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We usually have 3 students in lab groups. If I have one lab group that is strong in one area ,once they are finished I have them help a group that just needs help understanding the process.
Robert,
Groups helping groups. That builds community within the class.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
One of the challenges I find with group labs is that most students feel obligated to agree with their teammates even if they personally would answer differently. We always use individual lab task sheets to allow for individual responses rather than one group sheet. Even using this model, individual testing of each student be done on some level to ensure the student can truely complete the task. In some courses I use a required competency sign-off sheet. I allow th estudents to come to me when they feel competent in the task and demonstrtate it to me then i sign them off. All tasks must be signed off before the ond of the course. These are obviously tasks that can be completed with little setup or prep. More complex tasks must be assessed as a group.
andre,
Yes, group work requires setting up some expectations including peer-to-peer communications. No one wants to ask the teacher what is tomorrow's homework. So, the students in the group do not want to face any challenges that could prolong a task.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I have found that students sometimes use other students knowedge and do not apply themselves.When they no longer are in pairs and solo,that is when the short coming is revealed.
Frank,
Add a well-structured Peer-to-Peer assessment to the pairs work. That can help.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I instruct five phases,all from the same training.I do find it very helpfull for students that are strong in a subject to help other students understand,but there's other students that are shy to work with other students early in the phase.To break the ice,I have them working together by giving them a project day,and that works out fine.Do you recomend other helpfull ideas to help students"break the ice"?
Eloy,
A very simple technique you can use often is to pair the students to Think-Pair-Share. They each discuss a problem based on the content or given to them and help each other with a solution. This can be done in groups too.
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
It is great to get to the lab and prove the theory we have discussed. It seems to me that all lab groups get completed at different times some spend more time making sure they understand what is expected of them during the lab. Other groups are just trying to completed the task like it is a race. Individual lab check offs or a real world application of the information is a great way to see if the student truly understands what they learned during lab.If they can explain it or apply the information they know it.
Aaron,
When groups "race" through the lab do you believe they have mastered a skill or merely completed it as quick as possible? Do you have them redo the task? Give them a problem in the task to solve?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
I try to mix up the lab groups so the students don't rely on one person in the group to find all the answers.
Roger,
Is that working well?
Ron Hansen, Ed. D.
