I am a strong believer in group projects, even if almost everyone else in higher education thinks they are a waste of time. Earlier this month, I had a conversation with a senior faculty member about one of my syllabi for this semester. She was surprised that I included a group project that was worth so much of the students’ grades. She told me about the complaints she’s received from students over the years and that she’s minimized her use of group projects.
This is a story that has been told many times, at many universities, by many faculty members. But I think it is possible to change this pattern. I think that there is inherent value to having students work together and create something collaboratively. I’ve had students say that they were very pleased with the final outcome of their projects and were proud of what “we” did. Convincing students and faculty that group assignments can be successful begins with a reexamination as to what it can teach students.
Group assignments are an opportunity for students to learn content, but are also a chance for students to develop other skills that will serve them well in their postgraduate life. Most white-collar jobs require some collaborative work (as well as endless rounds of meetings). Learning how to navigate these kinds of situations in college give students an advantage when they enter the working world.
More importantly, group work is a chance for self-discovery. Students can learn more about how they operate in a group and test their personal boundaries. I mention both of these lessons when I introduce the group project because a common student complaint is that group work is “pointless.” Explaining the larger objectives helps students understand that the purpose of the project is not to torture them, but to teach them valuable skills.
The question then becomes, “What can we do to facilitate successful group projects?” The success or failure of the assignment begins the second it is introduced to the students. It is important that the instructor doesn’t apologize for saddling them with an awful burden. If the instructor dislikes group projects but has decided to assign one anyway, it is of VITAL importance that that is not communicated to the students. I know this seems obvious, but it is a serious problem.
I’ve developed a system for creating group projects that has been very successful. I’ve used it on a number of occasions and it has served me well. There are three components, all of which are worth one –third of the group project grade. They include the object/presentation that each of the groups produced, individual students’ paper on the research they did used in the creation of the object/presentation, and each students’ self-assessment/group assessment.
The first two are self-explanatory, but the self/group assessment is more unusual. The students are required to assess their participation in the group, detailing their contributions and rating their participation on a scale of one to five. The other students in the group then assess each other on a scale of one to five. Of course, all of this is done confidentially. Making this one third of their grade seems high, but I have found that it encourages students to take their participation seriously. Also, when I can manage it, I like to give them a little bit of time in class to work on the project shortly before the assignment is due. I take this time to observe each group’s dynamics to get a sense of who contributes what to the group. This way, I can anticipate what the group assessments and the self-assessments will look like.
All of these factors make the students more likely to work together. Many students take comfort in knowing that their own work makes up third of the grade. Students that have a tendency to slack off take the project more seriously knowing that their peers will be evaluating them at the end of the project. Overall, I have had a few problems and almost no complaints using this system.
Ideally, I’d like to teach in a world where the whole of the group project grade would be dedicated to the group project, but I know that’s not happening anytime soon. In the meantime, I will continue to assign group projects, however imperfect.
Well stated, Kelly. I use group work in all of my classes including projects. Small groups encourage openness whereas classroom wide discussion marginalize people. When it comes to projects, groups are important for the very reason you stated. They will be working with groups as professionals in multiple ways, so why not learn how to do that in college? The old job interview cliche, “I’m a people person,” can actually hold meaning for the candidate if they can point out that in Professor J’s class they worked in groups on multiple projects.
I do like the grading system you have there. That is something I have been struggling with. Dealing with a few students who do not contribute to the groups has been a problem at times. In fact, if you don’t mind, I would like to ask for permission to utilize that grading system. I think that will be a prime motivator in getting some students into motion.
I actually love the idea of students working in groups. I employ a learning centered model with a strong element of classroom flipping and group work dovetails right into the system. The results are interesting in that students come up with some interesting things which is wonderful because it serves as a transfer of knowledge between everyone including myself.
I had to do group work in an online doctoral course and that was very interesting. We had four team members with two on the East Coast, me in Missouri, and one in Arizona. The project came off smoothly and we overcame multiple barriers in order to construct a 24 slide PowerPoint that moved seamlessly through the transitions of the project. The experience was outstanding in that we as students experienced some of the same disorientation that our students feel in our teaching with group work. Interactive learning is always quite useful at any education level.