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Group work is a method that includes working in groups to enhance critical, decision-making, collaborative, and communication skills to increase productivity.

Students in their school and college life and individuals in their professional life have to work in groups at one time or another. This practice is encouraged a great deal as it helps the team members to understand the content in a better way so that everyone can benefit from peer-to-peer instructions.

How to Implement group work?

The various steps involved in implementing group work are as follows-
1. Preparing for working in groups
The first step in this process consists in arranging the students in groups.

Look at the layout of the classroom and then form the groups in the best possible manner so that the students are comfortable and can hear each other.

While preparing for working in groups, emphasize civil behavior, good conduct, and professional attitude amongst students so that they can respect each other and work in an amicable environment

Establish ground rules for successful teamwork

2. Designing the group activity
The second step in this process involves designing the group activity.

This is where you decide what you want to accomplish. The group activity must be in tandem with the instructional objectives to felicitate learning in students. This is the time to ask yourself what is the objective, how can it achieve the desired success, does the activity need working in groups, is it complicated or challenging by nature, and does the task require teamwork?

If the task is challenging and stimulating, the students will also enjoy working together to get the desired results. The chance of using the combined talent to create something new and unique becomes high through the collaborative exercises.

Encourage positive feelings amongst the students to felicitate interdependence and involvement. There should be a fair division of labor, and every member should be held accountable for personal and teamwork. It is a fact that cooperative learning motivates team members and boosts productivity and efficiency

An essential part of this step is deciding on the size of the group. Look at the size of the classroom, the total number of students, the task that has been assigned, and the needs of the task before forming a group. Generally, a team with four to five members is considered perfect, but it can be reduced or increased depending upon the situation

Students can be given a choice to form the groups by themselves, but an important disadvantage will be that they will choose the members based on their compatibility and friendship and not the needs of the task. The teacher or the instructor might find it useful in some cases to form groups' themselves so that all the groups can meet the requirements of the task easily. Another way to increase diversity within groups is by assigning students into groups randomly.

Estimate the time beforehand and provide enough time for the group to complete their tasks. Make a plan to hold a plenary session to look at and discuss the results and general issues that anyone might be facing

Predict the questions that will be asked during the plenary session and prepare for the answers beforehand

This is the stage where you need to design collaborative work in various formats like large groups, small groups, and pairs. Some of the students think best on their feet, whereas some need the time to digest the information, and in some cases, some of the students will contribute actively in pairs.

3. Introducing the group activity
The third step in this process involves introducing activities in the groups and letting the students know about the purpose of the group work

It becomes imperative to share your reason for working in groups with the students to understand the advantages of collaborative learning. Introduce activities and connect them with class themes and learning outcomes for best results

Always form the groups before giving them instructions to save time

Encourage the students to introduce themselves to the group members for unity in the group. They will work with a better frame of mind if all the members are comfortable and trust each other.

Explain the task in a detailed form so that all the groups know what they need to do. Describe the final product you are expecting to set the goals of the task. Prepare visual and oral instructions and include time estimation for all the activities to guide the students for better outcomes

Set the ground rules at the onset of interactions within the groups, especially for more prolonged activities. Make a group contract and include principles like methods for decision-making, active listening, and respect

Give the students time to ask questions about the activities

4. Monitoring the group task
The fourth step in this process involves monitoring of the tasks in the groups.

Monitoring the group work activities is essential but does not hover over the groups and distract them. Circulate and answer questions that are raised. Listen to the emerging trends so that they can be discussed during the plenary session.

Do not interfere with the functioning of the group because they need to solve the related problems by themselves

Leave the room for some time so that the students can share their uncertainties effectually

Express your confidence in the students and let them know that you expect a lot from them and are confident that they will deliver

Do not be ready to help the students reach their goals. Let them struggle and find their path to accomplish tasks

Clarify your role as a facilitator at the onset so that the students do not have unreasonable expectations from you

5. Ending the group task
The last step in this process involves finishing the tasks and providing closure to the activities in the group.

Let the students do group reporting in the plenary session. Encourage the exchange of ideas and let the students know how their work was useful

Let every group introduce one idea and make sure that it circulates through the groups until there are no new ideas left. Let them give their insights through questions and answers

Make sure that all the groups are recording their ideas and presenting them to others. Students can circulate and read the answers, or they can move around in groups and add comments in response to others

Encourage the students to show sensitivity and respect towards each other, value opinions that are different from theirs, and be willing to offer and receive constructive criticism.

Look for connections between the course topic and group conclusions

Clarify inaccurate responses and misconceptions

Leave some room for further research

Ask students to reflect on the process of working in groups through written or oral reports. It will help discover what they have learned and how they have functioned and contributed to the collaborative group work.

Benefits of group work

The advantages of working in groups are as follows-

1. An essential benefit of working in groups is that it boosts performance because a broader range of skills can be applied to the task.

2. Working in groups increases the level of efficiency and productivity

3. The sharing and discussing of new ideas result in a greater understanding between individuals and results in bonding that will encourage them to have each other's back at difficult times

4. Being part of a skilled team enhances the abilities and know-how of every member.

5. Working in a group is beneficial as it develops skills like listening, speaking, and leadership

6. Working as part of a group develops decision-making, problem-solving, conflict resolution, negotiation, critical thinking, and communication skills that a person will need throughout his life to grow and prosper

7. An essential benefit of working in groups is that it boosts the level of cooperation and helps individuals to identify their strengths and weaknesses

8. Working in a group increases self-awareness and helps with the approach to learning

9. People tend to remember group discussions, and the information is also retained for a longer time

10. Students are encouraged to work in groups in a classroom as it creates active learners.

11. An essential benefit of working in groups is that it boosts the level of achievement

12. Working in groups nurtures cooperative learning, trust, and support

13. Working as part of a group facilitates improvement in interactions and social skills

14. An essential benefit of working in groups is that it boosts the level of learning outcomes

15. Working in groups results in a shared workload

Disadvantages of group work

The disadvantages of working in groups are as follows-

1. There is always the pressure to go with the majority opinion. If someone is not vocal enough, then even if he disagrees, his voice will not be heard. This often results in agreeing to a wrong opinion simply because some members are more dominant than others

2. In some cases, the work is distributed unevenly, and the less dominant members of the group find themselves with more work than the ones that are steering the group activities in their desired path

3. Coming to a single solution that is agreeable to every member takes time, whereas when an individual is working alone, he does not have to spend time convincing about the solution or the path to take

Group work activities are often encouraged amongst the students and even in professional life as it helps to balance the needs for cohesion, participation, productivity, efficiency, and diversity. Working in groups thus acts as a motivational tool for active learning.
Conclusion

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Group Work - Meaning, Benefits, and Implementation

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Group work is a method that includes working in groups to enhance critical, decision-making, collaborative, and communication skills to increase productivity. Students in their school and college life and individuals in their professional life have to work in groups at one time or another.

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Implementing Group Work in the Classroom | Centre for Teaching Excellence

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Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making sk

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Abstract

Introduction: Individual and group reflection practices are qualitative methods useful in a group context to develop group skills and more awareness of the dynamics that take place within the group to which one belongs.

Aim: The aim of this work is to highlight how individual reflective practices and group reflections contribute to the development of group skills. More specifically, the effectiveness of relevant group dynamics is investigated, with the aim of creating a space for reflection, and activation for individual and group empowerment.

Participants: The participants were 130 university students (86% female), resided in northwestern Italy, and had a mean age of 27.5 years ( SD = 7.52). They were randomly divided into 23 groups (ranged from four to nine members).

Method: The participants engaged in several online training activities and at the end of every activity they completed individual reflection practice in which they presented both positive and negative aspects related to the group experiences. Then they participated in online group reflections that allowed them to reflect on the group dynamics, particular attention given to factors such as climate, participation and roles played by each participant in a variety of training activities. This study analyzes 130 individual reflective practices and 23 group reflections. The data collected through individual reflective practices and the transcripts of the group reflections were analyzed using grounded theory. Two independent judges analyzed and categorized the data and then identified the main common categories that emerged by the support of Nvivo software.

Results: From the analysis of the content, it is determined that the participants, based on the construction of the individual and group reflections, paid greater attention to the dynamics that occurred within the group during the various activities in which they participated, thus allowing them to be more aware of the various factors that affected the importance attributed to the different roles, the climate, and their active participation.

Conclusion: Combined, these factors allowed participants to strengthen their relationships with each other and enhance the cohesion of the group.

Keywords: reflective practices, qualitative methods, groups dynamics, group reflections, Italy

Introduction

The individual and group reflective practices are a qualitative tool that in a group context allows to analyze how the members develop more awareness and group skills that favor the implementation of individual and group empowerment. Regarding "group skills," literature means those essential characteristics that a group must have for its proper functioning such as communication, leadership, creativity, organization, and collaboration ( Tarricone and Luca, 2002). Reflective practices are defined by some authors ( Schön, 1993; Perrenoud, 1994; Pescheux, 2007; Nuzzaci, 2011) as the ability to make inferences, consciously using previous experiences, theorizing the practice through a formalization of knowledge of action. In particular, the literature has highlighted those reflective practices are considered a qualitative tool useful in groups. The group has also been defined as a learning tool ( Bruno and Dell'Aversana, 2018), a place par excellence that favors learning methods and complex training, as each member of the group brings different skills and qualities that are comprehended through comparison, discussion and conflict during the construction of an articulated competence ( Pojaghi, 2005). Small group work, in particular, facilitates social well-being, social connection and self-motivation, all of which influence the development of professional growth ( Dari et al., 2021). The group-work methodology is an experiential learning tool that initiates social and cultural change processes that can be implemented throughout professional fields, such as school, social, health, work, etc. ( Bolocan Parisi et al., 1988). In general, the objectives of a working group include the achievement of a sharing of the issues discussed, a common purpose and a mutual commitment to action. The role of the facilitator is fundamental not so much for the content treated by the group but for maintaining the structure of the group and the success of the process. Groups have their own emotional life that influences and is influenced by their members, as each participant experiences the pressure of achieving what they want and balancing what is good for the group ( Phillips and Phillips, 1993). Small group work, also referred to as cooperative learning, is a methodology that involves small groups of individuals working together on a common task ( Villalba, 2007; Steen et al., 2008, 2014). As an example, teamwork is an important component of school curricula ( Paisley and Milsom, 2007), and the participation of young university students in such teamwork is crucial for career development, especially as it is linked to higher academic achievement ( Thanh et al., 2008; White, 2011). This methodology also improves peer interactions ( Akos et al., 2007) and is comprised of processes like those encounters in the workplace. For example, teamwork in school requires many of the same skills as teamwork in the work environment, such as effective communication, brainstorming, collaboration, trust building, and conflict resolution ( Tindale and Kameda, 2000). Group settings offer students the opportunity to observe and develop new skills through peer interactions and allow a safe and therapeutic space to practice those skills ( Perusse et al., 2009). This allows them to gain strength and confidence, which carries over to other aspects of their lives, while also enhancing their advocacy skills ( Diemer et al., 2010; Dari et al., 2021). Finally, as supported by Vinatier (2006), working and talking with others about lived experiences allows one to process and understand the facts and events experienced and to thereby formulate interpretations that are useful as one reconsiders certain practices.

The members of the group, reflect on and compare themselves within the contexts of their professional practice and question the sense of self in practice as they develop their own professional identity ( Bruno and Bracco, 2016). Reflective practices concern reflective doing or operating, referring to the complex of modalities, strategies, procedures concretely implemented in reflection. For Perrenoud (2001) in particular, reflective practice is connected with reflexivity, as an identity that measures reality in nature or in the consequences of reflection on daily actions in one's professional environment. In fact, such reflective practices are used in different contexts, including the supervision ( Heffron et al., 2016) of work and learning, which then promotes the construction of new knowledge that allows for the creation of meaning and new actions, as well as more familiar contexts ( Boud et al., 1985; Nuzzaci, 2011).

Reflecting on action allows an analysis developed from experience, a learning based on the "circularity between action and reflection" on which quality also depends ( Bruno and Dell'Aversana, 2018, p. 346). Furthermore, reflection improves the quality of practice and service delivery ( Heffron et al., 2016). The use of reflective practices is experimented in different contexts such as work and/or training, where the use of group work is a fundamental tool. According to Ghaye (2001), reflective practices allow workers (both as individuals and as groups) to develop empowerment with respect to tensions in the workplace. Empowerment is achieved through reflection, a critical analysis of one's working reality to transform it and improve individual and working group well-being and satisfaction. Moreover, the group's reflective practices in social work have also been redefined in online mode following the pandemic: Parrello et al. (2021) report a study on the use of the multi-vision group for the first time used in online mode, reflective group that aims to protect the well-being of workers.

With respect to the use of reflective practices with university students, some studies ( Esposito et al., 2017, 2021) have highlighted the importance of using the narrative mediation path in an innovative group counseling method to favor the reflection or the development of the capacity for reflection and mentalization. In addition, reflective writing encourages students to express personal emotions, and through this, the learner has the opportunity to reflect on the entire learning process ( Rué et al., 2013), thus giving way to a transformation of learning through a process of metacognition ( YuekMing and Abd Manaf, 2014). Parrello et al. (2020) highlight how reflexivity is fundamental for practice in the context of studies related to social educational work.

Reflective Practice as a Tool of Awareness

In the early 1930s, Dewey (1933) defined reflective practice as looking at the previous experience to draw useful meanings for the next experience, a learning style that Finlayson (2015) describes as a collective, public nature within a learning organization, i.e., an intellectual experience. This definition has been expanded and revised over the years ( Marshall, 2019; Greenberger, 2020). Indeed, Schön (1975), building upon the definition of Dewey (1933), defines reflection as a learning strategy useful for professionals seeking to achieve a greater awareness of their implicit knowledge. Although different definitions of reflection have been proffered over the years, there appears to be agreement on the function that it performs. Specifically, reflection contributes to the development of self-awareness and the improvement of the decision-making process ( Greenberger, 2020). In the 21st century, educational research has increasingly focused attention on reflection as a fundamental aspect of the learning process ( Sabtu et al., 2019). Nuzzaci (2011), referring, for example, to the practice of reflexivity in the school environment, emphasizes that in the process of reflection, interaction with colleagues is fundamental for the implementation of informed actions. Sabtu et al. (2019) argue that reflective practices help students both achieve a greater understanding of the academic materials learned and develop student and learning processes throughout their lives ( Finlay, 2008). As reported by YuekMing and Abd Manaf (2014), the writing process itself is a fundamental learning tool in that it offers the possibility for students to become autonomous and competent as they reflect on what they have learned and clarify and process thoughts and knowledge in a coherent and structured way, which leads to a greater understanding of the discipline ( Rué et al., 2013). Reflective practice can include both a dimension of solitary introspection and a more defined group dimension, the latter of which implies a critical dialog with others ( Finlay, 2008). For example, Bruno and Dell'Aversana (2018) state that teamwork favors the development of reflective learning through the activation of a professional identity and the shared responsibility of students regarding the learning environment. The authors also suggest that the group has been recognized as a powerful training tool, within which, based on their reflections and on the comparisons of the contexts of their professional practices, learners develop their professional identities by questioning their sense of self ( Bruno and Bracco, 2016). Accordingly, in reflective learning environments, as students are active and responsible agents of their own learning, evaluation is not focused on the expected results but on the process of acquiring knowledge and the development of interpersonal and communication skills ( Boud et al., 1985; Bruno and Dell'Aversana, 2018).

The Group Dimension of Reflective Practice

From the studies in the literature, it emerges that the group dimension, compared to the individual dimension, is a more problematic approach than is a reflective approach. According to Bion (1961), who introduces the rational working group model, the rationality of the group, albeit stronger than that of the individual, is in a constant struggle with emotional tendencies that push toward objectives that are in conflict with those explicitly shared by the group. There are studies ( Bondioli, 2015; Savio, 2016) of educational teams in childcare services regarding their participatory and reflective capacities with respect to group dimension. In this regard, a training model of promotion from within is proposed that addresses the obstacles that may impede the reflective and participatory capacities of the group, such as apprehension in situations of learning from experience, lack of definitiveness with respect to the correct path, or the individual need to belong to the group, which may result in one becoming lost in the group.

According to Mezirow (2003), reflexivity is linked to the meaning that an individual attributes to his or learning by interpreting the experience and generating new knowledge via the sharing of the skills possessed. Other authors ( Wenger et al., 2002) underscore that the working groups are real "communities of practices." That is, they are a group of people who together, within a defined space, deepen knowledge and experience by sharing the same themes, passions, and similar problems. When these "communities of practices" share the same professional contexts, a shared reflexivity to act by bringing together experiences, histories, cultures, and common languages is created to build shared solutions for problematic situations ( Albanese et al., 2010).

There are studies that focus on reflective practices in teacher training ( Calderhead, 1989; Parsons and Stephenson, 2005; Black and Plowright, 2010; Crotti, 2017) and studies that emphasize reflective group supervision in the workplace ( Proctor, 2008; Knight et al., 2010), which is regarded as a process that offers opportunities to strengthen reflective capacity within and among the professionals involved. In this respect, Finlay (2008) highlights how reflective practice is used in supervisory contexts through the presence of the dimension of dialog. From another perspective, group reflective supervision is used in health care as a tool to develop the reflective capacity of staff ( Heffron et al., 2016). Collin and Karsenti (2011) accentuate that from a theoretical point of view, the literature has focused more on the individual perspective of reflective practice, showing little interest in the collective dimension, which is explicitly evident when there is the presence of another and an verbal interaction ensues, which is an intrinsic characteristic. Furthermore, the authors highlight the importance of interpersonal (group activities), intrapersonal (reflective writing), and online (written messages and reactive feedback) dimensions within what they define as interactive reflective practice.

Aims

The aim of this work is to highlight how individual reflective practices and group reflection contribute to the development of group skills. The effectiveness of relevant group dynamics is investigated, with the aim to create a space for reflection, discussion, and implementation, evaluating their effects with respect to how the tool of reflection of the group is used by students.

Participants

The participants are 130 students (86% females and 14% males), lived in northwestern Italy and had a mean age of 27.5 years (22-56 years, SD = 7.52). Furthermore, they enrolled in the master's degree courses of the Department of Social Sciences (Psychology and Educational Sciences). The participants already had experience of online groups, as, in the midst of an emergency crisis caused by the COVID-19, the educational courses, in which the students had taken part in the previous semester, had been organized and conducted on the Teams platform.

Materials and Methods

Each participant at the end of the activities proposed weekly during the course wrote an individual reflective practice in the form of a diary structured by thematic areas, highlighting the positive and negative aspects of the group experiences, their involvement in the various activities, what worked or not in the group and the reactions of the participants to the empowerment experience. Group reflection practices were then carried out within the group, together with the researcher, which allowed to reflect on the group dynamics created during the various training activities, focusing on the most relevant ones, with particular attention to factors such as the climate, participation and the role played by each one. Each group reflection produced a collective written practice. In both modalities, individual reflective practice and group reflective practice, there were no limits of space, everyone was free to follow their own narrative modalities in the individual level while in the group dimension there was a group negotiation on how much to produce in the group narrative.

Procedure

Participants joined the study on a voluntary basis with formal enrollment in a group training course, held during October and November 2020. The participants were randomly divided into 23 groups of 4-9 members. The students participated in several online training activities using the Teams platform, according to previously established rules: all participants had to have their screen on, they spoke one at a time. Groups were self-managed and there was no formal role of conductor. Each group completed a group work assigned by the teacher linked to the theoretical contents explained previously (for example designing a structured role playing, analyzing a film segment from the point of view of leadership styles and roles that emerged, designing a focus group). At the end of each activity proposed by the teacher, each participant in the group filled out an individual reflective practice and at the end of the course each group filled out a collective reflective practice after a group discussion, managed in this case by the teacher. There was no minimum or maximum writing limit for these practices. Only the research group had access to both individual and group reflective practices. The researchers assigned each individual reflective practices an individual code (IPP1 = Individual Practice Participant 1, IPP2, etc.) and a group code for collective practice (CPG1 = Collective Practice Group 1, CPG2, etc.).

Data Analysis

The data collected through individual reflective practices and the transcripts of the group reflection on the several activities were analyzed through grounded theory ( Glaser and Strauss, 1967). Two independent researchers analyzed the qualitative data following the constant comparison analysis technique ( Leech and Onwuegbuzie, 2011). The approach is based on grounded theory ( Glaser and Strauss, 1967) and is supported using the software Nvivo12 (2018). The grounded theory, through a systematic and flexible methodology, helps to build models based on empirical data. The software was used to create a graphic representation and define a model based on the previously identified categories. The model is composed of nodes and sub-nodes, and their labels represent the categories and sub-categories identified by the researchers that exemplify the main themes that emerged.

Results

This study analyzed 130 individual reflective practices and 23 group reflective practices. The total body of text individual reflective practices was 413,821 words, while that relating to group ones was 18,238 words. The total textual corpus was 432,059 words.

From the analysis of the practices, some sub-categories have been identified for each category, some that unite both types of practices, others specifically referring to individual practices and finally others still only referring to collective ones. For each subcategory, some significant sentences that best represent the subcategory itself are reported.

An analysis of the content indicates that the participants, due to the construction of individual and group reflections, paid greater attention to the dynamics that occurred within the group during the various activities. This enhanced their awareness of the various factors that affect the importance attributed to the different roles, the climate, and the degree of active participation. Combined, these factors allowed them to get to know each other better and strengthened the cohesion of the group.

In particular, there are some interesting aspects that emerged from the analysis of reflective practices, and which constitute the three categories identified by the researchers, that are represented in the model shown in Figure 1 .

The first category refers to the use of reflective practice as an awareness tool for the group. The second category identified reflects on how individual and group reflective practices have been a tool for analyzing the dynamics of the group. Through the drafting of reflective practices, the participants identified salient points relating to the dynamics that occurred during the performance of group activities, touching both positive and critical aspects. A final aspect to consider is the way the activities were conducted. In fact, individual reflective practices proved to be a tool for analyze group dynamics online, from which some critical issues emerged, but also unexpectedly positive implications.

Awareness Tool for the Group

From the analysis of individual and collective reflective practices, it emerged the category awareness tool for the group, within which seven sub-categories have been identified: importance of the group, raise awareness, change, self-reflection, interpretation, and processing, reflect on the behaviors and more competent analysis as shown in Figure 2 .

The first subcategory, tool that brings out the importance of the group, emerges from both individual reflective practices " In general, from all the reflective practices, I have reached the awareness of the importance of the contribution of the group in soliciting in each of us new food for thought that, alone, we would not even take into consideration" (IPP51), that of group " Reflecting in a general way on group activities, we hypothesized that they were characterized by positive interdependence and individual responsibility [...] this allowed the increase of cognitive and social skills. We helped each other, and we were co-responsible; we established our rhythm of work; and we corrected each other" (CPG23).

The analysis of individual reflective practices, however, found that these specific practices were a valid tool in raise awareness as to what occurred within the group: " The technique of reflective practice allowed me to clarify what had happened within the group and become aware of what I had done well and what I still needed to improve on. Putting this in writing helped me a lot, compared to the simple reflection that I could only have done in my mind at the end of the experience" (IPP105). Another participant also stated, " The reflective practice activity carried out led me to various ideas about our ways of working in groups" (IPP20). Others viewed the individual reflective practices as a tool for change: " I therefore tried to involve others and call other's names for the interventions, recalling what was already written in the last reflective practice and wanting to develop and take on a different role more often than in the previous group experience" (IPP65).

Individual reflective practice is also seen as a self-reflection tool within the group: " It can be concluded that this experience was very useful as an introspective practice that led us to reason about ourselves" (IPP88). "This writing practice, on the other hand, made me realize that I could be more proactive during group activities" (IPP40). Some participants noted that individual reflective practice is also an interpretation and processing tool: " The atmosphere that characterizes the group activity is one of mutual understanding... During the experience, as far as I am concerned, a wide spectrum of conflicting feelings and reactions followed one another. For this reason, I decided to carry out the first reflective practice on this activity, focusing further on the interpretation and elaboration of the same" (IPP12).

Furthermore, the group reflective practices suggest that some participants felt the reflective practices allowed them to reflect on the behaviors of those in the group. "... deeper reflection of our behaviors within the group and those of others" (CPG4). Finally, the participants noted that group reflective practices allowed the group to perform a more competent analysis of the training contents and behaviors identified within the group. "Through reflective practices, we were able to look at the contents learned in class and our socio-relational behaviors with more analytical and competent eyes" (CPG18).

Tool for Analyzing the Dynamics of the Group

As reported in Figure 3 , from the analysis of textual corpus emerged the category tool for analyzing the dynamics of the group, consisting of eight sub-categories: collective reflexivity, individual and group empowerment, awareness of the function of the group, emotional support, awareness of the roles, role of the facilitator, amount of time spent on confrontation and orientating and strictly centering on the task.

As can be seen from the sub-categories reported, the group and the dynamics that occur within it have been the object of reflection in the various reflective practices analyzed. Particularly, from individual and group reflective practices, it is clear that group work allows for the development of a collective reflexivity:"During the group work I perceived a collective reflection on the issue addressed" (IPP111). "The conversation stimulated dialog and reflection; the group gave rise to a productive confrontation; and each component introduced new themes, which were exposed in a climate of openness and non-judgmental listening" (CPG1). It was further noted that there was a willingness to listen to all members. " All group members were willing to listen and participate in order to build a common reflection" (CPG123). The drafting of individual and collective reflective practices also led the participants to focus their attention on those factors that allow, through the activation of individual and group empowerment, the achievement of a pre-established group goal:

" For example, now I am aware that in a group there are people with different roles and that beyond their role they can help the group both to improve relationships and to achieve goals" (IPP28).

"Group activity first of all promotes personal and group empowerment but also the development of expressive and communication skills, stimulating creativity" (CPG15).

" At the group level, there was a collaborative, participatory climate of considerable attention " (CPG10).

"A highly motivated group can work well to achieve the ultimate goal and, consequently, a sense of well-being and gratification can arise for all members of the group" (CPG17).

An analysis of the individual writing process determined that the participants have one greater awareness of the function of the group. Specifically, reflection through practice:"... allowed me to understand how the group works, what are the characteristics of the way others behave... and it allowed me to act in subsequent meetings with serenity" (IPP99) One of the functions attributed to the group is relative to emotional support, which is evident in one participant's reflective practice: " This experience made me understand the real potential of the group in the emotional sphere; it was impactful and very illustrative of the power a group can have in supportive areas" (IPP128).

Furthermore, the collective writing process indicates that group activities, important from a training and relational point of view, are useful in acquiring greater awareness of the roles within the groups. "This experience was enriching not only from a training point of view but also from a relational point of view, and it allowed us to understand and have greater awareness of the roles assumed" (CPG5).

Finally, the drafting of the group reflective practice is a critical role of the facilitator who led the group and shared creative and thoughtful comments. " The intervention of the facilitator was important [...] he was able to ask questions that generated very creative and thoughtful comments" (CPG22).

However, in addition to the positive aspects related to being part of a group, there was no lack of critical perspectives in the individual reflective practices. Concerns addressed by the participants included the amount of time spent on confrontation, both of which represented obstacles to achieving the task: " The fact that each of us always has observations to make and, more generally, what we say can also be a critical issue. All time that had to be given to others meant we had to deal with a lot, and we risked not being able to finish the job" (IPP33). The analysis also revealed how some participants suffered from orientating and strictly centering on the task, thus causing them to not pay attention to others: " In my opinion, a certain attention toward others has failed. We have focused more on always being 'on the piece' from the point of view of the objective of the task, leaving out the possible point of view of others, which I believe has instead been listened to only as a function of his possible contribution useful for the purposes of the task, but without leaving real space for the person" (IPP75).

Tool to Analyze Group Dynamics Online

The category tool to analyze group dynamics online it refers to how individual and group reflective practices proved to be a tool to bring out and reflect on the group dynamics that took place online. Particularly, four sub-categories have been identified: new experience, challenge, difficulty of involvement, and loneliness (see Figure 4 ).

As regard new experience many participants claimed as " My perception of the group has partly changed from previous experiences because I am experimenting with a new form of online interaction with mostly unknown people. However, what remains unchanged compared to direct collaboration is the sense of mutual commitment. It is thanks to the cohesion of the group that the work will proceed in the best way since we are motivated not only by the activity but also by the social action proposal being drawn up" (IPP44). From the reflective practices, it also emerged that this experience was perceived as a challenge that had to be overcome. "Group work that is done in an online mode seemed to be something unattainable, but it turned out to be a real challenge that I managed to overcome" (IPP112). Finally, individual reflective practices gave rise to concerns about difficulty of involvement the group as involvement was hindered by telematics. At an individual level, emphasis is placed on difficulties associated with emotional involvement: " I think if we had had the chance to discuss in person, the process would have been even more emotionally engaging" (IPP43). Another participant stated, " technology has allowed us to create groups at a distance, but it does not allow us to recover that warmth given by the relationships in presence" (IPP95). On a collective level, however, the perceived loneliness behind the screen is emphasized and is credited with making interactions among members difficult. " Instead, the number of people who feel even more alone behind the screen has increased, thus increasing even more the discomfort for those who speak or expose themselves in front of strangers was almost manageable. In these conditions we notice a distinct difficulty in interaction that can be perceived as little participation because of the way we perceive the other changes, whereas in person we notice the non-verbal behaviors that still express a message" (CPG12).

Discussion

This study reports the findings of both individual and group reflective practices, with regard to the analysis of dynamics that occur within a group and the challenges confronting online groups. From the analysis of a textual corpus, it emerges that these practices are experienced as tools that accentuate the importance of the group's ability to develop new reflections on an individual level and increase cognitive and social skills on a collective level. Furthermore, data highlights how both individual and collective practices are a tool that facilitates not only greater awareness of group dynamics but it also facilitates change thanks to the memory of the writing of a previous reflective practice, they had implemented a different behavior and role within the group. As reported by Mezirow (2003), the process of acquiring awareness may promote change. More specifically, the experience is translated, through reflection, into a changed conceptual perspective that forces the education professional and his community of belonging toward continuous identity crises and the loss of dogmatic temptations. That said, awareness comes from the action of the subject and the representation that he has created for himself ( Nuzzaci, 2011).

The research highlights the use of reflective practice as a tool for self-reflection within the group and for the interpretation and processing of activities, and as such, it is fundamental for the group itself. The literature ( Boud et al., 1993) gives credence to the importance of the group as a powerful training tool, particularly in the context of team and problem-based learning where learning is socially and culturally constructed and influenced by the socioemotional setting in which it occurs. In particular, the collective reflective practices, on the other hand, allow the group to reflect on its behaviors, thereby activating a more competent analysis of the contents learned and the behaviors implemented and providing greater awareness of the roles embraced within the group.

More specifically, an analysis of the results indicates that both individual and collective reflections are capable of leading to a greater awareness of the functioning and importance of the group as well as to the development of collective reflexivity and individual and group empowerment. Both from individual and collective practices, it became clear that a collaborative climate, the presence of different roles and high levels of motivation are fundamental to group success; as claimed, in fact, by Tarricone and Luca (2002), organization and collaboration are fundamental pillars of group skills. The literature ( Fonagy and Target, 2005) speaks of reflective functioning as the process by which the behavior of others is understood, interpreted, and given meaning on the basis of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and desires that motivate that behavior. From an analysis of the results, it is concluded that individual reflective practices are a qualitative tool that allow people who are part of a group to activate a process of introspection, interpretation, and functional elaboration of the group itself. Infact, in many case the writing is dictated by having experienced a wide range of conflicting feelings and reactions throughout the group activity. Furthermore, it should be emphasized that the writing of group reflective practices has allowed us to highlight that group activities increase cognitive and social skills and that, within the group itself, there is positive interdependence and co-responsibility in achieving the group's shared goal/s. In this regard, a review of Høyrup and Elkjaer (2006) indicates that from an individualized perspective, collective reflection is perceived as an individual cognitive learning process that occurs in social contexts. Again, the role of conversation is fundamental and is defined as a dimension that stimulates dialog and reflexivity ( Collin and Karsenti, 2011). Reflection on action also includes the notion of reflection on the relationship, that is, on how to create and maintain links with others and on the dynamics of groups and organizations ( Nuzzaci, 2011). Individual reflective practices have also highlighted certain criticalities that working in a group entails a dimension that has not emerged in collective reflective practices. In fact, it is highlighted that, while on the one hand, circular communication can lead to an increase in interactions between participants, and thus favor comparison ( Rania et al., 2021), on the other hand, there is the risk that discussion times will be increased, thereby risking the ability to fully achieve the task. Consistent with this, Brown and Miller (2000) underscored that the pressure of time to achieve results can be a source of stress. Other participants stressed that the activity of the group strictly focused on the task can lead to a lack of attention toward its members or, in general, toward the individual perspectives of the other group members. Bavelas (1950) and Leavitt (1951) proposed a model for describing communication networks and how they affect the productivity of the group. More specifically, the members of a group are conceived as beings in a relationship joined through the bonds of communication, where distance and centrality are quantitative indices to describe the different types of networks. According to the authors, centralized groups complete their tasks more easily than those groups arranged in a decentralized way. However, the latter are more satisfied with the work performed. Brown and Miller (2000) differentiate the types of communication based on the complexity of the task, showing that groups working on simpler tasks tend to use more centralized communication modes compared to groups engaged in more complex tasks. Finally, the participants, through their individual and group reflections, identified the particularities of the relational dynamics of groups that meet only through online platforms. It is, in fact, a new form of online interaction, which is increasingly widespread due to the COVID-19 pandemic and which, as highlighted in the literature, allows the individual to have positive experiences that enhance social and relational skills ( Saldanha, 2020; Rania et al., 2021). In fact, interacting with unknown people in a virtual environment naturally resulted in change. However, the participants explained that the collaboration and group commitment to achieve their goals remained unchanged. In this regard, it has been found that the construction of a reflective group constitutes a protective factor for the well-being of workers ( Parrello et al., 2021). The implementation of the group through the online mode was experienced by some participants as a critical issue, as there were, at least initially, difficulties linked to both emotional involvement and personal interactions, particularly for those who experience challenges speaking and interacting with strangers. The literature further suggests that the use of online platforms can present challenges, for example, with respect to non-verbal communication ( Rania et al., 2021).

Conclusion

The analyzed results highlight that individual and collective reflective practices foster a greater awareness of the knowledge learned ( Sabtu et al., 2019), the dynamics that occur within the group, and the emotions experienced, all of which, together, provide the opportunity to reflect on the learning process in its complexity ( Rué et al., 2013). Furthermore, the writing of reflective practices compels students to accept co-responsibility in the learning context, which is fundamental in the development of meaningful and reflective learning ( Bruno and Dell'Aversana, 2018). Among the limits of the research, it is evident that the participants would be students of the humanistic-social area, therefore more inclined, due to the type of training, to reflect on relational aspects and group dynamics. It would be interesting to use this type of reflective practices in different training contexts to verify how they can become tools of individual awareness also in other contexts and can allow the analysis of group dynamics even with subjects with scientific training.

Despite the limits highlighted, this research has also underlined some strengths; in fact, brought out as learning from experience, through reflective practices and using the group as a training tool, albeit online, can be an effective approach when used in a variety of contexts. For example, its use can stimulate reflection and comparison with one's own context, questioning both oneself in practice and one's own identity ( Bruno and Bracco, 2016).

Among the implications related to this study, we highlight its usefulness in training professionals who work in teams or even for groups of operators who use the online mode in the workplace. as well as for professions that work mainly online. As Parrello et al. (2021) point out reflective group work can be an organizational tool to maintain the well-being of workers, even more useful during the lockdown period linked to COVID-19.

Finally, although group reflective practices have received little attention ( Collin and Karsenti, 2011), this research allows us to affirm that the writing of these practices allows the participants to become more aware of their roles during the learning process in a group context that favors the development of both individual and group empowerment.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the data cannot be shared for ethical reasons related to privacy, but the authors undertake to make the data available if requested for a valid reason. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to NR, ti.eginu@ainar.aidan.

Ethics Statement

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. However, the research was carried out in accordance with the Ethics Research Recommendations of the Italian Association of Psychology and in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Participation was entirely voluntary, confidential and anonymous. The participants were informed that they were free to withdraw from the study at any time. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author Contributions

NR conceived the original idea of the study and supervised the results of this work. NR, IC, and LP contributed to the data processing and analysis, and wrote and organized the manuscript, presented the methodology, procedure and the data section. All authors discussed the results, presented the conclusion, and reviewed the manuscript and approved the final version for submission.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

References

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Parrello S., Fenizia E., Gentile R., Iorio I., Sartini C., Sommantico M. (2021). Supporting team reflexivity during the COVID-19 lockdown: a qualitative study of multi-vision groups in-person and online. [[Front. Psychol. 12:719403. 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.719403PubMed] [PMC free article] [CrossRef] Google Scholar]

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Articles from Frontiers in Psychology are provided here courtesy of Frontiers Media SA

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Reflective Practices to Study Group Dynamics: Implement Empowerment and Understand the Functioning of Groups

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Introduction: Individual and group reflection practices are qualitative methods useful in a group context to develop group skills and more awareness of the dynamics that take place within the group to which one belongs.Aim: The aim of this work is to ...

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6 Different Team Effectiveness Models to Understand Your Team Better | Blog Wrike

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Understanding these 6 team effectiveness models can help you figure out which model to adopt for your own team. Or it may simply help shed light into what’s working in your own group, and how to help improve what’s lacking.

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Group work can be a highlight of a class or a pain point for students and teachers alike. Cult of Pedagogy's Jennifer Gonzalez examines the many challenges of group work in her post " Make Cooperative Learning Work Better." Two key questions emerge for Gonzalez: First, is group work worth doing? And second, "how do we solve some of the most common problems with cooperative learning?"

Collaboration helps students "make greater academic and social gains" than when they work on their own, Gonzalez concludes, citing a paper that pulls together several meta-analyses that collectively cover more than 400 research studies. It is also a crucial way to counterbalance the influence of devices that are "stunting our ability to have regular conversations and robbing us of all the gifts that come with those interactions," she writes. After establishing the value of group work, Gonzalez offers these tips for implementation:

Make the workload fair: In group work settings, one student often does the majority of the work. The problem is twofold: First, students don't have the necessary skills for collaboration. "Teach these skills in the same way that you'd teach academic material," Gonzalez advises. Model the type of cooperation you hope to see, and ask students to practice first on small projects before moving to bigger ones.

The second problem is structural-the task "has not been structured for true collaboration." Gonzalez shares a variety of valuable solutions for this, including the classic jigsaw method.

Another way to make sure the workload is fairly shared is to establish ground rules for group work through contracts that allow student teams to decide on their parameters and codify their expectations in a written agreement.

Manage interpersonal dynamics: Solid collaboration requires that students feel comfortable with each other. Team members must interact in ways that "help, support, and encourage each other," Gonzalez says.

Foster a classroom culture of support by setting up team-building activities at the outset that aren't necessarily academic. Build on that by surveying students before and during group work to find out what's working, what isn't, and what changes they might make in the future. Engage with students to understand their perspectives on what makes a group successful.

Teaching students how to communicate and resolve conflicts can not only help build their social and emotional skills but also improve the overall quality of collaborative work.

Keep students focused: "Whether it's excessive talking, inappropriate device use, or general fooling around, a lot of cooperative time can be wasted when students just aren't doing the work they're supposed to be doing," Gonzalez writes. Set specific, immediate goals, and use a timer to keep students on task. Check in with students throughout a project, at announced intervals, not only on the work but on how the collaboration is going.

Plan for absences: Advanced planning for possible absences can help teachers avoid a common pitfall of collaborative learning. "Design projects where some components require all group members' participation, but others are done by individuals and might even be considered 'like to have' rather than 'must have,'" Gonzalez says. If students sign a group contract, consider recommending that they include a contingency plan for absences.

Think about the ways technology can bridge the gap if a student is absent for more than one class period. If students use a shared platform, such as Google Drive, the absent student may be able to continue to contribute. If a student is out for several days, consider using video chat technology to connect them to their group.

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Group work can be a highlight of a class or a pain point for students and teachers alike. Cult of Pedagogy's Jennifer Gonzalez examines the many challenges of group work in her post " Make Cooperative Learning Work Better." Two key questions emerge for Gonzalez: First, is group work worth doing?

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4 Types of Team Building Techniques for Modern Organizations

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Learn about four types of team building techniques that can help members of modern organizations capitalize on their diverse skills and personalities.

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Managing Group Work: Shared Responsibility

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Peer Assessment Tool for TBL and Group Projects

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When we first introduce the group assignment to our students we establish our expectation for professional teamwork delivered by all teammates. We emphasise that we will adjust individual grades fairly, proportional to the peer-assessed contribution of each teammate to their team's delivered outputs. In short, we let the students know that we will be holding them accountable for their actions in the team and their contributions to the work produced by the team. In addition to informing students of our expectations, educators must also provide them with the tools to help students hold themselves accountable.

There is a smorgasbord of tactics from which the teacher can select to raise a student team's effectiveness through improved accountability. These tactics for accountability include class policy, contracts, project plans, team roles, and responsibilities, mandated collaborative tools, journaling, and the writing of a concluding reflective essay.

Class policy for group assignments

Class policy refers to your institution's policies and your own expectations regarding teamwork. Relevant institutional policies include

Academic integrity

Peer assessment and self-assessment

Equity and diversity

Countering harassment

Student complaints resolution

Student disciplinary process

Your personal policy or expectations could include

Recommended process for managing and/or excluding teammates who freeloader.

Advice on managing personal workload and stress

Advice on keeping teammates advised of changed personal circumstances

A statement that you use teammate peer assessment as a basis for adjusting personal grades above or below the team result you will award for each team's delivered outputs. Later you'll explain how the peer assessment works and you'll give students practice at using the peer assessment process.

Examples of how these policies and expectations are presented in an extract from a course syllabus by Peter Mellalieu. Peter recalls
"I make it clear to students that they need not carry a freeloader in their team. However, they must first seek to manage the free-loader to give them the opportunity to contribute. If that fails, they can apply my 'three strikes' process. A strike against a student includes behaviors such as failing to respond to communications, failing to attend a scheduled meeting, or delivering unsuitable, unprofessional, or plagiarised material. However, I explain I must know in advance that a team is proceeding towards excluding a teammate. There may be a special circumstance of which the team might not be aware that requires my diplomatic intervention."
Teammate peer assessment, feedback, and grading

The ultimate accountability is awarding students individual grades based on their contribution to task and contribution to team harmony and performance. The process that we recommend begins with teammate peer assessment, proceeds to teammate peer feedback, and concludes with a personal result derived from teammate peer assessment.

Teammate peer assessment engages teammates using a form of peer assessment to rate each other's contribution to their team's processes, outputs, and outcomes as they pursue together a group assignment. The peer assessment typically includes quantitative ratings and qualitative evidence to support the awarded ratings. Based on each student's relative peer-assessed contribution, a personal (grade) result may be calculated and awarded.

Teammate peer feedback communicates to teammates in a personalised report the quantitative and qualitative results of teammate peer assessment. Ideally, the report includes developmental advice from each teammate directed towards raising the report recipient's individual effectiveness for their current and future group assignments. Typically, the communication of the peer feedback report is the first stage for constructive, courageous conversations between teammates as they clarify understanding of the feedback received, and the implications for the adjusted behaviours recommended by their teammates.

Personal result from teammate peer assessment is a grade awarded to one teammate calculated from the relative teammate peer-assessed score received by that teammate combined mathematically with the team result awarded by the teacher for that team's total outputs (essays, reports, presentations, software, designs, prototypes, posters...). Typically, the personal result is calculated automatically above or below the team result in proportion to the relative (peer assessed) contribution of each teammate.

Psychological contracts, project plans, and team responsibilities
Psychological contracts
Using Psychological contracts as part of your group assignments is a great way to hold students accountable. Psychological contracts allow students to take an active role in setting the tone for group interaction, group contracts can help "motivate ownership of learning" ( Hesterman, 2016, p. 5 ). Writing group Psychological contracts can also help students identify expectations of one another, communicate those expectations, and practice articulating their expectations.

The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center at UC Irvine has a great sample group psychological contract form as does the University of Waterloo . The important thing to remember is that you dedicate time in class for the student teams to craft their own contracts. Having students co-create their group contracts will result in better engagement and individual accountability.
Project plans
If you've got a real meaty project for your students, then requiring them to develop a simple project plan as part of the assessment is a fantastic way for students to understand all of the tasks that need to be done in order to complete the project. Once they understand the tasks and dependencies, then they can decide who is going to do what and the date that the task needs to be completed. Remember, a project plan is a living document. You will have teams that underestimate the time required to complete a task or discover that they left out a task. It's ok to amend and adjust as necessary.

Project management tools that we recommend are the following:

- excellent tool that integrates well with Google Drive.

- easy to use and integrates well with Slack

- easy to use and also integrates well with Slack

Team responsibilities
Some projects may lend themselves to have students mimic workplace roles such as project lead, project manager, writer, researcher, editor, and so forth. If this is the case, then it is a great opportunity to have rotating roles to ensure that each student in the group has a go at each of the roles, thus ensuring that all of the students have greater exposure to as many areas of the project as possible. Again, this tactic inhibits students pursuit of a 'divide and conquer' approach).

Rather than mimic workplace roles, students can choose from a list of general project roles such as facilitator, checker, explorer, Carnegie Mellon presents a list of possible roles for group projects that will get the ball rolling. You can even have students create their own roles.

Collaborative tools (Google Docs and Slack)

Having insight into the assessment groups' progress, processes and communication is critical. The level of insight to which we refer means that you would be able to quickly see when groups actually start working on their projects, the level of participation from each group member, and the quality of their communication. This can be realized if you use collaborative tools like Google Docs and Slack to which you are a shared viewer. We believe that it is important to note that it is not enough to simply require your students to use these tools. You must demonstrate that you are taking a hands-on approach. This need not be more complex than commenting on their communication in Slack or adding a comment to their Google Doc. For example, "It looks like you guys are running a bit behind schedule. You need to pick it up."

We wrote a detailed blog post on using Google Docs for group projects that will help you get started.

While Google Docs will give you insight into progress and processes, Slack is the tool that will provide insight into their communication. If you are not yet familiar with Slack, it is one of the most popular communications tools used in industry. Slack is also catching on with leading-edge tech adopters in education , as Professor Phil Simon of ASU reflects
As I entered my second year as a full-time college professor , I wanted to shake things up a bit inside the classroom. I had known for a few years about how was gaining traction as a new communication and collaboration tool in the private sector. I was intrigued. I did some and, this semester decided to give it a shot. My rationale here was straightforward. First, I was curious to noodle with a tool that has received so much hype . Second, in all likelihood, my students will not use a proper learning management system (LMS) such as Blackboard or Canvas after they receive their diplomas. On the other hand, they will almost certainly use a new collaboration tool at some point in their careers. Why not introduce one of the most powerful and ones while they are still in school?
We, too, came to the realization that learning management systems tend, in practice, to be little more than a one-way communications platform 'broadcasting' content and communications outward from the teacher. Specifically, Patrick adopted Slack as the communications tool of choice for all of his classes. He now has insight into all group discussions. He can see immediately if groups are struggling and can identify unconstructive communication. Another advantage of using Slack is that it connects seamlessly with apps that are already used to manage group projects like Google Docs, Trello, and Asana. Since adopting Slack, Patrick has found his students are much more engaged and productive in their group projects.

Conclusion

The foundation for every successful group assignment is student accountability. Set the expectation when you introduce the group assignment by including the class policy for group assignments. Once you've set the stage, then create student buy-in by letting them co-create their psychological contracts. From this point on it's about providing students with the tools to communicate and collaborate effectively and that provides the educator with the visibility to monitor group activity if needed. Having a formative peer assessment activity halfway through the project will allow students to see how their peers believe they are performing. If this is done at the midpoint of an assignment, then there will be enough time for students to get back on track if they did not meet their peers' performance expectations.

Though accountability is crucial to the success of group assignments, it is but one piece of the puzzle. To help you with the other pieces, we have written an ebook titled, "How to teach using team assignments: The 7 step formula for fair and effective team assessment."

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Accountability: The Key to Successful Group Assignments - Peer Assessment Tool for TBL and Group Projects

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When we first introduce the group assignment to our students we establish our expectation for professional teamwork delivered by all teammates. We emphasise that we will adjust individual grades fairly, proportional to the peer-assessed contribution of each teammate to their team's delivered outputs.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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How to Deal With Difficult Group Project Members

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Strategies for Effective Group Process: Establish Ground Rules - Susan Fitzell

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Common core: Ideas and techniques for establishing effective group process

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Group projects have a bad reputation among students-but educators can change that.

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As a student, I was never a fan of group work. I still remember the time my teacher paired me with "Tyler" for a research project. I'm sure my teacher's intentions were good. But I knew from the start that it wouldn't be pleasant.

Tyler wasn't a bad kid, but he wasn't what you'd call a high performer. Our teacher assigned our partners, and we all knew the intention behind the groupings. High achievers were paired with those who could "use some help."

This wasn't my first group project, and I knew my role. Do all the research. Write the paper. Come up with something for Tyler to say during the presentation. Hassle him to learn his lines. Get the same grade.

A Novice Teacher's Perspective

When I began teaching, I was no more a fan of group work than I was as a student. It was messy. It took up too much class time - not to mention grading and planning time. I didn't understand how students would learn the content if I didn't explain it to them.

Group work was something I was to do. I had read the research on the importance of peer learning. Administrators celebrated teachers who used group work. And they encouraged the rest of us to give it a try.

But no one had shown me how to do it well. When I saw other classes doing group work, I noticed all the common problems.

One student did all the work, while others fooled around. Projects that looked good hanging on the wall, but didn't demonstrate meaningful learning. (Jennifer Gonzalez refers to these as "Grecian Urns").

I felt that group work was something you did during an observation. When you wanted your students to actually learn something, you explained it to them or they read about it in a book.

Benefits of Group Work

It took years before group work became a regular part of my classroom routine. But once it did, there was no looking back. Not only were my students getting more out of each lesson, but it was a lot easier on me as a teacher

In a lecture-based classroom, the teacher is at the center of all classroom activity. She delivers the content through lecture. She asks questions, decides who answers, and determines whether the answer is correct. The teacher tells students when they can use the bathroom and what page to turn to in their workbooks. She even provides pencils and paper to students who don't have any.

It is important for both students and teachers to know who's in charge. But teacher-centered classrooms can be terribly inefficient. With twenty to thirty students in a room, the teacher becomes a bottleneck. Students get frustrated when they don't get enough attention or have enough freedom. They begin to act out. Teachers get overwhelmed because they can't give students the attention they need. They get upset because students "aren't listening." They assert their authority more firmly. It quickly becomes a vicious cycle.

Group work isn't about making pretty posters to hang on the wall. And it's not about matching struggling students with high-performers to boost their grades. It's about giving teachers permission to solve every problem or provide every answer. It's about students learning to learn from each other and to use their resources.

Promoting Effective Group Work

For effective collaboration to occur, it's important to understand why group work is valuable. But understanding the 'why' is not enough. Establishing group work as a regular classroom routine takes time. Teachers and students both need to learn norms and develop the social-emotional skills that make group work effective.

I've worked with some educators who believed that effective group work was not possible. Some simply don't see how students will learn if they don't explain the content. Others think it's a passing fad. Still others believe that "it won't work with these kids."

Sadly, the latter is often used to justify regimented and drill-based instruction for students of color. Despite the fact that "collaboration is linked to higher grades for black students." Furthermore, similar benefits were not found for white students. (According to a 2018 report by the American Institute for Research).

If you are coaching or supervising educators who have these misconceptions, it's important to be patient. Many of these teachers have tried group work before, without success. They will need extra assurance and support to be successful this time around.

Here are some tips to make group work engaging and impactful in any classroom.

Start with an Engaging Activity

The first step to effective group work is an engaging activity. Students need to have a reason to work with their group. The right activity should be inquiry-based - where students have a challenging problem to solve. It should be a bit too difficult for any one student to do on their own. But it shouldn't be so hard that they can't get started on their own.

Some great activities for this purpose are The Sieve of Eratosthenes (math) and Team Story Analysis (language arts).

Teach Group Process

Inquiry-based learning allows students to learn content through discovery. But we still teach the process explicitly. Many students have become used to a sit-and-learn approach. If we want them to engage in active learning, we need to actively reset their expectations.

As you introduce group work to your classes, explain what is expected. Start class with a discussion of what good group work looks like: students participate equally, listen to one another, etc. Keeping groups small (2-4 students), helps ensure that everyone has a role.

You may choose to assign roles. For my short story projects, each group had a captain, a scribe, an artist, and a presenter. The team's job was to read a short story and record important information in a graphic organizer. The scribe completed the organizer. The artist created a poster or slideshow. The presenter was in charge of sharing the team's work with the class. The captain coordinated roles. If the group needed to ask me a question, it had to come from the captain.

Make it Count

There's an old saying in business, "What gets measured, gets managed." I still remember how focused and well-behaved my students were on test days. At no other time could I hand them a few pieces of paper and expect 40 minutes of peace and quiet.

Now, I could have just enjoyed the respite those days provided, but that's not my nature. I wanted to harness this focused concentration and reproduce it throughout the year. After all, part of my job as an educator is to prepare students for their future careers. I couldn't think of any job where your value is measured by what you do once or twice a month. In the real world, what matters is who you are and what you do on a daily basis.

If we want students to make an effort during group work, we need to let them know it's important. And the way we let them know is by attaching a grade to it. I use test grades as the standard unit of measure, as students understand that quite easily.

"This activity counts as one fourth of a test grade," or "this project is equal to a test grade."

I use a group work rubric so students will know how their grade will be calculated. This rubric focuses on process, product, and presentation. Students earn 'process' points by communicating well and involving all team members. Their 'product' score is based on the artifacts they produce. 'Presentation' is based on how well they share their work with the rest of the class.

Advocates of standards-based grading rankle at the idea of grading classwork. I agree that it may be more to grade students purely on mastery of standards. But such grading systems can have negative consequences for student confidence and motivation.

Set a Timer

I can't overstate the importance of using a timer in the classroom. Recording times that students are on-task vs off-task can improve student behavior, even in a lecture-based class. For group work, it's an absolute necessity.

A common challenge with group work is that students won't self-start. As teachers, we feel the clock ticking. We know how much we need to cover. Why don't our students have the same sense of urgency?

We need to transfer that sense of urgency to them using clear, measurable units of time. Before they begin, let them know how much time they have to complete the activity. When the time is up, they will be expected to present to the class and hand in their completed work. Prominently display the countdown timer for all to see.

For most students, the clock and the grade will provide enough incentive to stay on task. Others will be motivated by the desire to appear competent to their peers when they present.

It's important to recognize that clocks and grades are extrinsic motivators. When students don't believe they are able to meet external standards, the strategies can backfire. We should constantly assess students' "level of concern." If their concern level is too low, increase the challenge. If their level of concern is too high, dial it back.

Using a timer may not have much of an impact the first time you use it. Some students will not realize their time is up until it's too late. Time management is a component of social-emotional learning (SEL). If students aren't ready to present when called upon, be supportive. They are already developing their sense of time. And learning that they will need to be more focused the next time around.

At First, You Probably Won't Succeed

The key to success with group work is practice and experience. The strategies above will point you in the right direction, but they won't make all your challenges disappear.

Create room in your pacing guides and unit plans to allow for weekly group activities. If you make group practice a weekly habit, the level of engagement and the quality of work will steadily increase.

If you're not sure how to plan an engaging hands-on lesson, use a planning template. This workshop lesson plan template provides a three-part structure that is perfect for group work.

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Group Work Strategies That Work - Room to Discover

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As a student, I was never a fan of group work. I still remember the time my teacher paired me with "Tyler" for a research project. I'm sure my teacher's intentions were good. But I knew from the start that it wouldn't be pleasant.