Agree. From my days in college that was a problem. However, that is a problem in the workforce also so students need to learn how to deal with it. They will not normally be in a position to fire non-participating members in a work situation so they need to develop ways to get the others involved or work around them.
sharon,
excellent point made here. The assigning of roles is a great way to help students share the work as well as help them discover their own strengths.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
When I use the group method I also try to assign each student to a particular role. It makes it easier when grading to see which components are completed. After getting bad grades once or twice the slackers will normally start to pull more of their own weight
I have really tried to utilize groups in most of my classes. Of course I had a DOE who insisted in us using groups in all classes. When she mentioned that she was visiting my class I decided it would be the perfect day to show her that not all classes can utilize groups. I set up two person groups and told them to type a document. The class was keyboarding and one student used the right hand and the other the left.
Michael,
this is a good idea for incorporating groups into a subject where it may not always be the perfect fit. I think the idea of having them explain the solution is great as it helps them with critical thinking in being able to articulate their decisions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As a math instructor developing student groups is a bit of a challenge. There are no projects per se. My approach has been to develop a specific set of problems (different for each group) have the students solve them, appoint a leader and have the leader then explain the problems (and their solutions) to the class.
Tonya,
this is definitely a consistent problem with groups. I try to have designated tasks for all as this can help alleviate this some.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I often have the same problem where one student or two complete all the work. During the next group project I am going to be more clearly with roles for each student and have the students turn in work at intervals rather than at the due date of the project. I also never realized how important group work is. I would love to add more group assignments to be completed during class.
The biggest challenge for groups that I have created is all members working together to complete the task. There are times when a couple of students will "sidebar" and discuss the topic while the rest of the group works on a solution. There are also times when one student is simply not engaged and not helping the group.
Carol,
this is a great idea as it balances the two activities & allows for a little more strategy for the long-term projects.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
A good way to evaluate them in groups is to get them to fill out a peer review on each member of the group and have that eval be part of their grade.
Challenges to students working in groups is dividing them into the groups. For short in-class assignments I have a bowl with numbers and have the students pick a number to see what group they will be in. For longer projects I hand pick the group.I really prefer the pick a number way.
Tracey,
yes, this is why I like to use specific roles/designated jobs for all of the group members.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The challenges I have is only one doing they work while others sit and allow the information be "fed" to them.
Debi,
my main recommendation would be the assigning of a specific time frame. Another idea is to have debrief questions for the group regarding how well they worked together & what they learned from the process. This will keep the faster groups engaged & busy while the others finish up & it's good info, but more of a "bonus learning" rather than integral to the lesson.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
One challenge of using multiple student groups in the same class session is the difference in time that it may take to complete a task from one group to the next. Sometimes if one group requires significantly more time, other students seem to become bored or distracted after their own group is finished. I can sometimes manage this, if I assigned the task in a previous course and now have an idea of how much time is needed, so that I announce in advance an assigned time frame (e.g., 20 minutes), stating that it is ok if all groups are not completely finished when the time is up. Does anyone else have ideas for this?
Gina,
this is very true & we must monitor for this. I like to give designated roles or jobs in the groups as this can often help prevent one member from dominating the discussion over others.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have found that some student in a group will want to take charge of the group.
Adam,
I completely agree & an additional step would be to have roles for each group member. This way they gain experience & realize the various roles that are played in the groups.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think an issue that we all struggle with is the fact that there will always be high performing students that will feel compelled to assume most of the responsibility to ensure a favorable grade and there will be students that will take advantage of this and contribute little to the process. I think assigning a group leader and keep an open line of communication with the group is critical in ensuring that all members are contributing equally.
