Assessing Group Work
Group work can be difficult to assess.I feel it is the instructors responsibilty to assess each student individually when assigning group work. My children are in the state university system and they are sometimes asked to work in groups on projects. They are sometimes frustrated because most of the time some of the group member(s) don't complete their portion(s) of the project and they either have to complete the missing portion(s) themselves or have to suffer the lowered grade because that portion the other group member(s) did not complete.
HI Jim - I have studied/worked in the PA university system and also have had children do the same. The best recourse that I have seen is to make sure that the teams know in advance that they will be required to evaluate their team members on their performance/participation. Best wishes - Susan
Having the students evaluate each other as part of the grade is a great way to not only step up the expectations but also hold accountability.
I have to agree that group projects are very difficult to assess. it is also difficult for students as in most groups their is usually a slacker and an over acheiver and the ones in the middle.
i agree with this also,on practical asseessement i have my students critic each other final work
Hi Zadi - Welcome to ED 103! When students are asked to evaluate each others' work they will in essence be using what they have learned to be able to make those assessments. In essence they will need to be able to understand the rubrics that determine quality of work. Best wishes - Susan
Group work is great but alot of times hard to assess. Depending on the size of the group sometimes people have a tendency to slack and other people will end of picking up the work. The smaller the group the easier it is to grade.
Hi Susan,
I agree, I think the more information and organization on the project they better the class succeeds. In group projects I will assign particular assignments on a weekly basis to insure that the group project is being done.
Hi Elizabeth- I also try to set up interval assigments that lead to completion of group projects. As we all know, procrastination is often a problem! Best wishes - Susan
Hello Susan,
Do you feel that this is always the best policy? Is it possible to to give individual grades in a group assignment?
Thanks,
Melissa
Hi Melissa - Here is an idea from a Professor at Miami Univ. in Ohio that I have found useful. Of course you would need to include this in the grading rubric for the project. Best wishes! Susan
HI Melissa - Here is some advice from a Miami Univ. of Ohio Professor that I have found useful. Best wishes - Susan
Group work is escpecially useful in simulaitng the work environment. Each member must be held accountable for their contribution. I find it helpful to grade team members both individually and collectively in addition to peer assessment.
Yes Susan. I provide my students with an evaluation rubric where each student can evaluate each of their teammemebers with the same criteria. I also tell the students that a portion of their group grade can be based on these evaluations. This seems to motivate the students to participate.
An additional method is to have milestones or checkpoints throughout the project.
Hi Gail - Thanks for mentioning the mileposts or checkpoints as students proceed on projects - ABSOLUTELY necessary! Best wishes- Susan
I use a "peer" system myself. I tell the students that that will be a portion of the grade. This usually goes ok, but sometimes it's used by other students as a chance to "attack" another. I sometimes tell them I will throw out the high/low and average what's left.
I completely agree that students need to evaluate each other at the end of a paper/project. In addition, instructors could have a policy where students would check in midway through the project with their instructor to evaluate group members. If there are any issues, the instructor could follow up with that student individually. I think this is necessary in some situations. Students doing a majority of the work could be frustrated, and if they just do the assignment themselves without cooperation with their team, this gives the student who didn't help at all at least a passing grade, which is not deserved!
Hi Lindsay- I agree completely - with group projects periodic check-ins are really necessary for all of the reasons you mention. Best wishes- Susan
I teach an online class in which a team project is required. Yes, assessing each student fairly is always a challenge! I let the teams know in advance that it's in their best interest to use the team discussion board (in the course software) for the bulk of their communication. This is the only place where I can go and evaluate the extent of each person's participation. The students also evaluate their teammates at the end and complete a progress memo midpoint in the project. Each student doesn't necessarily receive the same grade on the project. These things seem to put the students at ease from the beginning.
Hi Kristine-Thanks for your post to the forum. You do a great job assessing individuals doing group work. Thanks for sharing! Susan
