Working In Groups: Headache or Headway

1
Working In Groups Headache or Headway?
2
What is the Worst Group ExperienceYouve Ever
Had As a Participant?

• What made it so bad?

• What could have been done to make it better?

3
In this session.

• Well discuss how to prepare to work in groups,
• Well talk about what makes a good group
  assignment and what doesnt, and
• Well identify problems and warning signs that
  groups often demonstrate

4
What You Need to Know About Group Work

• Purpose of group vs. individual assignments
• Differing abilities and motivations of
  individuals in the class
• Appropriate size for an effective group
• How group work is accomplished
• How to conduct group meetings and work
  coordination
• How to productively handle conflict
• How to work in a group vs. working as an
  individual
• Group vs. Individual Roles
• Group vs. Individual Goals
• Group vs. Individual Controls

5
Construction of Group Assignments

• Group Assignments should have the following
  components
• Identifiable process of work
• Identifiable product of work
• Differentiated tasks
• Multiple checkpoints
• Requirement for differentiated skills
• Clear and unambiguous evaluation methods

6
Checkpoints

• Make time to talk about group progress
• Questions
• What more do you wish you knew about this
  assignment at this point?
• What other things could I do to be more helpful?
• What is necessary to insure that everyone
  participates?

7
Problems and Warning Signs

• Just like a marriage on the rocks, there are
  always early warning signs that a group is on the
  road to self-destruction
• Group members dont sit near each other in class
• One group member comes alone to see the professor
  with a question about the assignment
• Groups miss the deadline for a checkpoint
• When an individual member is asked about the
  project, s/he cannot provide a cogent answer
• Complaints begin to be heard about the inability
  for the group to get anything done when they
  meet

8
The Good News.

• Group work can be very valuable for you in
  learning how to lead, collaborate, and compromise
  with others
• The key is to make sure that all of your members
  understand the process of working in a groupit
  is a learned skill
• The work product should use the strengths of each
  individual and minimize the challenges for each
  individual
• Dont wait until conflict turns into wardeal
  with it as it happens