All ideas should be shared and considered. Ideas should be justified with reasons. Challenges are encouraged but students must disagree with the point, not the person. Register to continue reading for free It only takes a moment and you'll get access to more news, plus courses, jobs and teaching resources tailored to you Register. TES Professional. Latest stories. Amy Gibbons 25 Oct Tes Reporter 25 Oct Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is unclear, and being open to change and other ideas.
Problem solving : Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional advice and help. Management and organization : Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting.
For example, they ensure that meeting goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too. Knowledge of roles : Group members know which roles can be filled within a group e. As an instructor, use some of these strategies to encourage students to develop an effective process within their small groups: Design the group task so that the students must work together.
Group members will be more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark; if you choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear. Once students are in groups, have them develop, as one of their early assignments, a group contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. Be sure that groups discuss how they will respond to various scenarios such as absentee or late group members and those who do not complete their assigned tasks.
Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution. Have each group articulate, based on this list, a set of strategies for decision making and conflict resolution; this list should become part of the group contract.
You may also want to offer yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations, but encourage students to work out problems among themselves. Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda.
Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback. Create an assignment that involves them giving feedback to group members, and make it part of their final grade. Requiring them to rotate their roles helps them to expand their skills set.
Appendix A: Encouraging self-awareness and reflection in group work One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on their group experiences.
How is your attitude towards your group members demonstrated in how you function within the group? How do you demonstrate trust and openness towards the other members and their ideas?
Do you give honest opinions? If not, why not? How much do you feel you can rely on your group members to complete the required task s? How do you make sure that group members feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated for their work? How does the team ensure that all voices are heard? Do you participate willingly in the discussion? Do others appear to understand your ideas? What do you focus on when others speak? How could you improve your listening skills? How do they respond to yours?
What could be improved? What changes to these rules and goals might improve the functioning of your group? How is everyone encouraged to stay accountable to the tasks they have been assigned? To what extent do you and others follow the feedback methods laid out in class? How could you and your group members improve the way you give and receive feedback? To what extent does your group reflect on how well its goals are being achieved?
How are decisions made in your group? Who is involved and in which ways? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How could your decision-making processes be improved? What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision made by the group?
What conflicts have arisen within your group? We all knew that sorting out the PowerPoint would be too tricky for her. Linda: That sounds really infuriating. Harriet: It really was. Using your emotional intelligence demands that just as you identify the core of a Maths problem and then fix it, so you can identify the core of an interpersonal problem and then work out a solution — possibly using some or all of the tips above. Not everyone will necessarily have the skills to spot the problems in the first place, as it takes emotional intelligence to work out which members of a group might — for instance — row, or try to take over, or not pull their weight if nudged.
Do you have any more tips for effective group work? Share them in the comments! Image credits: banner ; clock ; teacher ; Tudors ; dog ; ducks ; meeting room ; smartphone ; mop ; group. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. With most things in life, you can experiment until you find out what works best. You should also read… 7 Common Study Problems and How….
Good project management looks effortless, but requires a great deal of skill. Your email will not be shared and you can unsubscribe whenever you want with a simple click. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Related Blog Posts. On this page Set clear goals Ensure everyone contributes Avoid negativity.
Group work is a great opportunity to analyse, discuss and explore ideas with fellow students making it an increasingly significant part of many degrees It allows you to develop key transferable skills such as teamwork, organisation, communication, leadership and problem solving.
Follow these tips to help ensure that your assignment results in success… Set clear goals At the start of any team project, you should spend your first meeting agreeing on specific targets and setting some ground rules. Ensure everyone contributes All members of the group should strive to create a supportive atmosphere that allows everyone to feel comfortable expressing their thoughts without the threat of being dismissed, ridiculed or ignored.
The University of Kent identifies seven roles that people can play in group meetings: Compromiser - Attempts to maintain harmony and rapport among all team members by encouraging others, and recognising and resolving any differences of opinion.
Encourager - Energises the team through humour or enthusiasm, suggesting ideas and confronting any problems. Evaluator - Offers critical analysis of all options before coming to an informed decision. Ideas person - Suggests original and potentially radical new ways to organise the task or solve problems. Leader - Ensures the group remains on-task, coordinating resources, assigning tasks and driving members to achieve a positive end result.
Recorder - Keeps the group focused and organised through timekeeping and note-taking, ensuring that every member understands their individual responsibilities. Summariser - Clarifies objectives and elaborates on others' ideas, wrapping up the group's discussion and conclusions.
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