Group projects
One of the hardest things I think to manage online is group projects. This is where students tend to get snarky or have an attitude if they feel they are doing more or people are not pulling their own weight. I usually have very few problems elsewhere on the discussions or within the class. Does anyone else find this to be the case?
Lisa,
A simple group project can be that a group has to facilitate a discussion on the discussion board. They have to encourage all other students to participate, summarize the posts as they come in and keep the conversation going. Hope this helps.
I have been wanting to add group projects to my current online course, but I am not sure how to go about doing this. We have asynchronous lessons and this makes it more difficult to have the students "get together" online. Do you have an idea on where to start with a simple group project with my students which will help us all learn how the process works?
Jacqueline,
I typically mix and mingle. I think we can learn a lot from each other. I also do a personality assessment and mix and mingle the personality traits.
When assigning team learning across generations, what is a standard practice for instructors? I make a point to try and group students with similar learning styles and experiences so that they are comfortable with the learning experience. Should I mix and mingle the generations? If anyone has mixed and mingled, what results did you get?
Thanks, Jackie
Bernadette,
There are good peer evaluations you can use to help students assess each other an how they worked together in a group. I like to use them as well. Thanks!
I agree the group projects helps the student become more accountable and learn to interact with each other...It will not always be perfect in the work environment, you have to work with all types of people and learn to resolve conflict..
Patricia,
You have good experience to provide students with why virtual teams are important. Keep connecting your lessons to the real world and they'll come around to see the importance. Thanks for sharing.
In my profession (health information technology) many of the knowledge workers are being sent home to work remotely. Being able to get a project completed with a virtual team is crucial. That is why I build group projects into the classes - the students hate them, but we take time and talk about the fact that this is where they are allowed to make mistakes that can be fixed before they get on the job. Relating the work to real world expectations help students to focus on developing coping skills - the real goal of the assignment.
Letrice,
It is difficult at time, but students can learn from virtual groups. They may even at work, now or in the future, be expected to be a part of a virtual group.
We don't have group projects in our online environment and I am kind of glad that this is the case. While getting my Masters degree, we did several and there were instances when we could not contact one of the participants and it was quite trying and frustrating. With the type of students that we serve, this would be extremely trying and there would be numerous complaints. So I definitely agree with you.
Letrice Mitchell
Leah,
I employ a peer evaluation that impacts each individual's grade. Since I have been doing that since 1996, I find it very helpful and motivating for the students.
