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Discover the power of collaborative learning and how it can enhance classroom engagement. Explore various collaborative activities to kickstart group work in your classroom. Explore the examples at the bottom of this article!

Notifications on Wakelet

With notifications on Wakelet, your collaboration experience is enhanced! Get notified when people add to, change, or edit your group collections and stay up-to-date with the changes made by your collaborators.

Clicking each notification will take you to the collection where changes have been made. This makes navigating to your active collections quicker and easier than before!

Understanding the Benefits of Collaborative Learning

Collaborative learning in the classroom offers numerous benefits for students. It encourages active engagement and participation, fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills, promotes communication and interpersonal skills, and enhances overall learning outcomes. When students work together in groups, they can exchange ideas, share perspectives, and learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses. This collaborative approach also helps in developing important social skills and empathy towards others.

One of the key advantages of collaborative learning is that it creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued and empowered. By working together, students can build on each other's knowledge and expertise, which leads to a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Collaborative learning also promotes a sense of responsibility and accountability, as students are accountable not only to themselves but also to their group members.

Collaborative learning encourages active learning and reduces the passive consumption of information. Instead of relying solely on the teacher for knowledge, students take an active role in constructing their own understanding through group discussions, problem-solving activities, and peer feedback. This active engagement enhances retention and comprehension, as students are actively processing and applying their knowledge.

How to Collaborate on Wakelet

Wakelet is a powerful digital tool that can facilitate collaboration in the classroom. Here are some steps to get started with collaborative work on Wakelet:

1. Create a collection. Remember to add a title, description, cover image and background.

2. Click 'Share' in the upper right-hand corner of your collection.

3. From the 'No access' drop down, click 'Can Add'.

4. Choose the method you prefer to invite your collaborators:

- Provide a link- Share the join code- Scan a QR code- Share the link through third-party apps (

Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams)

5. Your collaborators can now add links, images, videos, text, and more to your collection!

How to join a Wakelet Collection

1. Click 'Shared with me' in the sidebar.

2. Click 'Join Collection' in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

3. Enter the join code provided by the collection owner.

If you don't have a Wakelet account, go to wakelet.com, and click 'Enter join code' in the center of the screen.

Alternatively, clicking the invite URL will take you directly to the collection, where you can collaborate immediately!

Using Wakelet as a collaborative work, you can create a digital space where students can easily collaborate, share resources, and engage in meaningful discussions.

For a quick run-through, check out this video.

Promoting Active Participation and Engagement

Promoting active participation and engagement is crucial for successful group work. Here are some strategies to encourage active involvement:

1. Clearly define roles and responsibilities: Assign specific roles to each group member to ensure everyone has a purpose and contributes to the group's goals. This can include roles like a leader, timekeeper, researcher, or presenter.

2. Set clear expectations: Communicate the objectives, guidelines, and expectations for the group work. This will provide a framework for students to work within and ensure everyone understands what is expected of them.

3. Encourage equal participation: Create an inclusive environment where all group members feel comfortable and confident sharing their ideas. Encourage quieter students to contribute and ensure that dominant students do not overshadow others.

4. Foster effective communication: Teach students effective communication skills, such as active listening, respectful dialogue, and constructive feedback. Encourage them to ask questions, seek clarification, and provide constructive criticism to their group members.

5. Provide support and guidance: Be available to answer questions, provide guidance, and facilitate discussions when needed. Offer resources and materials that can assist students in their collaborative work.

By implementing these strategies, you can ensure that all students actively participate and engage in the group work, leading to a more productive and enriching learning experience.

Fostering Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Collaborative learning provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop and enhance their communication and interpersonal skills. Here are some ways to foster these skills:

1. Establish group norms: Set clear expectations for communication within the group. This can include rules for active listening, turn-taking, and respectful dialogue. Encourage students to follow these norms throughout the collaborative work.

2. Teach effective communication strategies: Provide students with strategies for effective communication, such as paraphrasing, summarizing, and asking open-ended questions. These strategies can help students express their ideas clearly and understand each other's perspectives.

3. Encourage collaboration and teamwork: Emphasize the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Encourage students to work together, value each other's contributions, and support one another.

4. Facilitate reflection and feedback: Provide opportunities for students to reflect on their communication and interpersonal skills. Encourage them to provide feedback to their group members, focusing on both strengths and areas for improvement.

5. Foster a positive and inclusive environment: Create a classroom culture that values diversity and promotes inclusivity. Encourage students to appreciate and respect different perspectives and ideas.

By focusing on communication and interpersonal skills in collaborative learning, students not only develop these essential skills but also become better equipped to collaborate effectively in future endeavors.

Exploring Engaging Collaborative Activities

There are numerous engaging activities that promote collaboration in the classroom. Here are a few examples:

1. Group projects: Assign students to work together on a project that requires them to collaborate, research, and present their findings. This could be a research project, a group presentation, or a creative assignment.

2. Think-pair-share: Pose a question or problem to the class. Have students think individually, then pair up with a partner to discuss their thoughts, and finally share their ideas with the whole class. This activity encourages active participation and collaboration.

3. Jigsaw activities: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a different piece of information related to a larger topic. Each group becomes an expert on their piece and then shares their knowledge with the rest of the class. This activity promotes collaboration and ensures that all students contribute to the overall understanding of the topic.

4. Collaborative writing: Have students work together to write a story, a script, or an essay. Each student can contribute a paragraph or section, and they can collaborate on editing and revising the final piece.

5. Problem-solving tasks: Present students with a complex problem or challenge that requires collaboration to solve. This could be a STEM challenge, a case study, or a real-world scenario. Students can work together to analyze the problem, brainstorm solutions, and implement their ideas.

By incorporating these engaging, collaborative activities into your classroom, you can create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that fosters teamwork, critical thinking, and communication skills.

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Collaborative Learning: Boosting Classroom Engagement with Group Work

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Discover the power of collaborative learning and how it can enhance classroom engagement. Explore various collaborative activities to kickstart group work in your classroom.

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Stimulating Group Involvement Using Different Types of Group Work

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Stimulating Group Involvement Using Different Types of Group Work

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Students often report they don't like working in groups. If the dynamic is off, or others are not participating, group work can be very frustrating. But students need to learn to work together in groups to hone their skills for the workplace and even in personal relationships.

Although working in groups has its advantages, there are also times when problems arise. Beebe and Masterson (2003) list four disadvantages:

1. There may be pressure from the group to conform to the majority opinion.

2. An individual may dominate the discussion.

3. Some members may rely too heavily on others to do the work.

4. It takes more time to work in a group than to work alone.

Here are the four ways that faculty can help students work effectively with, and even enjoy, working in groups:

Collaborative learning: Uses activities where learners are working cooperatively in pairs. Keeping the group size small encourages discussion. Set rules for listening to each group member. Involve the GSI or faculty member in the collaboration to set expectations.

Cooperative learning: This instructional method uses small groups to accomplish a common goal. It is important for the instructor to articulate the goal clearly first so students know what to do. This method facilitates students' own opinions and research by encouraging them to speak up with the help of a moderator.Use technology to encourage the quieter students to participate.

Problem-based learning (PBL): PBL is an approach in which students learn about a subject by solving an open-ended problem. Brainstorming is encouraged, and ideas outside the discipline are welcome too. Mind Mapping is one tool used for this type of problem.

Team-based learning: Following individual answers, students join teams and work through problems, appealing when they are incorrect. This method encourages students to use their critical thinking skills and can involve using different roles to assist in the process.

In every group method, making each group member aware of the goals and objectives of the group and assigning specific tasks or responsibilities is vital.

Remind students of the following six advantages to working in a group:

1. Groups have more information than a single individual.

2. Groups stimulate creativity. In regard to problem solving, the old adage can be applied that "two heads are better than one."

3. Group learning fosters learning and comprehension.

4. Research suggests that students who are engaged in group problem solving are more committed to the solution and are better satisfied with their participation in the group than those who were not involved.

5. Students gain a better understanding of themselves.

6. Teamwork is highly valued by employers (Graduate Outlook Survey, 2010).

If you would like to discuss ways to incorporate any or all of the different styles of group work into your own courses, reach out to the Learning and Teaching Consultants!

References:

Group Work: How to Use Groups Effectively, The Journal of Effective Teaching, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2011, 87-95 l. https://uncw.edu/jet/articles/vol11_2/burke.pdf

Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices, 11th Edition, 2014 by Steven A. Beebe, John T. Masterson. ISBN-10: ‎020598083X

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Four Types of Group Work for Engagement | U-M LSA LSA Technology Services

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Using the four different types of group work will help you and your students engage with the content in a more robust manner.

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Stimulating Group Involvement Using Clear Expectations and Planning

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Stimulating Group Involvement Using Clear Expectations and Planning

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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 skills. But without careful planning and facilitation, group work can frustrate students and instructors, and feel like a waste of time. Use these suggestions to help implement group work successfully in your classroom.

Preparing for Group Work

Think carefully about how students will be physically arranged in groups. Will it be easy for groups to form and for all students to be comfortable? Also think about how the layout of your classroom will impact volume. Will students be able to hear one another clearly? How can you moderate the activity to control volume?

Set clear guidelines on professional, civil conduct between and among students to respect people's differences and create an inclusive environment.

Talk to students about their past experiences with group work and allow them to establish some ground rules for successful collaboration. This discussion can be successfully done anonymously through the use of note cards.

Designing the Group Activity

Identify the instructional objectives. Determine what you want to achieve through the small group activity, both academically (e.g., knowledge of a topic) and socially (e.g., listening skills). The activity should relate closely to the learning objective(s) and class content, and must be designed to help students learn, not simply to occupy their time. When deciding whether or not to use group work for a specific task, consider these questions: What is the objective of the activity? How will that objective be furthered by asking students to work in groups? Is the activity challenging or complex enough that it requires group work? Will the project require true collaboration? Is there any reason why the assignment should not be collaborative?

Make the task challenging. Consider giving a relatively easy task early in the term to arouse students' interest in group work and encourage their progress. In most cases collaborative exercises should be stimulating and challenging. By pooling their resources and dealing with differences of opinion that arise, groups of students can develop a more sophisticated product than they could as individuals. See our teaching tip "Group work in the Classroom: Small-Group Tasks" for some ideas.

Assign group tasks that encourage involvement, interdependence, and a fair division of labour. All group members should feel a sense of personal responsibility for the success of their teammates and realize that their individual success depends on the group's success. Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (2014) refer to this as positive interdependence and argue that this type of cooperative learning tends to result in learners promoting each other's success. Knowing that peers are relying on you is a powerful motivator for group work.

Allocate essential resources across the group so that group members are required to share information (e.g., the jigsaw method). Or, to come up with a consensus, randomly select one person to speak for the group, or assign different roles to group members so that they are all involved in the process (e.g., recorder, spokesperson, summarizer, checker, skeptic, organizer, observer, timekeeper, conflict resolver, liaison to other groups).

Another strategy for promoting interdependence is specifying common rewards for the group, such as a group mark. See the CTE teaching tip "Methods for Assessing Group Work" for more information.

Decide on group size. The size you choose will depend on the number of students, the size of the classroom, the variety of voices needed within a group, and the task assigned. Groups of four-five tend to balance the needs for diversity, productivity, active participation, and cohesion. The less skillful the group members, the smaller the groups should be (Gross Davis, 1993).

Decide how you will divide students into groups. Division based on proximity or students' choice is quickest, especially for large and cramped classes, but this often means that students end up working together with friends or with the same people.

To vary group composition and increase diversity within groups, randomly assign students to groups by counting off and grouping them according to number.

For some group tasks, the diversity within a group (e.g., gender, ethnicity, level of preparation) is especially important, and you might want to assign students to groups yourself before class. Collect a data card from each student on the first day of class to glean important information about their backgrounds, knowledge, and interests. Alternately, ask students to express a preference (e.g., list three students with whom they would most like to work or two topics they would most like to study), and keep their preferences in mind as you assign groups.

Allow sufficient time for group work. Recognize that you won't be able to cover as much material as you could if you lectured for the whole class period. Cut back on the content you want to present in order to give groups time to work. Estimate the amount of time that subgroups need to complete the activity. Also plan for a plenary session in which groups' results can be presented or general issues and questions can be discussed.

Design collaborative work in multiple forms: pairs, small groups, large groups, online synchronously, online asynchronously, etc. Some students might be better at contributing after they have had time to digest material, while others might be better at thinking on the spot. Other students will defer to others in large groups but actively contribute in pairs. All roles should be valued and included.

Introducing the Group Activity

Share your rationale for using group work. Students must understand the benefits of collaborative learning. Don't assume that students know what the pedagogical purpose is. Explicitly connect these activities to larger class themes and learning outcomes whenever possible.

Have students form groups before you give them instructions. If you try to give instructions first, students may be too preoccupied with deciding on group membership to listen to you.

Facilitate some form of group cohesion. Students work best together if they know or trust each other, at least to some extent. Even for brief group activities, have students introduce themselves to their group members before attending to their task. For longer periods of group work, consider introducing an icebreaker or an activity designed specifically to build a sense of teamwork.

Explain the task clearly. This means both telling students exactly what they have to do and describing what the final product of their group work will look like. Explaining the big picture or final goal is important, especially when the group work will take place in steps (such as in snowballing or jigsaw). Prepare written or visual instructions (e.g., charts, sequential diagrams) for students. Remember to include time estimations for activities.

Set ground rules for group interaction. Especially for extended periods of group work, establish how group members should interact with one another, including principles such as respect, active listening, and methods for decision making. Consider making a group contract. See Group Decision Making, a CTE teaching tip prepared for students working in groups, and Making Group Contracts.

Let students ask questions. Even if you believe your instructions are crystal clear, students may have legitimate questions about the activity. Give them time to ask questions before they get to work.

Monitoring the Group Task

Monitor the groups but do not hover. As students do their work, circulate among the groups and answer any questions raised. Also listen for trends that are emerging from the discussions, so that you can refer to them during the subsequent plenary discussion. Avoid interfering with group functioning - allow time for students to solve their own problems before getting involved. You might consider leaving the room for a short period of time. Your absence can increase students' willingness to share uncertainties and disagreements (Jaques, 2000).

Be slow to share what you know. If you come upon a group that is experiencing uncertainty or disagreement, avoid the natural tendency to give the answers or resolve the disagreement. If necessary, clarify your instructions, but let students struggle - within reason - to accomplish the task (Race, 2000).

Clarify your role as facilitator. If students criticize you for not contributing enough to their work, consider whether you have communicated clearly enough your role as facilitator.

Ending the Group Task

Provide closure to the group activities. Students tend to want to see how their work in small groups was useful to them and/or contributed to the development of the topic. You can end with a plenary session in which students do group reporting. Effective group reporting "can make the difference between students' feeling that they are just going through their paces and the sense that they are engaged in a powerful exchange of ideas" (Brookfield & Preskill, 1999, p. 107).

Oral reports: Have each group give one idea and rotate through the groups until no new ideas arise. Or have each group give their most surprising or illuminating insights or their most challenging question. You can record ideas raised to validate their value.

Written reports: Have each group record their ideas and either present them yourself or have a group member do so. One variation on this is to have groups record their conclusions on a section of the blackboard or on flipchart paper that is then posted on the wall. Students then informally circulate around the room and read each other's answers. Alternately, you can ask students to move around the room in small groups, rotating from one set of comments to another and adding their own comments in response. Another variation on written reports is to have students write brief comments on Post-it notes or index cards. Collect them, take a few minutes to process them or put them in sequence, then summarize their contents.

Model how you want students to participate. When responding to students' answers, model the respect and sensitivity that you want the students to display towards their classmates. Be ready to acknowledge and value opinions different from your own. Be willing to share your own stories, critique your work, and summarize what has been said.

Connect the ideas raised to course content and objectives. Recognize that groups might not come up with the ideas you intended them to, so be willing to make your lecture plans flexible. Wherever possible, look for a connection between group conclusions and the course topic. However, be aware that misconceptions or inaccurate responses need to be clarified and corrected either by you or by other students.

Don't provide too much closure. Although the plenary session should wrap up the group work, feel free to leave some questions unanswered for further research or for the next class period. This openness reflects the nature of knowledge.

Ask students to reflect on the group work process. They may do so either orally or in writing. This reflection helps them discover what they learned and how they functioned in the group. It also gives you a sense of their response to group work.

Support

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the CTE Support page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

References

Brookfield, S.D., & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Gross Davis, B. (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Jaques, D. (2000). Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Improving Group Work, 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page.

Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 85-118.

Race, P. (2000). 500 Tips on Group Learning. London: Kogan Page.

Roberson, B., & Franchini, B. (2014). Effective task design for the TBL classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 275-302.

Resources

CTE teaching tips

Other resources

Journal on Excellence in College Teaching (2014). Special Focus Issue: Small-Group Learning in Higher Education - Cooperative, Collaborative, Problem-Based, and Team-Based Learning.

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Smith, K.A. (2006). Active learning: Cooperation in the university classroom (3rd edition). Edina, MN: Interaction.

Silberman, M. (1996). Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Implementing Group Work in the Classroom. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

This Creative Commons license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and indicate if changes were made. Use this citation format: Implementing Group Work in the Classroom. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.

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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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4. TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION

Suzan Last

An important aspect of effective teamwork entails understanding group dynamics in terms of both team situation and individual temperament. This section reviews a variety models often applied in workplaces that can help a team perform optimally and manage crises effectively.

"Tuckman's Stages of Group Development," proposed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965, is one of the most famous theories of team development. It describes four stages that teams may progress through: forming, storming, norming, and performing (a 5th stage was added later: adjourning). According to McCahan et al., the stages move from organizing to producing, and although the stages appear linear, in fact teams may move backwards to previous stages, depending on events that may influence the team and the communications strategies that they use. Some teams can also stall in a stage and never fully realize their potential. Figure 4.2.1 outlines these stages. Please refer to the McCahan et al. text for a more complete discussion.

Figure 4.2.1 The Stages of the Tuckman Model.

Note that at each stage, communication is a critical component of successfully moving to the next stage. The forming stage, when everyone is getting to know each other and are trying to make a good impression, is a good time to create a set of shared expectations, guidelines, or a Team Charter. A team forming activity is also a good idea to help build trust and get to know the various strengths and weaknesses of the team members. This is an orientation stage, on both an interpersonal and professional level, where preliminary boundaries and expectations are established.

The storming stage is the one most often characterized by group conflict. It is often where the preliminary expectations and boundaries are challenged as individuals learn more about each other's motivations. This coincides with the "brainstorming" stage of the design process, in which each member contributes ideas that could potentially become the focus of the project. It is also the stage where team mates learn about each others' strengths and weaknesses, and try to determine what their roles will be in the project. Learning to harness the constructive potential of conflict and compromise in this stage is important to progressing to the next stage.

During the norming stage, if conflicts have been resolved and team mates have proved flexible, all is going well, each team member knows their role and works on their part of the project. Sometimes, people work independently in this stage, but check in with team mates frequently to make sure work flow is efficient and effective. Group cohesion ensures that everyone is responsible to the task and to each other; Gantt Charts can be very helpful in keeping everyone on track during this stage. Problems might arise at this stage if teammates do not fully understand their role, the team expectations, or the overall goal; revisiting the forming or storming stage may be required.

Few first-time teams reach the performing stage, as this happens when teams have worked together well on several projects, have established a synergy, and have developed systems that that make projects go smoothly and efficiently. Less time is needed to form, storm and learn to norm; performing teams can move quickly and interdependently to tackling the task at hand. Adjourning and going their separate ways can often be somewhat emotional for these teams. Figure 4.2.2 depicts the trajectory of each team member during each stage.

DISC theory, developed in 1928 by Dr. William Moulton Marston (who also, as it happens, created the Wonder Woman comic series!), has evolved into a useful model for conflict management as it predicts behaviours based on four key personality traits he originally described as Dominance, Inducement, Submission, and Compliance. The names of these four traits have been variously revised by others over the decades, so you might find different terms used in different contexts. The four general traits are now often described as (1) Dominance, (2) Influence/Inspiring (3) Steadiness/Supportive, and (4) Compliance/Conscientiousness (see Figure 4.2.3).

Industries often use DISC assessments in professional contexts. Having some insight into your teammates' personality traits can help when trying to resolve conflicts. General characteristics of each trait are as follows:

Dominance

Characteristics: direct, decisive, ego-driven, problem-solver, and risk-taker; likes new challenges and freedom from routine; driven to overcome obstacles

Strengths: great organizer and time manager; challenges the status quo; innovative

Weaknesses: can be argumentative, disrespectful of authority, and overly ambitious (taking on too much); can be blunt, stubborn, and aggressive

Inspiring/Influential

Characteristics: enthusiastic, persuasive, optimistic, trusting, impulsive, charismatic, and emotional

Strengths: creative problem solver; great cheer-leader, negotiator, and peace-maker; a real "people person"

Weaknesses: more concerned with popularity than tangible results; lacks attention to detail

Steady/Supportive

Characteristics: reliable, predictable, friendly, good listener, team player, empathetic, easy-going, and altruistic.

Strengths: dependable, loyal; respects authority; has patience and empathy; good at conflict resolution; willing to compromise.

Weaknesses: resistant to change; sensitive to criticism; difficulty prioritizing

Cautious/Conscientious/Compliant

Characteristics: has high standards; values precision and accuracy; analytical and systematic; even-tempered, realistic, and logical; methodical; respect for authority

Strengths: great information gatherer/researcher; able to define situations precisely and accurately; offers realistic perspective

Weaknesses: can get bogged down in details; needs clear boundaries, procedures, and methods; difficulty accepting criticism; may avoid conflict or just "give in." May be overly timid.

Richard Beckhard's GRPI model, originally developed in 1972, has been widely adapted in sports contexts as the GRIP model (see Figure 4.2.4), outlining four interrelated components of highly effective teamwork:

Goals: everyone must fully understand and be committed to the goals of the team, and of the organization. Everyone's goals must be aligned in order to establish trust, make progress, and achieve desired outcome.

Roles: all team members must know what part they play, what is expected, and how they are held accountable and responsible.

Interpersonal: quality communication and collaboration require and foster trust among team members; sensitivity and flexibility needed to deal with conflict and make progress.

Processes: defined system for how decisions are made, how the team solves problems and addresses conflict; defines work flow and procedures to be followed in completing the project.

Thomas and Kilmann's model for handling team conflict outlines five main approaches to managing team conflict ( Competing, Accommodating, Compromising, Avoiding, and Collaborating), placed in a matrix of two scales: Assertiveness-the degree to which one tries to meet one's own needs; and Cooperativeness-degree to which one tries to satisfy the needs of other team members (See illustration).

Each approach can have both positive and negative impacts:

1. Competing: highly assertive, but uncooperative behaviour, characterized by the urge to "win at all costs," dominate, and engage in power struggles. This can result in animosity, but can also spur teammates to compete constructively, which can lead to interesting innovations if well managed.

2. Accommodating: highly cooperative, but unassertive behaviour. This may seem like a good way to avoid conflict, but it can also lead to self-silencing of good ideas in order to appease others, which may lead to feelings of resentment.

3. Compromising: this approach is the most moderate in both scales, and while it might seem constructive, it can lead to dissatisfaction and mediocre progress or results. Sometimes compromise is necessary, but often, the best solution comes from a single inspirational source.

4. Avoiding: being unassertive and uncooperative is generally the least effective way to deal conflict, as this simply avoids the problem and neglects the need for a solution. However, when a feasible solution to a problem seems impossible, sometimes ignoring it and focusing on what is good can be the best way to just get through it.

5. Collaborating: being highly assertive and cooperative is the best way to find solutions that benefit the whole team and build respect.

In his 2005 book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Lencioni outlines five common problems teams experience that impact their effectiveness:

1. Lack of trust: if team members do not trust each other, they are unlikely to take risks or ask for help. A lack of trust means a low level of comfort that makes it difficult to communicate and perform effectively as a team

2. Fear of conflict: avoiding conflict can lead to an artificial "peace" at the expense of progress and innovation. Conflict is a normal part of team work and can be very productive if managed effectively.

3. Lack of commitment: team members do not commit to doing the work, do not follow through on decisions or tasks, do not meet deadlines, and let their teammates down, ultimately affecting the success of the whole project.

4. Avoidance of accountability.

5. Inattention to results: when team members focus on their own personal goals instead of project goals, they lose sight of the expected results that actually measure the success of the project. Not focusing on the results during the process means that no one is planning how to improve those results.

Lencioni advises tackling each dysfunction, displayed in the pyramid in Figure 4.2.5, from the bottom up. Establishing trust is a crucial first step to being able to manage conflict, achieve commitment, create accountability and focus on results.

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4.2 Five Models for Understanding Team Dynamics

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4. TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION Suzan Last An important aspect of effective teamwork entails understanding group dynamics in terms of both team situation and individual temperament. This section reviews a variety models often applied in workplaces that can help a team perform optimally and manage crises effectively.

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What are the most popular team building theories?

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Learn about four popular team building theories and how they can help you create a more cohesive and productive team in this article.

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Working Together to Finish the 'Puzzle' as a Team

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Working Together to Finish the 'Puzzle' as a Team

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Communicating Effectively to Complete Group Work

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Communicating Effectively to Complete Group Work

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Sharing Responsibility during Group Work

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Sharing Responsibility during Group Work

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Responsibility vs. Accountability vs. OWNERSHIP | Team Performance | HR and Business Leaders

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Sharing Responsibility to Complete Good Teamwork

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Sharing Responsibility to Complete Good Teamwork

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Sharing Responsibility during Group Work More Successfully

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Sharing Responsibility during Group Work More Successfully

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Simon Sinek on How to Collaborate on Projects More Successfully

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Powered by AI and the LinkedIn community

Group work is a common and effective way to achieve complex tasks, foster collaboration, and enhance learning in the workplace. However, group work also poses some challenges, such as ensuring that each member contributes fairly, meets deadlines, and follows quality standards. How can you ensure accountability in group work and create a culture of trust and responsibility among your team? Here are some tips to help you manage group work effectively.

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How can you ensure accountability in group work?

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Learn how to manage group work effectively by defining clear goals and expectations, establishing regular communication and feedback, using tools and resources to track and document work, and fostering a culture of trust and responsibility.

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3 Group Work Strategies That Help Hold All Students Accountable

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From delegating roles to involving students in rubric design, here are group work strategies to help hold all students accountable.

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Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice?

If not planned for appropriately, group work can create a lot more work than necessary for both students and professor. For students, the disadvantages of group work could mean having to coordinate schedules; arrange meetings; correspond via email, text or phone; make decisions collectively; integrate the contributions of group members; and more. These things can be especially challenging for a nontraditional student population like MSU Denver's-many of our students commute long distances, and have work and family commitments that can make it difficult for them to meet outside of class.

For professors, group work can present challenges such as allocating meeting time during class, and perhaps even having to teach students how to function effectively in teams (even at the college level, this is something that must be taught). Furthermore, figuring out how to assess the process, as well as the product, and determining whether to assign individual or group grades are steps that take time and effort. Last, but not least, and definitely not the most pleasant....everyone must deal with group dynamics.

Take a SIP of This: Effective Group Work: Ensuring Accountability

Here are some strategies to help reduce or mitigate the challenges of group work:

Keep groups small. To ensure active participation and accountability from students, it is better to make small-sized groups; most research suggests 3 to 5 students is optimal. Larger groups are more prone to "free-riders" and require a more active leader to coordinate tasks.

Designate class time for group meetings. This will not only help students who find it difficult to meet outside of class, but it will give you an opportunity to provide support and guidance, as well as to determine if students are on track or in need of substantive support.

Use skills inventories to help teams delegate subtasks. Some students have stronger skills writing, than with public speaking. Others may be more skilled at developing effective PowerPoints as opposed to research. Using a skills inventory list will assist groups in assigning tasks that match group members' strengths. (see https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/tools/index.html )

Assign roles (e.g., group leader, scheduler) or encourage students to do so.

Point students to digital tools that facilitate remote and/or asynchronous meetings, including Blackboard to which they all have access (also see https://elearningindustry.com/6-online-collaboration-tools-and-strategies-boosting-learning ).

Alert students about time-consuming stages and tasks.

Actively build communication and conflict resolution skills. Take advantage of teachable moments when students are meeting in groups during class. Sit in on group discussions, model effective communications skills, provide guidance for groups that may be experiencing conflict.

Designate time in the project schedule for the group to integrate parts.

Require group self-review. Have group members review their work as a team. You might want to ask how each member contributed, if each person did their fair share, how they think they worked together, what they did well, where they could improve, etc. Give this information at the beginning of the activity so each student is aware that they will be evaluated by their peers. You can create a rubric that addresses the values you wish to see in group work.

Encourage groups to go together to the Writing Center for help with drafting and revising written aspects of their group project.

What is true for individual assignments holds true for group assignments: as a professor, it is important to clearly articulate your objectives, explicitly define the task, clarify your expectations, model high-quality work, and communicate performance criteria so that your students can achieve desired outcomes.

Building individual accountability

Another disadvantage to group work is that students can fully participate in the group assignment, yet still not get the main idea of the project. Therefore, in addition to evaluating the work of the group as a whole, ask individual group members to demonstrate their learning via quizzes, individual writing assignments, weekly journal entries, etc. Not only does this help you monitor student learning, it helps to prevent the "free-rider" phenomenon. Students are considerably less likely to leave all the work to more responsible classmates if they know their individual performance will affect their grade.

Still Thirsty? Take Another SIP of Effective Group Work: Ensuring Accountability

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SIP 4.9 Making Group Work, Work: Ensuring Accountability

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Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice? Why do we assign group work? How does it benefit students? How does it benefit professors? If not planned for appropriately, group work can create a lot more work than necessary for both students and professor. For students, the disadvantages of group work could mean having to coordinate schedules; ...

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Center for Teaching & Learning : UMass Amherst

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Successful group work is characterized by trust, psychological safety, clarity of expectations, and good communication; being in the same location while working is not essential to group effectiveness (Duhigg, 2016; Kelly, 2008; Salmons, 2019). Below we offer strategies and examples that work for short-term collaborative group work (e.g., discussions in an online, hybrid/flexible, or in-person class) and long-term collaborative assignments (e.g., group projects), ending with additional considerations for long-term collaborative work.

STRATEGIES & EXAMPLES

Provide Opportunities to Develop Connection and Trust

Engage students with community building activities. Groups work best when students feel connected and trust each other. Brief icebreaker activities are fun and allow students to get to know each other before delving into group work. If using a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Echo360, ask students to type a word or emoji about how they are doing into the chat, or during in-person classes students can share this orally or via an audience response system. Let students practice group work in Moodle or Blackboard with some low-stakes group assignments.

Create group norms. In the first few weeks of class, create participation norms that all students agree upon as a class or within their small groups. Discuss with students how certain social identities (e.g., women in STEM, transgender students) can be unintentionally marginalized during group work as a justification for creating norms around respectful and inclusive communication (Oakley, Felder, Brent, & Elhajj, 2004). Vary the groupings of students so that students can meet other students and hear different perspectives, particularly in the first weeks of class. Refer back to the agreed-upon norms when conflict arises.

Proactively check in with groups. It's important to pay attention to both process and the accomplished task. As you drop into groups during class time or consult with groups in office hours, note who does and does not speak; consider asking questions about process such as who is generating ideas and how they know everyone is on board with these ideas. Check in individually with quieter students. Remember, how you address group functioning models how they should interact with each other (Kelly, 2008).

(Over)communicate and Reinforce Expectations

Communicate the purpose. Communicate in writing and orally the skills students will develop by the end of their group work experience and why this is a valuable task or project to do in groups (as opposed to individually). You might ask students to connect skills they will learn to their personal goals and describe how they will know if they've developed these skills apart from your feedback.

Describe the tasks. In writing, describe the tasks in detail, including steps in the process with due dates/deadlines, resources needed, technology for communication, and expectations for group work. This means giving students clear topics, questions, deliverables, or goals for group work. Consider assigning rotating task roles such as discussion director, connector, summarizer, recorder, and reporter (Kennedy & Nilson, 2008). Create a space online for students to submit questions which are publicly answered for all to see; this can become an FAQ forum. At the end of group work, have groups submit something that demonstrates their engagement with the task for a small amount of points, such as group decisions, remaining questions, or discussion notes.

Clarify the criteria. Communicate specific details about how student work generated in groups will be assessed (i.e., rubrics, exemplars, grading scheme). Use positive, "do this" language rather than negative, "don't do this" language when possible. Show examples that typify important or challenging aspects of the work with narrations (i.e., on video or in a commented document) of what makes the work exemplar.

Additional Tips for Long-term Collaborative Projects

Be sure students have a communication plan. This can be specified as part of their group norms and processes at the beginning of the project. In addition, be clear how and when groups should communicate with you, where and in what format they should submit materials, and what to do if they encounter a problem.

Break apart the project into phases or milestones with clear deliverables at each stage. Clearly specify how and where students should turn in work (i.e., online or in person), and use this format consistently for all deliverables.

Have students periodically check in about their group process and report back on their process. At the beginning of the project, ask students to identify how they want to work together, what their expectations are for each other, and what collaborative tools the group wants to use. Have them post their group norms in an online forum. Include a requirement for a "team effectiveness discussion" or evaluation (self or peer) after students have some time to work together (e.g., 2nd milestone; See Oakley et al. 2004 for a "Crisis Clinic" guide). Allow them to adjust norms and set goals for the next phase of group work.

Clearly connect homework, lectures, or other learning activities to the group project. For example, after learning new concepts, students might be asked to turn in a brief "Application memo" which connects course content to their group project. An online session might end with an "Integrate it" discussion among group members to integrate new learning into their project. Homework might be called "Project Prep." Name activities by their purpose so that students see the relevance and utility of each activity more easily.

Foster cross-group peer review. Students will appreciate hearing what other groups are doing and can get ideas for their own projects. For example, have students share their milestones or group work with another group and have them record questions and feedback in a collaborative document. Review that document to provide feedback to the entire class, saving you from giving feedback to each group. Peer review can also be done as a workshop or group assignment activity in the LMS.

Please contact the CTL with any questions or for more details about the examples shared at ctl@umass.edu. For support with collaborative technology, email instruct@umass.edu.

For questions on your LMS, Google, and other educational technology contact IDEAS at instruct@umass.edu

REFERENCES

Duhigg, C. (2016, February 25). What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team. The New York Times.

Kelly, R. (2008, August 11). Creating trust in online education, Faculty Focus.

Kennedy, F. A., and Nilson, L. B. (2008). Successful strategies for teams. Team Member Handbook. Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation, Clemson University.

Oakley, B., Felder, R. M., Brent, R., & Elhajj, I. (2004). Turning student groups into effective teams. Journal of Student Centered Learning, 2(1), pp. 9-34.

Salmons, J. (2019). Learning to collaborate, collaborating to learn: Engaging students in the classroom and online. Sterling, VA: Stylus.

Image by Armin Rimoldi for Pexels.

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Center for Teaching & Learning : UMass Amherst

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Successful group work is characterized by trust, psychological safety, clarity of expectations, and good communication; being in the same location while working is not essential to group effectiveness (Duhigg, 2016; Kelly, 2008; Salmons, 2019).

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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Many faculty now have students do some graded work in groups. The task may be, for example, preparation of a paper or report, collection and analysis of data, a presentation supported with visuals, or creation of a website. Faculty make these assignments with high expectations. They want the groups to produce quality work-better than what the students could do individually-and they want the students to learn how to work productively with others. Sometimes those expectations are realized, but most of the time there is room for improvement-sometimes lots of it. To that end, below is a set of suggestions for improving group projects. A list in the article referenced below provided a starting place for these recommendations.

1. Emphasize the importance of teamwork-
Before the groups are formed and the task is set out, teachers should make clear why this particular assignment is being done in groups. Students are still regularly reporting in survey data that teachers use groups so they don't have to teach or have as much work to grade. Most of us are using groups because employers in many fields want employees who can work with others they don't know, may not like, who hold different views, and possess different skills and capabilities.
2. Teach teamwork skills-Most students don't come to group work knowing how to function effectively in groups. Whether in handouts, online resources, or discussions in class, teachers need to talk about the responsibilities members have to the group (such as how sometimes individual goals and priorities must be relinquished in favor of group goals) and about what members have the right to expect from their groups. Students need strategies for dealing with members who are not doing their fair share. They need ideas about constructively resolving disagreement. They need advice on time management.

3. Use team-building exercises to build cohesive groups-Members need the chance to get to know each other, and they should be encouraged to talk about how they'd like to work together. Sometimes a discussion of worst group experiences makes clear to everyone that there are behaviors to avoid. This might be followed with a discussion of what individual members need from the group in order to do their best work. Things like picking a group name and creating a logo also help create a sense of identity for the group, which in turn fosters the commitment groups need from their members in order to succeed.

4. Thoughtfully consider group formation-Most students prefer forming their own groups, and in some studies these groups are more productive. In other research, students in these groups "enjoy" the experience of working together, but they don't always get a lot done. In most professional contexts, people don't get to choose their project partners. If the goal is for students to learn how to work with others whom they don't know, then the teacher should form the groups. There are many ways groups can be formed and many criteria that can be used to assemble groups. Groups should be formed in a way that furthers the learning goals of the group activity.

5. Make the workload reasonable and the goals clear-Yes, the task can be larger than what one individual can complete. But students without a lot of group work experience may struggle with large, complex tasks. Whatever the task, the teacher's goals and objectives should be clear. Students shouldn't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out what they are supposed to be doing.

6. Consider roles for group members-Not all the literature recommends assigning roles, although some does. Roles can emerge on their own as members see what functions the group needs and step up to fill those roles. However, this doesn't always happen when students are new to group work. The teacher can decide on the necessary roles and suggest them to a group with the group deciding who does what. The teacher can assign the roles, but should realize that assigning roles doesn't guarantee that students will assume those roles. Assigned roles can stay the same or they can rotate. However they're implemented, roles are taken more seriously if groups are required to report who filled what role in the group.

7. Provide some class time for meetings-It is very hard for students to orchestrate their schedules. Part of what they need to be taught about group work is the importance of coming to meetings with an agenda-some expectation about what needs to get done. They also need to know that significant amounts of work can be done in short periods of time, provided the group knows what needs to be done next. Working online is also increasingly an option, but being able to convene even briefly in class gives groups the chance to touch base and get organized for the next steps.

8. Request interim reports and group process feedback-One of the group's first tasks ought to be the creation of a time line-what they expect to have done by when. That time line should guide instructor requests for progress reports from the group, and the reports should be supported with evidence. It's not good enough for the group to say it's collecting references. A list of references collected should be submitted with the report. Students should report individually on how well the group is working together, including their contributions to the group. Ask students what else could they contribute that would make the group function even more effectively.

9. Require individual members to keep track of their contributions-The final project should include a report from every member identifying their contribution to the project. If two members report contributing the same thing, the teacher defers to the student who has evidence that supports what the student claims to have done.

10. Include peer assessment in the evaluation process-What a student claims to have contributed to the group and its final product can also be verified with a peer assessment in which members rate or rank (or both) the contributions of others. A formative peer assessment early in the process can help members redress what the group might identify as problems they are experiencing at this stage.

Students, like the rest of us, aren't born knowing how to work well in a group. Fortunately, it's a skill that can be taught and learned. Teacher design and management of group work on projects can do much to ensure that the lessons students learn about working with others are the ones that will serve them well the next time they work in groups.

Reference: Hansen, R.S. (2006). Benefits and problems with student teams: Suggestions for improving team projects. Journal of Education for Business, September/October, 11-19.

Reprinted from Improving Group Projects. The Teaching Professor, 27.6 (2013): 4-5. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved.

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10 Recommendations for Improving Group Work

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Many faculty now have students do some graded work in groups. The task may be, for example, preparation of a paper or report, collection and analysis of data, a presentation supported with visuals, or creation of a website. Faculty make these assignments with high expectations.

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What is setting up and managing small group work?

Teachers use small group work when the learning goals profit from interaction and collaboration among students. To do this, they choose tasks that require and foster collaborative work, provide clear directions that enable groups to work independently, and hold students accountable for collective and individual learning. Teachers use their own time strategically, deliberately choosing which groups to work with, when, and on what. Teachers work to ensure students are positioned as competent among their peers, that patterns of interaction are respectful, and that the collective work of the group uses the strengths of and benefits each student.

How does setting up and managing small group work advance justice?

During small group work, students' relationships, identities, and perceptions of one another affect their learning opportunities. In particular, biases related to race, gender, and other social identities, as well as stereotypes about subject matter competence, are all part of small group dynamics. Teachers must work carefully to ensure that group tasks and structures allow students to see one another as capable contributors to their learning. Teachers must actively support the interruption of problematic discourse patterns and interactions.

What are the elements of the practice?

The table below breaks down work that teachers do when they are setting up and managing small group work. This breakdown, or decomposition, helps teacher educators to break down the practice into a set of parts that can be observed and practiced.
Download Decomposition

What does this practice look like in each content area?

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Setting up and managing small group work

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Skip to main content Teachers use small group work when the learning goals profit from interaction and collaboration among students. To do this, they choose tasks that require and foster collaborative work, provide clear directions that enable groups to work independently, and hold students accountable for collective and individual learning.