Keeping Student Groups on Course
When students get in groups you have some students who want to get off task, they want to talk about everything except their project. As a instructor it is my job to keep them on task. I may just stand there to see if they get back on task if, not I would remind them of why they are in groups and they are being graded on the project.
What strategies help to ensure student groups will stay on course and be productive?
Keep them busy. I use a lot of role plays, games, and group dynamics. When students are working on projects they keep focus and the class is more fun.
During group work in class currently I find that having set goal checks with me and the group pivitol for making sure they are on target. It gives them a chance to show me several drafts or stages that lead to the completed end goal.
I think breaking down the group assignment into several parts in which each student has a part will help with participation. I would also take some time each class session to question the students on their progress.
I think frequent review of the objectives for the class as a whole & each lesson/day can help keep students on task & focused.
I think the most important aspect of group assignments is that students perceive them as a worthwhile learning activity. There are a wide range of worthwhile activities, and many can be designed to be fun.
When the class first meets each other, student activity objectives can focus more on the interpersonal dynamics, learning about each other in the group, and less on course content. The teacher can use these early group activities to teach groups to learn about each other and to learn to work as a group. Structuring assignments that will produce success for these groups is an important confidence builder.
During these early group activities, some groups will become cohesive, and some groups may tend toward dysfunction. By monitoring the individual groups and group dynamics, the teacher can then spend less time with the more successful groups and devote more time to the less successful groups. This presents a tremendous teachable moment (or moments!) by allowing focus on behaviors that are preventing the group from achieving its potential.
Give the group vey specific objectives that must be met.
By interacting with the group, you can focus on individual participation within the group, and encourage or facilitate even participation. Maybe even asssigning specific tasks within the group if the need arises. Making sure there is a clear positive or negative outcome (points subtracted from the students who don't cooperate) is also a way to make sure the groups stay focused.
I've definitely made the mistake of letting students choose their own groups and define their own roles. I stopped doing that when I had a group complain that one of their members had done very little of the work. This can make grading very sketchy when your only assessment of each individual member is the final project result.
Now when I assign group projects, I make sure that each persons' role is clearly defined, so that when I grade the project, if I see that John Doe's portion of the work was not completed, the rest the members of the group are not docked for his lack of participation to the group.
Also, if the assignment is an extended project, I make sure to create certain checkpoints throughout the term to make sure that each group is staying on task. These checkpoints could be a mini-presentation or just an informal meeting with me to check the group's progress.
It is very frustrating to all involved when students don't come to their group work sessions having prepared what they were supposed to or having met the interim due dates. While I haven't yet found a successful prevention strategy for this, I do remember which of the group members didn't pull their own weight and make group assignments accordingly next time. While it would seem that a group made up of non-contributors would be a disaster, what usually happens is that when the students who aren't contributing don't have more active students to lean on, they suddenly find that they all have to contribute or be unsuccessful in their project.
There will be an evaulation by each student on each student. It will be weighted into the final score.
Strategies include using a course calendar with assignment and exam due dates, e-mailing students about upcoming assignments, deducting points for tardy assignments, assigning one group member to be the time keeper, and breaking the assignment into parts that have to be reported to the class.
To ensure that the students stay focused and on course, I give them pop quizzes and in class assignments that pertain to the subject at hand. That helps me monitor them and readjust where necessary. Fot those who keep having problems focusing in spite of the monitoring and help, I take points off of their grades.
In the past when i have set up groups, I observe and listen to what the students are discussing tyo make sure they are on topic. It may feel like I am a hawk, but it's all part of the monitoring process to make sure my students stay on task. It also makes me readily available in case they have a question or comments that I can help them with right away.
For my groups, at the beginning of each week I have the groups give an overview of their progress. I expect to hear from each person in the group and what they have contributed to the group throughout the week. If a group seems to be off task, I can easily redirect them. If a member seems not as productive as others, I can work with that member to increase productivity. This also helps me in the end with their individual grades.
When assigning a project to student groups you can take it one step further and assign each individual in the group a particular task. The ultimate goal is to have the group work together to complete the assigned task but giving each individual person a particular responsibility will help ensure everyone is actively participating towards the successful completion of the group’s task.
I tried a fun activity in my sociology class. I divided the class into four groups according to gender. Girls against Guys. (competition). But the challenging part of the activity was that they needed to think like the opposite gender. For example they needed to respond the way they believed the opposite sex would respond to the topic being covered. This opened the door to a great discuss on generalization,bias opionions, sexism, prejudice and gender stereotypes.
I use groups to help the students begin to apply the concepts discussed in class. I give the students a set of questions or problems that need to be resolved in groups. I will give the groups a few minutes to get settled in and then I walk around the room and visit each group. I listen to what is being discussed to make sure they are on task. If not, I redirect them. If I notice that the majority of the groups are off-task, I will then address the entire class. Otherwise, I float around the room. Then, if time allows at the end, I will have the groups present on what they have done. The entire exercise helps students to learn team work but also the essential skill of presentation.
By clearly setting and communicating specific timelines and expectations when assigning the project, and then monitoring progress.
