Making Groups WORK

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Making Groups WORK

• Tami Eggleston

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Groups

• FormalLonger time, in class and outside of class
  time, graded, clear guidelines
• InformalShorter time, in class, graded or
  ungraded activities, fewer guidelines for
  activity and assignment

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Why GROUPS?

• With this project I hope that you will work to
  include the following 5 core commitments
• Striving for excellence developing a strong work
  ethic and consciously doing ones very best in
  all aspects of college
• Cultivating personal and academic integrity
  recognizing and acting on a sense of honor
  ranging from honesty in relationships to
  principled engagement with a formal academic
  honors code
• Contributing to a larger community recognizing
  and acting on ones responsibility to the
  educational community (classroom, campus life),
  the local community, and the wider society, both
  national and global
• Taking seriously the perspectives of others
  recognizing and acting on the obligation to
  inform ones own judgment engaging diverse and
  competing perspectives as a resource for
  learning, for citizenship, and for work
• Developing competence in ethical and moral
  reasoning developing ethical and moral reasoning
  in ways that incorporate the other four
  responsibilities using such reasoning in
  learning and in life. 
• These are the core commitments from the
  Association of American Colleges and
  Universitieshttp//www.aacu.org/core_commitments/
  index.cfm

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Why GROUPS?

• 1.) Employers are looking for skills such as
  teamwork, communication, time management,
  leadership
• 2.) Colleges such as McK are in unique positions
  to offer group projects
• 3.) Keeps high energy in the classactive
  learning
• 4.) In larger classes (e.g., 30) easier to do
  more writing assignments and presentations
• 5.) Better quality as students can pool skills
  and resources (power point, speaking, SPSS, APA
  style, etc.)

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• c.)THREE GROUP PROJECTS
• You will be put into groups and over the semester
  you will complete 3 group projects (each worth 20
  points). You will have some class time to
  complete each assignment, but you may also have
  to communicate outside of class (I will set up
  group blackboard pages to help you with this). A
  team captain will be selected for each project
  and the winning team captain will get 5 extra
  credit points, they can't lose anything. Also
  the same person can only be team captain once.
• Social Psychology Critical Thinking and Multiple
  Perspective group research project. Pick one
  social psych issue and explain it from 1.) a
  purely psychological perspective (with at least 1
  psych journal), 2.) a purely sociological
  perspective (with at least 1 sociology journal),
  3.) from a purely economic/business issue (with
  at least 1 journal or magazine article), 4.) from
  a political science/social policy (with at least
  1 journal or magazine article). In addition, you
  need to include 1 website on the topic and
  conduct 1 short interview. Finally your group
  must write a concluding statement on the issue.
  The references and paper must be in APA format.
  The paper headings should be close to the
  following and the paper should be approximately
  4-5 double space pages
• Introduction to the issue
• Psychology Perspective
• Sociology Perspective
• Economic/Business Perspective
• Political Science/Public Policy Perspective
• Expert Opinion Interview Summary
• Group Conclusion
• References
• Altruismgroup project In your group, decide on
  one random act of kindness you can do on the
  McKendree College campus. It can be a series of
  many small things, it can be one large activity,
  it can be with students, with faculty, with
  staff. Basically it is up to your group to
  design one altruistic project. Then write a
  paper that includes an introduction (what was the
  issue), a method (what did you do?), a results
  (so, what happened?), and a conclusion (what did
  you find, would you do it again, how could you
  improve upon it?). The paper should be 3-5 pages
  long and you will present your project in class.
  You also need to include 5 references about your
  project.
• AdsSlogans-Commercials-PERSUASION group project
• In your groups I will give you a product and you
  need to come up with an ad campaign, slogan,
  think about your audience, marketing idea
  proposal, a bumper sticker slogan, a print
  commercial (for a magazine or newspaper), and
  finally a T-Shirt Design. Your group must also
  write a 1 page overview of your campaign and
  include at least 2 references to something in the
  book or notes that you take into account for your
  campaign and 5 additional references about
  persuasion and marketing. These will also be
  presented in class. You can NOT buy t-shirts for
  your group members, just make a cardboard cutout
  or a power point picture of the shirt idea! )

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Group Success Best Tips

• Positive Interdependence (group roles)
• Assignments are engaging
• Foster group dynamics (help them form, storm,
  norm, perform)
• Same team throughout the semester (with the
  possibility of free-agents trades!)
• Individual Accountability
• Size of the group (4-7)
• Time Line (in class time for meetings)
• Facilitate Communication (Bb groups, email)
• Team Captains
• Assessment (Team individual) GRADES!

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The most important time is the START

• Collaborating with Technology-Preliminary Project
  Designs
• Explanation of the project Give details about
  the project what is it about, what is going to
  be done, how it is going to happen, why the
  project is being undertaken, etc.. 
• Parameters for participation Explain who is
  going to be involved in the project.
• Duration of the project Note how long it is
  expected to run.
• Expected outcomes of the project 
• Technology and Technological Skills Needed
• adopted from Calgary Board of Education (October
  2001)

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Setting up the TEAMS

• 1.) DO NOT let students pick the teams!
• 2.) Try to balance the groups by gender, major,
  knowledge, etc.
• 3.) I hand out surveys.

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• Writings 2007 Survey
• Name ____________________________
• Year in College FR, SO, JR, SR
• Major _____________ Minor ______________
• Future Career _______________________
• Please list all courses you have taken (or are
  taking) with me as an instructor
• What other psychology classes are you taking this
  semester?
• Are you in experimental psychology this semester
  or have you taken it? Y N
• How much experience do you have with APA writing
  style?
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• no experience some a lot
• How much experience do you have with SPSS?
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• no experience some a lot
• How much do you enjoy group work?
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
• not at all a lot
• How comfortable are you using Blackboard?
• 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Your Teaching Style

• From Sage on the Stage
• To Guide on the Side
• NOWGlue of the CREW! )
• Groups work better for certain disciplines,
  certain projects, and it requires a change in
  your control of the class

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• Assessment of TEAM
• http//www.millikin.edu/webmaster/collaboration/ho
  ward1.htmlFigure6
• RUBRIC MAKERS
• http//teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/general/
  
• http//web.rbe.sk.ca/assessment/Rubrics/cels/CELS
  20Rubric20for20Cooperative20Learning.doc
• ONLINE GROUPS (Outside of Class/Blended Classes)
• http//www.onlinelearning.net/InstructorCommunity/
  workingwithgroups.html?s129.9080m0735.011h509z10

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• McKendree CollegeTEAM ASSESSMENT RUBRIC Name
  ________________________Teacher EGGLESTONDate
  ___________________Title of Work
  ___________________ 
• TEAMWORK
• Did not work well with team
• Sometimes worked well with the team
• Usually worked well with the team
• Outstanding Team Member!
• LEADERSHIP
• Did not take any responsibility or leadership
• Took little leadership responsibility
• Took some responsibility and leadership
• GREAT LEADER Took responsibility
• COMPLETED TASKS
• Did not complete assigned tasks
• Completed most taks but needed help
• Completed all tasks OK
• GREAT JOB completing all tasks on time
• CRITICAL CREATIVE THINKING
• No critical or creative thinking
• Some critical or creative thinking