William!
How do you select students for group work?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
What are some ways to organize students into work groups?
I make use of random number assignment; all 1's is group 1, all 2's is group 2, ...All groups are given the same problem questions.
Using a cross section of the class allows diversity.and different insights
There is definitely some flexibility required, Jacenta, when organizing and working with groups. Instructors have the responsibility to help students understand the group process as well as helping them to have successful group outcomes.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I prefer to assign groups so that they are more diverse. It also helps to separate the students who will not be serious. If it is a graded group project I will allow them to choose their own groups especially if they must meet outside the classroom.
You would want to have different age groups, a variety of students to give a varied outcome to the project they were working on. You couldn't have all the 20 something students be in one group and the 30 and over be in another, the opinions would probably be the same.
I like to organize students in to work groups where I know there will be a good balance and the tasks will be accomplished. I think it is important to make sure that each group has a vocal member, but also to make sure that the group will remain under control and not get off task. I have split the class up various times which allows me to see what works and what doesn't. Each class is different :)
I think when creating a work group its best to examine the actual agenda of the assignemnet , then examine the diversity in the classroom to make sure the groups will have an effective balance of diversity. Building groups is a way to encourage members strengths and talents.
i like to mix up the age groups, the younger students tend to listen to their elders because of life experience.
I believe that diversity within a group is essential to its success. This requires me to get to know the invdividuals in order to assign them to the right groups. However, the level of students plays a part as well. In undergraduate classes, I assign the team members. In my graduate and doctoral classes, I give the learners the opportunity to select their teams.
I have my students number off on the first day of class from 1-4. Depending on the number they get, that is the group they are in for the entire term. They have to do a group project at the end of the term, and they do many group exercised during the term. This encourages students to work with people that may not be their "friends", and they get to know other members of their class. It is very effective.
Leaving the choice up to students, most of the times they will choose individuals they already no or believe they have the most in common with. In addition, students do not take the time to realize groups are formed to accomplish a task not to become a socail network. Therefore, it would be best for the instructor to place individuals in groups. I usually place groups together. Randomly placing individuals makes individuals talk to each. Communication within the group is key to accomplishing set goals.
I have organized them alphabetically and also allowed them to create their own groups. I have had success with both, but prefer to create the groups myself. This usually deters friends from being in the same group, helping the overall group dynamic.
Depending on the class I sometimes assign the groups . This allows me to put more advanced students with thode who may need a little help.
In the classes I instruct I do not allow students to pick their own groups because in the indusry we are involved in you need to have the skills to work with anyone I have found that if I let the class pick their own groups they will always pick their friend
I have used random selection when assigning students to groups. However, I prefer placing students in groups based on their experiences and skill levels. Often, students who did not think they had any knowledge of a topic gain the confidence to "add to" the group.
Yeah. THIS is always fun right? Group projects are more fun for class participation than grading term papers but clashes of personalities, distribution of work, etc. all come into play here. I make the analogy that you are going to work a shift one day with people you may not like but you have to do the shift/workload with them so you should start learning those things now in the classroom. Usually, I set the tone early on and get full cooperation but sometimes conflict resolution needs to be done in order to make sure the project is equitably done by the student group.
Picking a group for study or shop work should be done logically and not just thrown together. It seems if you allow the class to choose their own group in some cases, you may have a group of students that all they want to do is talk and mess around without accomplishing what is expected. If that happens the group needs to be broken up and regrouped. It is good to have a mix of experience in a group. The more experieced can help the least, and with helping the more experienced can learn more while helping the others.
