Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Designing effective group assessment tasks to maximise student engagement and

learning

Getting the most out of group work

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

I do not like group work.Group work might be necessary but I don't like it.Presentation should be individual, group work is

often difficult.Group work is pointless and too hard to organise.The group assignment was not a positive task.I would rather have a tutor go through topics

instead of group presentations.Reconsider group work assignment. I don't think

this is a fair way to assess individual ability.I don't get a group degree when I leave university.

So why should my degree hinge on a group?SFU comments – School of Education 2011

Oh no ... not group work!*!!

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Yet best things include... Group work, friends made.

E-learning through group work.

Active participation. Group activities.

Group activities allowed me to learn practically.

Working with the groups was positive and interactive.

Group work was fun.

The group presentations were great because they got everyone involved.

Group presentations - interesting way to learn.

SFU comments – School of Education 2011

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Benefits of cooperative learning

Motivation effects Cooperative learning has been found in a number of studies to increase

task motivation, self-esteem & self-efficacy It also seems to have a beneficial effect on attributional style: students

are more likely to attribute success to hard work and ability than to luck Cooperative learners spend more time on tasks

Achievement effects Increases of 10 to 25 percentile ranks have been reported Cooperative learning results in greater improvement in problem solving

skills relative to competitive or individual learning

Social effects Improved relationships amongst students of diverse

social and ethnic backgrounds Strong friendships formed Skills for cooperation

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Perceived inequityGetting pot luck with who is in a group does not reflect

equity when I have to do all the work.Group work is important but sometimes people lose a lot

of marks because of the people they were grouped with. It’s difficult for some group members to participate

equally and to the standards of the rest of the group.

Uneven collaborationGroup member contribution to assignments should be

monitored.Some members did not contribute so more

consequences / guidelines should be established.Structure – group work - how to enforce faire share.

SFU comments – School of Education 2011

So, what’s the problem?

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Poor communication/cooperation/respectRequires a lot of work which isn't reasonable when group

doesn't cooperate, treat each other with respect.

Inadequate structure/supportThe assignment is horrible when you have a dodgy group. Our

marks should not rely so much on what others do. I had a group issue and it was not addressed by the tutor at

all.

Lack of contact timePossibly more times for the group to meet to exchange ideas

and develop projects. This would also keep students on task. It was hard to try and make sure every person in the group

was able to meet at the same time.Group work was difficult with so little contact hours.

SFU comments – School of Education 2011

More difficulties

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

1. Positive interdependence – essential to cooperation = having a shared goal and feeling they will sink or swim together

2. Individual and group accountability - group is accountable for achieving its goals; individuals are accountable for doing their share of the work and for learning

3. Promotive interaction – members share resources and help, support, encourage and praise efforts to learn; face-to-face enables eye contact and full conversational engagement with each other

4. Social skills for working in groups – including effective communication, leadership, decision-making, trust-building, conflict-management.

5. Group processing opportunities – to evaluate how effectively the group is working together to achieve their goals

Johnson & Johnson

Criteria for working cooperatively

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Design purposefullyGroup task needs to be meaningful and coherentCooperative learning should add value and

manifestly enhance learning over individual capacity (positive interdependence)

Build group and individual accountability into assessment

Structure wellOptimal group size for task Process for group formationProvide coherent step-by-step guidelinesDevelop clear roles for individuals (individual

accountability)

Design for effective group work

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Increasingly, the need to develop sustainable ways of living that can reduce our ecological footprint and conserve precious natural resources for future generations is recognised as a critical concern of education at all levels.

Developing ‘sustainability literacy’ requires new ways of thinking and learning that enable us to recognise the connections between environmental concerns, social patterns and individual actions.

Education for Sustainability approaches key issues in sustainability education with a learner-centred approach that builds skills for inquiry, analysis and creative action.

It promotes personal and social change, develops civic values and empowers learners to be leaders for a sustainable future.

Setting: Education for sustainability

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Assignment 2: Due: October 26 or November 2

1. Groups investigate a community-level sustainability issue and develop an Action Plan for addressing it

2. Group presentation of 20 minutes

3. Individual reflection 1500 words (to be submitted on vUWS)

Marking criteria for group component:A relevant community sustainability issue is selected and

clearly outlined; A coherent and sound Action Plan is developed and

presentedGroup collaboration is effectively demonstrated.

Be sure to refer to learning guide for detailed guidelines and marking rubrics for group and individual components

Community sustainability action plan

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

what you

might do...

Imagine

Who,

me?

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does.

(Margaret Meade)

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Together, might you ...

Set up a carpool?

Start a food garden?

Plan a festival?Eliminate waste?

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Will you help to...

... Or inspire others to be more, rather than have more?

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Group component - /20• A relevant community sustainability issue is selected and clearly

outlined; • A coherent and sound Action Plan is developed and presented ;• Group collaboration is effectively demonstrated.

Individual component of the group presentation - /15• A coherent understanding of sustainability issues associated with

your selected issue is demonstrated;• Application of relevant sustainability principles and concepts is

demonstrated in formulating and evaluating your action plan; • Communication and engagement with the audience is effective.

Individual reflection paper - /15• Clear and coherent reflection on specific learnings in this unit

incorporates reflection on readings and learning experiences, and makes links between what you have learned, how you have changed and the implications for your future practice as an educator;

• Competent expression, including clear arguments and appropriate academic referencing according to APA style.

Assessment criteria

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

3.Once you have confirmed the issue you wish to address, you will need to establish your project team and develop clear roles and responsibilities for each member of your group. You will need to determine the stakeholders and specific expertise required to enable you to effectively portray and address the issue you have selected. It is important that you represent the standpoints of different people associated with the issue.

For example, let’s say you have selected pollution at your local beach as your issue. Your team members might take up the perspectives of different stakeholders such as the following people:

a local council representative a residents action committee representative a local business representative a manager from the nearby industry whose effluent flows out to sea

nearby a member of the local beach patrol

Each team member will have a specific constituency and point of view.

Step-by-step guidelines

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Assignment 2: Team roles, responsibilities and tasksteam member constituency

(stakeholder perspective you will represent)

expertise (the particular kind of information you will need to find out to represent this perspective)

responsible for tasks

Allocate roles4.Each group member is required to take on a different role

within the team. In this way each individual will have responsibility for gathering specialised knowledge needed to enable you to work together and come up with a viable plan of action. Use the role and task sheet provided on vUWS to establish and guide your teamwork.

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Scaffold and facilitateProvide examplesPrime for cooperationEstablish ground rules (group accountability)Emphasise sharing of information – vUWS toolsFacilitate recursive inquiry processSupport group problem solving

Model effective group processesCue formative and summative group reflection Be ready to troubleshoot but avoid taking sides!!Encourage acceptance of diversity; inclusive practicesProvide clear but gentle prompts where necessary to

encourage shared participation

Support for group learning

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Education for Sustainability SFUs 2012.1 best aspects: Group assessments.

The group assignment was enjoyable.

Group work, freedom to be creative with assignments.

The group work was the highlight of this for me, I found it easier to learn the value of sustainability through my presentation.

The open feel of the course enabled me to feel confident to express my concerns and have positive interaction with others within the unit.

The assessments were engaging and interesting, I enjoyed working on the assessments as they were hands on.

The group assignments. Proposing an action plan into consideration and now me and my group are going through with our action plan and hopefully it will be a success.

Celebrate the process

Brenda Dobia: Getting the most out of group work October 2012

Cooperative Learning Institute

www.co-operation.org

Jigsaw Classroom www.jigsaw.org/

Johnson, D. H. & Johnson, F. P. (2012). Joining Together: Group Theory and Group Skills (11th ed). USA: Pearson International

Resources