This is my challange...When one group is so far behind another, or when one so far surpasses all, I have a difficult time reigning them in. KIM
Danny,
this is great & so true. We have to learn how to work with those with whom we don't always agree, learn how to set these aside & move forward.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Michele,
and I think a key part of this, if you can grade it, is being willing to listen to the ideas & opinions of others & knowing how to do this respectfully.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I sometimes have at least one member of the group that doesn't do the work and lets the others get the answers for them. I walk around and ask questions and try to get them to participate, but they don't always comply.
students who may not get allong working together is always a great experience...... I teel them that in the real world you will at some point be teamed up with some one you dont get along woith but it may be crucial for you both to work together to acomplish a common goal.
I have used the rubics for some projects but would like to implement it more, and having each other grade their own group is something i haven't done. the field i teach in, my students will have to work in teams, so showing them how to get along with all types of people, not just their friends is very beneficial
I find that strong students typically do not resent sharing their knowledge with weaker students provided the weaker students are making the effort and not just leeching off of them.
I read somewhere that the final stage of mastery is the ability to teach your knowledge to another person. If you still can't explain it to someone who doesn't know anything about it, you still have more to learn. When I catch students effectively relating what they have learned I like to congratulate them on mastery of the topic.
(conversely if they can't explain/demonstrate to me or someone else, I sometimes suggest they have more work ahead of them to keep them from getting complacent)
Douglas,
and encouraging the groups & group members to be self-policing on this can help them develop those skills that are so important in their careers.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Arturo ,
this is definitely a challenge & the best we can do is to keep moving among the groups & monitor how they are doing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find it challenging, yet rewarding to try and put students in groups with other students that they can work well with, but are not their normal "class buddies", that they tend to get off topic when put in a group with. I feel this practice also helps to prepare them for more real life job situations.
The challenges I find is getting a balance of input from each of the students in the group. Unfortunately there always seems to be one member who doesn't do their fair share of the project but expects to get the same grade as the rest of the group.
Keeping certain individuals from taking over the group can help those who aren't as aggressive to participate and learn more.
One of my toughest challenges is monitoring the different group members so that all members can have the ability to perform that days task and not
just "cruise" thru while other members perform the tasks.
Srey,
I agree that much of the control of the groups comes through those clear directions, expectations & grading guidelines.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find that using rubrics help set th goals for group assignment. I set clear grading needs. I grade the assignment as a whole, have the group members grade each other's participation and finally have them grade themselves. Thus, the grade is based on three parts.
I find that this allows leaders to lead and straglers to stop strageling.
I recently gave a group project, five members to a group. I had a outline of the presentation with the requirement of using Power Point and each member had to present at least two slides with information. The grading was clear and each member of the group received the same grade. I thougth I had covered everything until the day after the presentations, students starting comming to me and expected a higher grade due to their part of the presentation. This was really a big issue. Not sure how to have another group project without having the same problems. I really like the idea of students working in a group as it simulates projects that might occur in the workforce and is good experience for them.
It is inportant to identify those students that put little imput into the group relying on the more motivated students to carry the group.
Charlene,
this is definitely a problem with the groups. I like to try & designate roles & sometimes this helps distribute the "wealth."
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
One tactic I have tried in a group format is to assign 6 problem-solving situations in a group of 6, with one question assigned to each menber. After 3-4 minutes, each student was to discuss their particular problem solution with the other group members. One reason I have tried this format is that less time is required than having the entire group work together on 6 situations.
student challenges have been that some students do all the talking and while the others sit back and let the verbal students take over the subject
