Unit 2 WK 2 Overview-Pg.2 of 4

Below are several helpful suggestions for you as you think about working with your group:

Group Work 101: The basics of making the most of group work

In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. 
~ Charles Darwin

Suggestions for making the most of group work:

 1.     Make a commitment to your group: 

Being honest and getting your group norms and plans down in writing is the best strategy for successful group work. A group member should share the amount of time (including when & where they can meet) and what it means to succeed on a project. Some collaborators will be happy to get a C while others demand an A. Both grades are acceptable but knowing what each group member wants in advance can help the group decide how to work best together.

Then, as a group, write what specific behaviors (Group Norms) that will make a good group member. For example: be on time, communicate regularly, what method of communication is best (email, texting, facebook, canvass) and when to use it, etc. 

 2.    What Role Will You Play? 

Everyone needs to know what their responsibilities are in a group. In order to help your collaborative process run more smoothly, assign task roles to every member of the group: facilitator, timekeeper, note taker, devil’s advocate, information seeker, meeting leader, etc.

At the beginning of each meeting assign at least the first 3 roles because these are a necessity no matter how small your group.

  • A facilitator’s job is to make sure that everyone gets their opinion and voice heard.

  • A time keeper ensures that group sticks to their agreed upon agenda and follows the time limit for each item.

  • The note taker documents major decisions, attendance, and who is responsible for what work.

The note-taker's role is important for reminding collaborators what work they had agreed to; having a set of notes for reference can quickly solve conflicts around what decisions were made and who was responsible for what.

 3.     Organize your group time like a business meeting--because that's what it is:

When you meet with your group, set an agenda, assign a time limit to each item on the agenda, and make sure every member leaves with a task to accomplish before the next meeting. A good rule is to only meet when decisions have to be made--when "action items" have to be addressed. It’s hard to make decisions via texting or email when you're working with more than one person. Meetings can be fun and efficient. For online courses, you can take advantage of the "Conferences" feature and have everyone online and live at the same time, or you can get on a conference call together.

Group projects get frustrating when group members wander off topic, not everyone participates, or when people feel like their time has been wasted. At the beginning of each meeting the group or its leader should decide what needs to be accomplished and how long that task would take. You can even rotate the "meeting leader" position if you wish to. People should take on different roles at each meeting--taking notes and typing them up for everyone, moving through the agenda, and so forth. At the end of each meeting make sure each group member has a task that they can successfully accomplish before the next meeting or presentation.

4.     Build in a system of rewards and consequences that is meaningful to the group and that doesn't place a single person in charge of "parenting" the group:

Particularly for classroom group projects, people are more likely to take advantage of social loafing when everyone gets the same grade for a group project no matter how much they participated. Groups should decide what works best for them. For example, let’s say someone in the group might receive more points on the project if the group unanimously agrees that they did more work, or someone might receive lower points if they did not do as much as the rest of the group members.Or a group member might have to sing “I’m a little teapot” in front of the class for being tardy to group meetings. Whatever rewards and consequences you choose, make sure that everyone agrees and that all group members facilitate consequences and rewards.

5.     Conflict can be a good thing:

We learn more from people who are different from ourselves, but these people can also challenge us, because they challenge our assumptions and our personal belief systems. This is good because it is a way for us to measure our intellectual growth. We should each expect and be willing to engage in a difference of opinion with others. If everyone agrees on everything your group is doing, you may be missing something important. True collaboration is about developing a little bit of give and take.

Adapted from Panella, AC. Primer on Group Work & Public Speaking by K.E. Ogden. 2013. Pasadena City College.