Faculty Resources

Teaching Resources

Making Groupwork Work

For many students, the skill of working collaboratively in groups is imperative if they are to succeed not only in your class, but also in their chosen profession.
It is important that they understand that by working in a group they are not all doing the same task and comparing results nor are they letting one person do all the work and then just adding the other group members’ names to the project.

Group work lets you see how well each student is doing as you circulate and observe what the students are doing. Opportunities arise for you to give your professional advice as work is in progress either to an entire group or to individuals within a group, an optimal working environment. Group work also gives students opportunities to try on more responsibility and helps them develop their artistic judgment.

Successful group work involves a carefully designed task that lends itself toward positive interdependence, social skills preparation and a resulting evaluation of the group’s process and/or its product.

Here are some helpful questions to ask before involving the students:

• What are my expectations?
• What do I need to do to ensure that the students are equipped and able for the project?
• Have I taught the skill and, if not, how will I introduce it?
• Have I set a realistic time allowance for the completion of the project?
• What assessment will I have in place to guarantee that the students have achieved mastery of the skill?
• How do I want the students to feel about this project?

Consider assigning roles to make sure everyone knows their task or listing group roles and letting groups decide how the roles will be assigned. Once the students have formed groups, it is important that you stay involved and have numerous occasions for interaction with each group while they are working. There may be times when you have to teach or model necessary social skills. One way of achieving this is to have the group members rotate their roles in the group. Another way is to have the group have mini reflection periods, where they stop what they are doing to discuss progress and/or problems.

Keep in mind that cooperative learning groups will:

• Demonstrate positive interdependence
• Hold individual accountable
• Have a heterogeneous membership
• Promote shared leadership
• Have group members be responsible for each other
• Emphasize task and maintenance
• Teach social skills
• Have opportunities for the teacher observe and intervene
• Allow group processing/reflection occurs