When organizing study/work groups in my class, I make sure the groups are very diverse from ethnic background, age, and sex. I try very hard to keep it balanced. Before assigning there projects I converse with each one to see what there strengths/weakness are and match up each group based on information that I get. I don’t allow the students to pick who they want. I feel like mixed emotions would arise from that so I’m the leader and I set the motion for them. Each student of the group is then assigned a part that they must do in order for the assignment to be complete. That way no one is left out and students have to participate in order to receive their own individual grade.
I think that each student in a group should have a specific task to perform for that group. The number of students in the group should be dictated by the amount of tasks that are to be pefromed. For example, if there are only three basic tasks for the group to perform, than the group size shoulod be limited to 3 people. The exception would be if a task requires the attention of more than one person, in which case group members caould be added.
By personalities that are compatible for expression.
Combine Diverse skill sets.
I like to combine stronger with weaker performers as a technique to help the struggling student.
Leon Guendoo
I do organize groups according to strengths and weaknesses, so students can share their own skills. The only danger here occurs when a very slow student is working with more advanced students. To remedy this, I assure that slow students are placed with those who can relate to them in a very positive way and silently understand their role as "tutor."
We generally have student 3 to 4 groups in the Lab. Since students all know each other quite well, they form the groups quickly themselves, with about the same number of students in each. Since they are comfortablle in working with each other, I find this useful. I constantly visit the groups to see how the individuals are doing.
Gisele,
yes I think the more diversity we can incorporate into our groups the more reflective they are of real life.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Different gender, background and people that they may not normally socialize with. This will build their skills working and communicating with different people, opportunity to learn different perspectives and ways of deciding
I break up my groups into 3 to 4 students and I also give them each a piece of a scenario/critiacal thinking.They have to all work together and put their individual part of the scenerio/critical thinking to come up with the correct answers. I find that if I put them in larger groups then 4 there is alway 1 or 2 students not engaging with the group.
I organize students into groups but with only 2 or 4 students because otherwise they can get out of control and off task. You want to try and keep them engaged as much as possible so the smaller groups work really well. I also let them know up front what is expected of them and how they're being graded and that seems to help a lot with keeping them on task.
I organize students into groups either with 2 students or with no more than 4 students. The reason for this is because otherwise they can get to be non-productive because they tend to cordially converse instead of doing the task at hand. I give them the outline of what they're suppose to do along with the points associated with it, this way they know up front how they're being graded and they know what to expect. I also choose who is going to be in what group so that they are evenly distributed so that I don't have a group with all of the "A" students and one with all of the "C" students. This way the groups are more balanced and the students learn to work together with one another as a team.
I attempt to organize students into groups outside of there social groups. I want my students to interact with all other students. By doing this it mixes up what they are used to adding an other element to the project or assignment.
I organize my groups into 4 students per group. I group my students together so that I have senior students mixed with new students. This seems to help the new students in all aspects of the classroom dynamics from behavior to lab techniques. It also gives senior students experience in the "Learn it, Do it, Teach it" method!
I find that 2 in a groups is a good number, any more and I find non productive students space out and inger away from the project. They allways show for the grade but dont partiapate.
Andrea, I agree with you that allowing students to pick their own groups can create problems. The biggest problem I have encountered is when the 2 or 3 class clowns I have decide to join the same group. So I decide on how the groups will be divided, based on the particular class at hand. Sometimes I get lucky and each student currently enrolled is mature, focused and can seperate into equally divided groups. Other times I have a group of students that is a little more challanging. If this is the case, then I decide on the groups. Then I sit back and pray I made some good choices. Lol
I have used some fun and some serious ways. A quick fun way to arrange groups is to use different miniature chocolates and have the students draw a chocolate out of the bag. Then they split into groups based on the chocolate they drew.
A more complex way I have group is by first assessing the students communication style and then making sure there is a minimum of 1 of the 4 styles in each group. If I were to group all analytical styles together nothing would get done because they would spend the whole time discussing theories and never coming to a conclusion.
Chandra,
this is a good way to ensure random groups & somewhat a reflection of real life work situations.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Kessle,
I agree that the best option is randomly assigned groups as this helps portray real life.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I took tongue depressors and colored the ends with different colors. 4 of each color. Put them in a solo cup color side down and let the students draw a stick.
I believe groups should be randomly created, this provides a perfect opportunity for students to experience real life sceneries. Once students are out there in the real life, most of the time they won’t get the chance to select who they want to work with, they will be put in a situation with people they probably never met to develop a project. If as a professor you let them pick and chose their groups, then you are preventing the students from a valuable real life lesson.
Sometimes when we have the students work in pairs and I will let them pick their own partner. When we work with 3-4 students to a group I will assign the groups. This way they feel that they sometimes get to work with friends but also know that they will work with others that they would not normaly choose to work with.
