I feel students are always a little hesitant to do this activity,but Once you get them involved they do seem to enjoy interacting with one another.
some times i feel groups cause more discussion on more than the topic
Hi Mike,
The key to group discussions it to keep them on target and focused. You can do this in many ways the most important being keeping control of the situation and don't let one student dominate. Don't be afraid to stop the discussion and bring it back to the topic if you have to.
Gary
Hello Joseph-
In the online classroom, it is difficult to have a group project. However, the problems in the online environment are the same as in the traditional classroom...a few students will do all the work and the other ones will get credit.
Kathryn
I prefer in-class group projects. Students have a tough time meeting outside of class. Many of them have full-time jobs and families.
Hi Dan,
Your method is based upon the life situations your students are working with. You are also being responsive to creating ways in which the students can be successful while carrying heavy schedules outside of the classroom. Well done.
Gary
I have found that students that work in groups generally have a lot more fun, therefore they learn more. The tricky part for me is to manage the group size. If the group gets too large than I have two or three people that are doing the work while the others can copy answers. One other major plus is when the students are in a group they are more motivated to ask questions about what they don’t understand. From the instructor point of view, I would rather explain or do a demonstration to a small group that want’s it and is hungry for it than a large group where there can be many distractions.
In small amounts of time groups are good because other students can see and even adapt to different students learnnig habits.
Hi James,
Sounds like you have a good grasp of how student learning groups can operate and be of benefit to everyone. You hit upon a key point concerning making sure everyone is accountable for the work being done.
The best size for student groups is 5-6. Experience has shown that this size gets everyone involved while not letting anyone hang back and not do the work.
Gary
"I hate group projects!" "I hate working in groups!" "Can I just do it on my own?" This is what most of my students say when I mention the group project for a class.
I have read some of the other comments as well and I agree that students learn better in groups. Initially I was skeptic, however after my first experience giving students group work I fell in love. Students can learn so much more from each other because they become more comfortable with someone who is not the instructor. Plus, students can learn much from other students. Also I teach at a very hands-on school and most of the students will be working in fields where they MUST work with others. Why not start the practice of cooperative learning now? It is so helpful in the longrun!
some do some donot but it is good to build teamwork
I don't like working in groups either and I hear the same complaints from my students. I explain to them is that in most job environments, you will have to work in groups. It's important that students learn how to work with different personalities as well as build their teamwork skills.
In some classes I feel this works well. However in others it seems easy for the students to get talking about things unrelated to the subject matter.So i find it depends on the class you have at the time.
Hi Dave,
That is where you have to make sure you stay on top of the discussion and keep the students focused. The discussion can get away from the topic very easy if there are no controls.
Gary
Well designed group projects have been of great value to me. Even if a team member/some team members do not do their share, the outcome frequently reflects real experience. Even if the assigned activity has produced little learning, the exercise in working with others has been most helpful to my growth as a team player or team leader. For this reason,in my capacity as an instructor of antique and traditional skills, I am looking for ways to make group assignments more efficient. Where can I find assistance in this effort?
Hi Charles,
Good comments about the use of student groups as learning tools. Your question about making group assignments more efficient is one that many instructors deal with. In order to respond with an answer that is targeted on your needs can you be more specific within the question. This will help me and other participants to give you some suggestions that will be of value to you.
Thanks for your response.
Gary
I instruct gunstock making at a trade school. While the emphasis for the beginning student is the development of his/her individual knowledge and skill, the emphasis shifts at midcourse to developing proficiency in specialized skills, chosen by the student. At first, the student works upon his/her personally owned firearms and components. Most advanced work is performed upon firearms brought to the school by customers. Because each customer firearm usually requires the application of several specialty tasks to complete the project, each customer firearm effectively becomes a group project. What can I do to encourage each student's ownership of the group project as a whole?
Hi Charles,
Having done some work in the area of engraving of both wood and metal on various firearms I am basing my recommendations on these experiences. If the students are to be equally proficient in all areas of customizing firearms then you can assign them specific tasks for each firearm. Then reassign them to another skill area for the next firearm. The students can develop ownership in the collection of work that they individually do over several firearms. On one a student may be doing stock engraving and for the next one metal work. The idea is that each firearm contributes to the total develop of the group's skills.
Gary
Some of them do and some of them don't. The Final Graduating Student Presentations are generally in groups, and I can't tell you the countless times that some students have been piggy-backing other students for months. Basically, a group of 5, and only two doing the real work.
I think it is important for each student to prove they can do their own work first, then be privileged into a working group. Think about it, the student won't be hired at a firm with their entire group; each student has to be self reliant!
Hi David,
Evaluation of individual student work that has occurred in a group setting is an important point to consider. Instructors need to have a clear method of evaluating individual students in a collective way when group work is involved. No one likes to be lumped into a group, do the work and then not get proper credit for the work. I use groups all the time in my classes but I have a clearly defined evaluation plan for each individual student so they know they will be evaluated fairly and accurately for their personal work.
Gary
