Group Assignments

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Group Assignments

• Terry Timberlake
• Institute of Teaching and Learning
• t.timberlake_at_deakin.edu.au

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Objectives

• to analyse student perceptions of group
  assignments
• to discuss why we use group assignments
• to identify ways of improving the group learning
  process
• to evaluate different methods of assessing group
  assignments

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Background

• Tutor
• Management research an organisations
  business
• strategies
• Public Relations research an
  organisations
• 
  communications strategies
• Lecturer Tutor
• Business Communication prepare a formal
  written
• 
  report to management
• 
  of a fictitious organisation

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2005 Research

• 105 students from Arts and Business Law (2-3rd
  years)
• Perceptions of
• - working in groups
• - opportunities to develop skills
• - product v process
• - fairness of assessment
• - self and peer assessment
• This presentation is based on
• these perceptions
• my observations
• the literature on collaborative
  learning

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What students dont like

• not all team members may contribute equally
• having to find a time to meet
• the fact that I can get marked down because of
  others is quite upsetting
• unresolvable conflicts of opinion
• getting parts of an assignment you didn't want to
  do
• I HATE working with groups which are preselected
  for me
• it is especially tough when working with friends
• breakdown in communication
• most assignments can be completed by oneself

assessment
time management
assessment
conflict negotiation
negotiation
group formation
group formation
teamwork communication
rationale
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What students do like

• building my skills of negotiation
• each person brings a different skills set
• it is good on your resume
• time and responsibility learning
• having extra support for areas that you don't
  know well
• I do not want to let the group down
• the ability to interact with new people
• sharing the workload
• the end product

skill development
teamwork
employability
attribute development
teamwork
reliability
skill development
teamwork
outcomes
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ITL website http//www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-mod
ules/teaching-approach/group-assignments/index.php
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Rationale

• so why do we use group assignments?
• skill development
• workforce preparation
• graduate attributes
• cut down on marking
• better output
• ???

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Employability.

• The 'Employability Skills Framework' includes
• communication skills that contribute to
  productive and harmonious relations between
  employees and customers
• team work skills that contribute to productive
  working relationships and outcomes
• problem-solving skills that contribute to
  innovative outcomes
• self-management skills that contribute to
  employee satisfaction and growth
• as well as personal attributes that contribute to
  overall employability such as
• - commitment - honesty and integrity -
  enthusiasm
• - reliability - motivation - adaptability
• - ability to deal with pressure
• Source Australian Chamber of Commerce and
  Industry 2002 Employability Skills An employer
  perspective ACCI Review 88, June 2002

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ITL website
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Explaining.

• ...the university is only making this assignment
  in groups to cut down the amount of marking
• sometimes someone doesn't contribute but that
  happens in the workforce so it is realistic
• rationale
• what we expect
• learning objectives
• process before product
• assessment criteria

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Design.

• some of the projects it is better to do it
  individually instead of in a group
• it's great when everyone's done what they should
  have
• ill-structured problems
• real world authentic tasks
• build in interdependent tasks
• design for discussion, negotiation, consensus of
  final product
• higher order cognitive skills

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Higher order thinking.
Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Comprehe
nsion Knowledge
Blooms taxonomy of learning domains
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Example 1.
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(No Transcript)
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Example 2.

• Group/Individual assignment due Monday May 8
  (Week 10)
• Topic Which comes first - strategy or
  structure? Discuss
• The objective of this assignment is to require
  students to investigate, describe and analyse
  strategic planning within organisations and to be
  aware of the impact upon managers. Critical
  interpretation and analysis must be sustained by
  reference to pertinent theory and appropriate
  description of practice.
• The rationale for this is twofold first, to draw
  students attention to the need to bridge the gap
  between management theory and practice, and to
  provide first-year students with the opportunity
  to build academic, research and writing skills
  before tackling academic essay writing in second
  and third year subjects.
• In groups of no more than 3, or as an individual,
  students must select an organisation which
  exhibits evidence of strategic planning. It is
  important to identify the type of strategy in
  place and its impact of the organisations
  efficiency and/or effectiveness. The material
  must be presented in a way that not only conveys
  an understanding of the ramifications on
  planning, but which fully portrays the specific
  organisation on which the study is based.
• If students choose to form a group, then those
  students must have the same tutor for ease of
  submission and so that instructions are
  consistent.
• The organisation may be chosen from those who
  have exposure on the internet or have information
  on the public domain. Under no circumstances
  are students to approach the organisation without
  university ethics approval. It is preferred that
  it is an Australian firm but an overseas
  organisation will also be acceptable.

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Alternative.

• Assume you are the management team of Haftan
  Furniture Ltd., Australia. It is becoming
  apparent that cheaper imported furniture is
  becoming a threat to you.
• Management theory emphasises that some
  important elements need to be considered when
  planning corporate strategies, particularly
• the culture of the organisation
• the external environment
• the structure of the organisation
• short and long term goals
• You need to review your strategies. What will
  you do?
• Change the culture of the organisation?
• Re-structure?
• Seek out new markets?
• Complete on quality?

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Preparing 1.

• I like doing group assignments but only when it
  is with people who make an effort or if we get
  along
• teach teamwork theory
• short practice run
• learning styles inventory
• point out the attributes you want them to develop
• advise them on how to reflect on this development

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Preparing 2. (from ITL website)

• form groups and design company letterhead
• ask groups to design a better mousetrap
• have groups list attributes they could develop
  together
• ask groups to write a project management
  document
• groups to write a Team Charter
• direct groups to resources on agenda setting,
  minutes taking, timeline construction
• role play some conflict negotiation
• provide some framework for students to reflect on
  their process

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Forming.

• I HATE working with groups which are preselected
  for me
• it is especially tough when working with friends

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ITL website
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Supporting.

• there needs to be a set outline or agender (sic)
  and this needs to be adhered too (sic)
• teachers should moniter (sic) groups better
• team charter
• work contract
• meetings agendas and minutes
• timeline
• progress check
• time in class
• different people different roles

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Team roles.

• coordinator
• researcher
• motivator
• communicator
• thinker
• editor
• graphic artist
• evaluator
• diplomat
• finisher
• specialist
• facilitator

• enforcer
• isolate
• devils advocate
• free rider
• recorder
• inspirer
• whinger
• pragmatist
• destroyer
• gunna
• clown
• rule evader

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ITL website
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(No Transcript)
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Assessing 1.

• you either win or lose as a group thus you should
  be marked as a group
• I like to have COMPLETE control over my mark
• I think most people think it's fair unless
  someone doesn't contribute enough for the mark
• it's a real kick in the face to get a bad group
  mark. It makes me really angry

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ITL website
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Assessing 2.

• Group mark
• Group mark adjusted for individuals
• Mark for individual contributions
• Pool of marks for team to distribute
• Markers mark adjusted by peer assessment
• 50 of mark from marker 50 from self peer
  assessment

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Group Mark (from ITL website)

• Group grade awarding the one mark to the team
• All students receive the same grade, but it
  should represent a small percentage of the total
  assessment for the Unit (Brown Knight 1994).
• Award a group grade and include a teamwork
  related question or questions in the exam to
  allow for individual responses (Brown Knight
  1994).
• Award a group mark and adjust for individual
  students who you have become aware of through
  reports to you from group members (Mello 1993).
• Award a group grade (for product and process) -
  e.g. 16/20 for product, so that each individual
  student receives 16, and make an extra 10 marks
  available for process. Students negotiate what
  percentage of the extra 10 marks each student
  deserves (Brown Knight 1994).
• Award a group grade (for product) - e.g. 17/20.
  Assume there are 5 members in the group. Multiply
  the 17 by 5 to get a total of 85 marks available.
  Students then negotiate, based on established
  criteria, the distribution of the 85 marks,
  stipulating that no individual can receive more
  than 20/20 (Brown Knight 1994).
• Award a group grade, plus an individual grade for
  a separate individual reflective journal account
  of the group experience (Hounsell, McCulloch
  Scott 1996).

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Resources.

• http//www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/teachin
  g-approach/group-assignments/index.php
• http//www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/assessm
  ent/index.php
• (ITL website)