![\"Cheerful](\"http:\/\/il3.picdn.net\/shutterstock\/videos\/6557969\/thumb\/1.jpg?i10c=img.resize(height:160)\")
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Why do we assign group work? How does it benefit students? How does it benefit professors?<\/span><\/p>\n If not planned for appropriately, group work can create a lot more work than necessary for both \u00a0students and professor. For students, the disadvantages of group work could mean having to coordinate schedules; arrange meetings; correspond via email, text or phone; make decisions collectively; integrate the contributions of group members; and more. These things can be especially challenging for a nontraditional student population like MSU Denver\u2019s–many of our students commute long distances, and have work and family commitments that can make it difficult for them to meet outside of class.<\/span><\/p>\n For professors, group work can present challenges such as allocating meeting time during class, and perhaps even having to teach students how to function effectively in teams (even at the college level, this is something that must be taught). Furthermore, figuring out how to assess the process, as well as the product, and determining whether to assign individual or group grades are steps that take time and effort. \u00a0Last, but not least, and definitely not the most pleasant\u2026.everyone must deal with group dynamics.<\/span><\/p>\n Here are some strategies to help reduce or mitigate the challenges of group work:<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n What is true for individual assignments holds true for group assignments: as a professor, it is important to clearly articulate your objectives, explicitly define the task, clarify your expectations, model high-quality work, and communicate performance criteria so that your students can achieve desired outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n Building individual accountability<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n Another disadvantage to group work is that students can fully participate in the group assignment, yet still not get the main idea of the project. Therefore, in addition to evaluating the work of the group as a whole, ask individual group members to demonstrate their learning via quizzes, individual writing assignments, weekly journal entries, etc. Not only does this help you monitor student learning, it helps to prevent the \u201cfree-rider\u201d phenomenon. Students are considerably less likely to leave all the work to more responsible classmates if they know their individual performance will affect their grade.<\/span><\/p>\n Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Why do we assign group work? How does it benefit students? How does it benefit professors? If not planned for appropriately, group work can create a lot more work than necessary for both \u00a0students and professor. For students, the disadvantages of group work could mean having to coordinate schedules; … <\/p>\nTake a SIP of This: Effective Group Work: Ensuring Accountability<\/h3>\n
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Still Thirsty? Take Another SIP of Effective Group Work: Ensuring Accountability<\/h3>\n
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