Ten Research-Based Steps for Effective Group Work
IDEA Paper #65 • August, 2017 by Linda C. Hodges from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
A suggestion for achieving active learning in classrooms and studios often involve students working in groups. There are many advantage of this pedagogical approach, which include: students developing metacognition, applying concepts and solving problems collaboratively, improving critical thinking and getting support from peers. Group work can also be quite challenging to manage, as it involves complex cognitive and affective elements of human social interactions.
The 10 research based practices shared in this article are the following:
- Clarify Your Learning Goals for Group Work
- Be Transparent with Your Students about Your Reasons for Using Groups
- Be Proactive in Anticipating and Addressing Student Resistance
- Help Students Maximize Their Experience in Groups by Prompting Good Group Practices
- Based on your Learning Goals, Decide Between Using Casual Groups or Structured Teams
- Form Groups in Ways that Fit Your Goals
- Design Group Assignments Worthy of a Group Effort
- Consider Factoring Group Work into Your Grading Scheme
- Help Students Recognize and Reflect on Their Learning from the Group
- Close the Loop in Your Course Design by Assessing the Use of Groups in Your Class
Additional resources and strategies for faculty on group or team work:
- Carnegie Mellon University’s Eberly Center offers tools for creating, monitoring, and assessing groups during group projects. https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/index.html
- University of Waterloo’s Centre for Teaching Excellence provides teaching tips for implementing group work in the classroom: Prepare, Design, Introduce, Monitor and End the group tasks. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/alternatives-lecturing/group-work/implementing-group-work-classroom
- The following Teaching Guide from Vanderbilt University shows both the theoretical underpinnings as well as practical applications of group group in the classroom. See the guide here — Brame, C.J. and Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Retrieved 4.29.19 from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/.
- This article on Edutopia by Jeff Knutson is about tools and tips for setting up effective group work https://www.edutopia.org/article/setting-effective-group-work
- The Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning at University of Indiana and Bloomington shares teaching strategies for group work: Organize your group and Designate roles for the group. https://citl.indiana.edu/teaching-resources/teaching-strategies/group-work/
- Read more about different roles in a group work on Washington University in St.Louis’ website: https://teachingcenter.wustl.edu/resources/active-learning/group-work-in-class/using-roles-in-group-work/