Working in groups
In the online environment, I find that group projects are a challenge. Students already have individual schedule and trying to get them to works as a team is hard. Therefore, I do my best to keep projects simple and to the point. Large projects lead to low participation and lower grades.
Letrice,
I used to think that until I began using the group function in my LMS. It provides tools they can use to communicate asynchronously as well as provide a way to write a paper asynchronously. Look at wikis as a way for groups to write and still keep them accountable.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Letrice,
I agree with you, but I also think that if you are engaged with the groups, they will be more likely to work. I do this, by showing up at group chats, participating in group discussions, and being copied on and responding to group e-mails. This does involve a little more effort on my part, but it really helps the success rate of the groups.
Dale
Nice! With the way LMS's setup students it does make it easier to monitor.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I agree that group projects are challenging, but my challenges are less from a scheduling format and more from pairing the "go-getter" students with the "just barely showing up students." I struggle with creating the groups because I find it unfair to pair typical A or B students in a group with D/F students. However, I cannot create a group of only D/F students because they will never be able to complete the project because they lack leadership skills.
Because I teach culinary students, I try to set up the project as who will be the head chef and how will he/she organize the other cooks. It helps the strong student sharpen their leadership skills instead of getting too frustrated with the inequality.
How do others decide which students will work in groups together?
Jodi,
I do use a mix because you will be in those groups when you work in the real world. I do have students evaluate each other and they can "vote someone off the island" if they are not pulling their weight.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I am interested in how the "voting off the island" work exactly? Do you have a list of objective criteria to use? What happens with a clash of personalities vs. not producing any group work? I recently had a problem when the group was frustrated with the group leader who was doing a lot of work, just going about it in a bossy and derogatory way. I can see that the group might have voted her off.
Do you let those voted off complete the project on their own?
Jodi,
Here is the criteria: More than one member of the group must come to me or the group come to me (can be virtually) and give me the reasons why. If people come separately, they reasons have to be similar. I talk with all members of the group to verify the problem. When I remove a person from a group, they have to the project alone and the highest grade that person can make is a C and that is everything was perfect. It is a group project! I put this within the assignment. I also have each student evaluate everyone in the group. If members of the group say the one member did not pull weight, I reserve the right to lower that person's grade.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have ran into the exact same issue. The online environment is for all types of individuals. Stay at home moms, working full time, taking classes on site and etc. so this is very challenging to get everyone on the same page for a paicular group project or assignment.
Ashley,
True, when I do my next group project online I am going to have them as a group sign a group contract that explain expectation of the group. There are different issues in the online group environment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I'm sure many of us have found the same situation. Even if I have a large project to be completed by the end of the term, I will introduce students to smaller challenges. Similar to what you do, the projects are pretty simple with clearly defined outcomes.
Tom,
You are right. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! I really give them a calendar that will help them with management.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
