Crissia,
yes, I agree that clarity in our group assignments is key to helping the groups stay on task & find success in the projects.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
This is actually an excellent idea. I really never gave this a thought about the groups not working ahead.
Most of my classes contain 40-50 students so group work can be hard to manage in these numbers. I usually visit and listen to each group for a couple of minutes and only interject if prompted. I instead take the time to listen and evaluate the group dynamics and encouraging participation with non-verbal communication such as nods of affirmation. I will assess some discussion commonalities as well as evaluate if the majority of groups are ignoring key points and redirect. This can be a time consuming task but in large groups, student group work is effective.
As a teacher walking around to each group asking questions and answering theirs helps to keep the student groups on coarse.
mindy,
this small act really does help to keep the groups on task & on target & we can intervene before things get too out of control.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I will ask for a progress report from the group at the next class.
I think this is a great idea as well. I am going to try this next time I split students into groups.
I have found that when the students select the group they want to be in they are all fairly productive. They usually do well at getting on the one person who may not be contributing to the group. I walk around the room and engage with each group by asking them questions and giving positive feedback. It helps keep them on task because I'm present.
I find that group exercises are extremely demanding (and fun)for the the moderator. I literally run from group to group keeping them pointed in the right direction. When a group starts to outpace the others, I suggest a little side trip for them which requires some free thinking and slows them down a bit. When they discover that not all groups have made the same trip they are generally eager to share what they have learned from it.
Lindsey,
this is a great example of how the groups can exert positive peer pressure to encourage participation by all members.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Lindsey,
this is a great example of how the groups can exert positive peer pressure to encourage participation by all members.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like to provide students with an outline of the assignment and what they need to present about the topic. If I see they are getting off track or not spending their class time to work on the project I ask them to explain to me what areas of the assignment they have covered. If it is a long project I could set deadlines for each part to help keep students motivated to stay on course.
Wendi ,
this is a great strategy & really more representative of how real life work projects are coordinated & conducted.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
On the syllabi, I list due dates for outlines,rough drafts and finals so that the students in the group are actively working together and not waiting till last minute.
Judy,
and this is a great way to put those expectations & accountability in front of them right away.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
It is essential to be organized when utilizing groups in order to have successful outcomes. An instructor should present the groups with the assignment objectives and goals, then break down the assignment into smaller chunks. It is important to inform students how they will be evaluated on the group assignment. Finally, it's important to assign roles (if needed) to help facilitate group work.
Ana,
this is so true & so important, the organization & planning. Groups should not be used because I don't know what else to do, but as a result of careful planning.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I make sure the assignments fit the students' skills and abilities. A quick way to kill the spirit of a group is to give assignments that are too difficult for them.
Bronzel,
this is a great point & one we should all consider.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
More often than not I personally like to keep the task very specific with good orientation as to how and what needs to be achieved
