GROUP WHA?

“Group” has become the new “F” word in the educational field. Many students fear the consequences of these activities: members they don't like, responsibilities they can't complete, and free loaders lurking in the shadows. If done correctly, a great deal of motivation can be linked to group work (5441):

• Group assignments often limit the amount of work assigned to one person during one assignment.


• Many group projects include multimedia options: iMovie, PowerPoint, and Inspiration are often used as options during these types of projects.


• Letting each student pick a partner, followed by teacher generated groups of four or six can help eliminate some of the social hurdles associated with group work.


• Students can be given a time to reflect upon the overall success of their group; during this assignment free loaders can be called out anonymously by group members without fearing the social repercussions.

Above all, educators must stress the importance of individual accountability during group work. Students should be given group assignments, with individual assignments as follow up. Activities may include a personal reflection or a description of the project. This will maintain a degree of individual responsibility while furthering cooperative learning (TL).