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As a teacher, your mind always looks for ideas to make studying fun. Thankfully many schools do take school activities seriously and do all they can to support the teachers in conducting these fun activities. Most of these activities are designed considering a bigger picture. They are informative and entertaining and help students learn essential skills that cannot be taught from books. For students, however, school activities may sound boring. Of course, every class has a few kids who are always enthusiastic and eager to participate in activities, but you are responsible for the future of the whole class and not just those few students. If they are not participating, maybe we could change the activities, or the way they are conducted; maybe you as a teacher could bring some changes in yourself. There could be many ways to increase student participation depending on the reason why they don't tend to participate. Nevertheless, here are some ways that will certainly change the scenario of classroom participation in your school.

Why do students find it difficult to engage in school activities?

You should start by figuring out why your students don't like to participate. For some students, it is their reserved personality. They shy away from actively engaging with other classmates and teachers. No doubt there would be students who think participation in school activities is worthless and they'd rather do something more meaningful. Unfortunately, some students also happen to be around bad teachers in the past. Experiencing humiliation from a teacher for making a blunder can leave a huge impact on the child's mind resulting in them refraining from taking part in school activities. The reasons could be endless. We never know what might be going on in the student's mind. Still, try talking to them to understand the reason behind their action. Once you know the reasons, things will become easier.

How to get students to participate in school activities

Incorporate learning and fun

Find a way to bring fun and studies together. The easiest way to improve student participation is to make things fun. Kids love to play games and have fun more than they like studying or attending guest lectures. Even if you do arrange guest lectures, find a speaker who can engage well with students and is patient if the response from students is low. You can add a few quizzes and games in between the other activities. You could also decide on a theme for the event and set the stage accordingly. Conducting an after-school event is also a great idea.

Stick to their interests

You sure do have a lot of ideas when it comes to school activities. But try to think about what your students like and what they don't. For example, a quiz is a great idea to make things fun and also give information. But your students may not be fond of quizzes. Then you can try something they like, for example, a fun group project. Try to figure out what they like and if you are not able to, just ask them. Suggestions from your students might actually surprise you.

Do not let other students make fun of someone for failing

School life becomes a nightmare for some kids because of the bullying and humiliation they face from their peers. It is only natural to feel bad when you are not able to do something and are embarrassed in front of so many people. However, kids can sometimes be really mean, and this could hamper the self-confidence and self-esteem of other children. Children will never participate in school activities after such experiences.

If you see someone teasing the other child for not being able to do something properly in a school activity, try your best to stop them and convince them that what they are doing is bad. Instead of punishing them, just have a talk so that they understand why you are stopping them.

Moreover, you should also counsel the kid who was teased so as not to lose confidence so easily. Help them get up on their feet after a fall until they learn to get up on their own. You can even take help from parents to make these kids mentally strong and empathetic.

Include group activities

Many students are hesitant to participate in school activities. But once they do, they start enjoying it. The best thing about group activities is that they demand everyone's contribution. So if a shy kid is placed in a group, they will have to participate with the group. Also, because they are not alone on the stage, it could keep their anxiety in check.

You need to show excitement in conducting activities

I need you to do some self-reflection now. Do you look interested in the activities held in the class or the school? To improve student participation, you need to work on how you look at these events as well. Feel invested even in small classroom activities. Children love to see someone excited to watch their performance. Make sure to maintain eye contact when the kids are speaking. If you think you are incapable of doing this, you can take help from services that organize special events for school children to host your school activity.

Make sure to appreciate their efforts

Only showing excitement for the activity wouldn't suffice. Children are hungry for some good words. Compliment their performance when they perform well, and even if they fail, make sure to appreciate their efforts. A little appreciation can go a long way to encourage participation in school activities.

Take some time with the shy students

You will see the quiet students mostly occupying the corner seats and trying to hide behind the kids in front. Some of them are actually intelligent and know what to say in the ongoing class discussion, but they are too shy to say even a word. Motivate students to speak up in the class discussions.

Provide students with a lot of opportunities to showcase their talents in front of everyone. Giving students so many chances to show their skills will ensure participation from reserved personalities as well. Give them the push they need. Encouraging and motivating the students is also your job as a teacher.

Arrange some small gifts for participation

If it is possible, arrange a token of appreciation for the winners as well as participants. Children love to receive a little gift now and then. This will also ensure that they will not feel very displeased upon not performing too well. Moreover, if one student gets a gift others will want to have it too. This will, in turn, increase the number of students participating in school activities.

Try not to give gifts for every activity, we do not intend to make them fall in love with only materialistic things.

Take feedback from students and their parents

When you are not able to figure out what your students want, what they liked about the activity, and what they didn't, just take help from them to figure it out. Make sure to have a word with the class to get some feedback on the recent activity. Well, most students won't give honest feedback, but you can try. If you can bring yourself to behave like a friend with them, getting feedback won't be that difficult. You can also ask them if they enjoyed the lecture towards the end; it will also help you to create a healthy classroom learning environment.

Grade participation

I wouldn't recommend this method but if nothing is working, then use it as a last resort. Participation grades will make class participation and participation in other co-curricular activities mandatory. Pressuring the children to participate is never the ideal method to get them to participate, but when all the doors get closed, you have to use this mean method.

Is participating in school activities really important?

Of course, it is. These activities have a dual advantage. They can be very informative and at the same time, they help in developing soft skills. We see a lot of new generation lacking social skills because most of their conversations happen on mobile phones. School activities are a great platform to help them with social interaction.

It is also a great way to allow students to explore new skills and test existing ones. Children in school always try to discover new things and find what they like. Giving them a chance to see different things and trying them out will help them figure out their goal in life.

For students with a very reserved personality, there is nothing worse than performing in front of an audience. But it is only in school that they can get a free audience and a chance to make mistakes and do multiple takes. In the real world, when they will have to present their ideas in front of people who are always ready to criticize, these kids will have a really tough time expressing themselves. So if you can train them in school, they will excel in life.

Another skill your students will learn is time management. It is not easy to make time for studies and extracurricular activities simultaneously. Gradually they learn how to manage their time properly.

Bottom line

As a teacher, you might be weighing studies more than extra activities, but you shouldn't. Student participation in school activities is as important as getting good marks. Help them solve their problems so that they can participate and grow.

If the kid's parents aren't supportive, try to meet them and talk to them about how much their kid can develop by participating. I will ask you to meddle even when the parents force the kid to participate. There is a difference between pushing them and giving them a push. Later will ignite an inner desire to participate in activities; the former will only cause them mental stress.

The biggest solution to the problem of students not participating is by talking to them. And when they do open up to you, make sure you take responsibility for their trust in you. Don't let them down. I am not asking you to fly them to the mountain peak; just be the strong rope they will need to climb up.

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How to Encourage Students to Participate in School Activities - Academic Entertainment

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Finding it hard to make your students participate in school activities? Learn how to get students to participate in school activities.

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by Stephanie Chasteen, University of Colorado Boulder

Groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement. This article focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.
Interested in more ideas on student engagement? You can see all my articles on helping students engage in active learning, and also download a PDF summary of all recommended engagement strategies.
How do group structures and tasks affect student engagement?

As you might imagine, not all "cooperative groups" work cooperatively. That is, students may be in a group, but not be working collaboratively towards a common goal that improves their learning. Students can come in with poor attitudes towards group work ( Gillespie, Rosamond, and Thomas 2006), including having a fear of loafers. Or the structure of the groups may be at fault: Often, what we think are cooperative groups are traditional classroom groups (where some students work hard and others do not), or pseudo learning groups (where students have no interest in working together) ( Moreno 2009; Nokes-Malach, Richey, and Gadgil 2015). These types of learning groups often do not actually improve student learning when compared to traditional instruction.

Students need to have a reason to work together ( "positive interdependence"), be accountable as a team as well as individually for their learning, learn skills for working together productively, and have clear expectations for the outcome of group work ( Slavin 2010; Anderman and Dawson 2010). Luckily, students typically find group work fun and motivating, and over time will typically have more productive learning experiences ( Nguyen et al. 2021; Bacon, Stewart, and Silver 1999).

Additionally, the benefits of cooperative learning are highly dependent on the task itself ( Slavin 1995). Students are motivated by interest: if a task feels stimulating, fun, relevant, authentic and novel, this will draw students in. Students are also attracted by the value of a task: A task that is useful, important, and challenging with high benefit and few costs will engage students ( Pintrich 2003; Boekaerts 2010; Engle and Conant 2002; Moreno 2009). Tasks that are less motivating are ones that can be completed using superficial memorization and without setting clear goals or involving any collaboration. A task may also be overly restrictive, offering little student latitude. Design authentic, collaborative, and fun tasks with the goal of sparking pleasure, pride, and satisfaction in students. Variety in group tasks is very motivating and tends to keep students engaged ( Shekhar et al. 2015). A commitment to variety also allows you to address different student interests ( Boekaerts 2010; Pintrich 2003; Tanner 2013), and keep student attention as the semester progresses ( Ertmer, Newby, and MacDougall 1996).

Strategies for helping students work productively in groups

Below are some general strategies for helping to support productive group work. There are many other resources devoted to this topic. See Further Reading for many of my preferred sources. Below are some of the most salient strategies related to student engagement.

Hold students individually accountable for group work

Students must have some accountability for their individual learning in order for groups to work effectively ( Slavin 1995).

Give groups a collaborative goal

It is also important to have the group working together to achieve a collaborative goal, and that the group's success is dependent on the individual learning of all members ( Slavin 1995).

Use productive group structures

The structure of groups is also important for success and engagement. The group size should be well suited to the task, and so that each student will be able to contribute. A group might benefit from having roles assigned to each student, especially early in the semester, to facilitate productive collaboration.

Can support greater group diversity. Reduces anxiety of students who may not feel comfortable asking to join a group. Students gain experience learning to work with people they don't know.

Students may prefer this. Students may be more comfortable and productive if they can choose others with whom they know they can work productively and feel safe. Some research shows students are more productive when they choose their own groups.

Students may not prefer this approach. Instructors may not know students or their context well enough to put them in groups that will work well together. The logistics of assigning groups may be more work for the instructor.

Students may choose to work with their friends and be more likely to be distracted by off-topic conversations or exclude group members who are not part of a friend group.

Aim for diversity in student achievement, gender, culture, and ethnicity. At the same time, avoid putting a single student from a marginalized group alone in a group, as they may be more likely to be excluded. Use CATME' s online team maker to form teams based on such criteria.

In a small class where many students know each other, have students write down the names of other students they do and don't want to work with, and assign groups based on their preferences, to avoid the anxiety students might feel if they have to find people to work with on the spot.

By test scores, random number generation, and then balance by race/gender.

By student choice (nearest neighbors, friends) or by characteristics (e.g., high school attended, mutual interests).

Help groups collaborate effectively and monitor their performance

Students are likely to need some help in working together well. Below are several strategies for helping students to start out on the right foot and keep working together well. See also useful training and supports for productive team-work at CATME.org, including team member preparation documents, team charters and sample team agendas. There are also several helpful suggestions for dealing with dysfunctional teams in Felder and Brent (2016).

Build motivating tasks

Build "motivational embellishments" into your activities, leveraging students' psychology to draw them in naturally to the task and make them want to engage due to intrinsic interest and value for the activity. Motivational embellishments include the insertion of specific challenges, material based on student interest, or giving students perceived control over the outcome of the task.

Summary and Action Items
This article is a product of the Framing the Interactive Engagement Classroom project, led by Stephanie Chasteen (University of Colorado Boulder), with collaboration from Jon Gaffney (Eastern Kentucky University) and Andrew Boudreaux (Western Washington University). Many thanks to University of Colorado reviewers Rebecca Ciancanelli and Jenny Knight, plus undergraduate assistant Maya Fohrman. This work was generously supported by the University of Colorado Science Education Initiative Sociocultural theory, social constructivism, positive interdependence, accountability, cooperative learning and the University of Colorado Center for STEM Learning, via a Chancellor's Award. Please contact Stephanie Chasteen with any comments or questions.
Most active learning techniques involve the creation of student groups, but groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement in active learning. This chapter focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.

Hold students individually accountable for group work

Students must have some accountability for their individual learning in order for groups to work effectively.

Follow up group work with individual assessments of learning.

Use assessments of individual effort to adjust grades.

Give groups a collaborative goal

It is important to have the group working together to achieve a collaborative goal, and that the group's success is dependent on the individual learning of all members.

Give students goals as a group.

Use achievement rewards.

Use group exams.

Use productive group structures

The structure of groups is important for success and engagement. The group size should be well suited to the task, and so that each student will be able to contribute.

Use team-building exercises.

Coach students and model effective behavior.

Help teams develop productive goals.

Require groups to self-reflect.

Help groups collaborate effectively and monitor their performance

Students are likely to need some help in working together well.

Use team-building exercises.

Coach students and model effective behavior.

Help teams develop productive goals.

Require groups to self-reflect.

Build motivating tasks

Build "motivational embellishments" into your activities, leveraging students' psychology to draw them in naturally to the task and make them want to engage due to intrinsic interest and value for the activity. Motivational embellishments include the insertion of specific challenges, material based on student interest, or giving students perceived control over the outcome of the task.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Vary group learning methods.

Give clear, written instruction.

Focus on authentic, real world scenarios.

Allow for fun.

Give tasks that are just above student ability.

Give students choice and autonomy.

For further reading on this topic, see Ames 1991; Seidel and Tanner 2013; Millis 2012; Slavin 2010; Tanner 2013; Teed, McDaris, and Roseth 2018; Felder and Brent 2016.

Keywords to search in the literature

Image courtesy of PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder

References

E. Anderman and H. Dawson, Learning with Motivation, in Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction, edited by R. Mayer and P. Alexander, (2010).

J. Bliss, W. Firestone, and C. Richards, Rethinking Effective Schools: Research and Practice, 1st ed. (Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 1991).

M. Boekaerts, The crucial role of motivation and emotion in classroom learning, in The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, edited by H. Dumont, D. Istance, and F. Benavides, (2010).

B. Brown, A. Gamoran, S. Lamborn, K. Seashore-Louis, N. Mounts, M. Nystrand, B. Smith, G. Smith, L. Steinberg, and G. Wehlage, Student Engagement and Achievement in American Secondary Schools, 1 ed., edited by F. Newmann, (Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, 1992), Vol. 1.

R. Felder and R. Brent, Teaching and Learning STEM: A Practical Guide, 1st Edition ed. (Jossey-Bass- A Wiley Imprint, San Francisco, 2016).

B. Linder, M. Somerville, Ö. Eris, and N. Tatar, Work in progress - Taking one for the team: Goal orientation and gender-correlated task division, presented at the IEEE Frontiers in Education (FIE) 2010, Arlington, VA, 2010.

R. Mayer and P. Alexander, (Routledge, Abingdon, 2016).

B. Millis, Cooperative Learning in Higher Education: Across the Disciplines, Across the Academy, 2nd edition ed. (Stylus Publishing, LLC, Sterling, 2012).

R. Moreno, Educational Psychology, (John Wiley & Sons Inc., Somerset, 2009).

K. Nguyen, J. Husman, M. Borrego, P. Shekhar, M. Prince, and M. DeMonbrun, Students' Expectations, Types of Instruction, and Instructor Strategies Predicting Student Response to Active Learning, presented at the American Education Research Association (AERA), San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

R. Slavin, Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice, 3rd Edition ed. (Allyn & Bacon Publishers, Boston, 1995).

R. Slavin, Cooperative learning: What makes group-work work?, in The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice, edited by H. Dumont, D. Istance, and F. Benavides, (2010).

R. Teed, J. McDaris, C. Roseth, Cooperative Learning, Science Education Resource Center and Carleton, 2018).

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How can I help students work well in small groups, so they are more likely to engage?

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Groups do not always work productively, and not all tasks are suited to group work. Poor group dynamics, or ill-suited tasks, can reduce student engagement. This article focuses on helping students engage productively in active learning classrooms through the type of tasks that are used, and support of productive group dynamics.

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Cite this guide: Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work:
Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/.

Many instructors from disciplines across the university use group work to enhance their students' learning. Whether the goal is to increase student understanding of content, to build particular transferable skills, or some combination of the two, instructors often turn to small group work to capitalize on the benefits of peer-to-peer instruction. This type of group work is formally termed cooperative learning, and is defined as the instructional use of small groups to promote students working together to maximize their own and each other's learning (Johnson, et al., 2008).

Cooperative learning is characterized by positive interdependence, where students perceive that better performance by individuals produces better performance by the entire group (Johnson, et al., 2014). It can be formal or informal, but often involves specific instructor intervention to maximize student interaction and learning. It is infinitely adaptable, working in small and large classes and across disciplines, and can be one of the most effective teaching approaches available to college instructors.

What can it look like?

Informal cooperative learning groups
In informal cooperative learning, small, temporary, ad-hoc groups of two to four students work together for brief periods in a class, typically up to one class period, to answer questions or respond to prompts posed by the instructor.

Additional examples of ways to structure informal group work
Think-pair-share
The instructor asks a discussion question. Students are instructed to think or write about an answer to the question before turning to a peer to discuss their responses. Groups then share their responses with the class.
Peer Instruction
This modification of the think-pair-share involves personal responses devices (e.g. clickers). The question posted is typically a conceptually based multiple-choice question. Students think about their answer and vote on a response before turning to a neighbor to discuss. Students can change their answers after discussion, and "sharing" is accomplished by the instructor revealing the graph of student response and using this as a stimulus for large class discussion. This approach is particularly well-adapted for large classes.
Jigsaw
In this approach, groups of students work in a team of four to become experts on one segment of new material, while other "expert teams" in the class work on other segments of new material. The class then rearranges, forming new groups that have one member from each expert team. The members of the new team then take turns teaching each other the material on which they are experts.
Formal cooperative learning groups
In formal cooperative learning students work together for one or more class periods to complete a joint task or assignment (Johnson et al., 2014). There are several features that can help these groups work well:

The instructor defines the learning objectives for the activity and assigns students to groups.

The groups are typically heterogeneous, with particular attention to the skills that are needed for success in the task.

Within the groups, students may be assigned specific roles, with the instructor communicating the criteria for success and the types of social skills that will be needed.

Importantly, the instructor continues to play an active role during the groups' work, monitoring the work and evaluating group and individual performance.

Instructors also encourage groups to reflect on their interactions to identify potential improvements for future group work.

This video shows an example of formal cooperative learning groups in David Matthes' class at the University of Minnesota:

There are many more specific types of group work that fall under the general descriptions given here, including team-based learning, problem-based learning, and process-oriented guided inquiry learning.

What's the theoretical underpinning?

The use of cooperative learning groups in instruction is based on the principle of constructivism, with particular attention to the contribution that social interaction can make. In essence, constructivism rests on the idea that individuals learn through building their own knowledge, connecting new ideas and experiences to existing knowledge and experiences to form new or enhanced understanding (Bransford, et al., 1999). The consideration of the role that groups can play in this process is based in social interdependence theory, which grew out of Kurt Koffka's and Kurt Lewin's identification of groups as dynamic entities that could exhibit varied interdependence among members, with group members motivated to achieve common goals. Morton Deutsch conceptualized varied types of interdependence, with positive correlation among group members' goal achievements promoting cooperation.

Lev Vygotsky extended this work by examining the relationship between cognitive processes and social activities, developing the sociocultural theory of development. The sociocultural theory of development suggests that learning takes place when students solve problems beyond their current developmental level with the support of their instructor or their peers. Thus both the idea of a zone of proximal development, supported by positive group interdependence, is the basis of cooperative learning (Davidson and Major, 2014; Johnson, et al., 2014).

Cooperative learning follows this idea as groups work together to learn or solve a problem, with each individual responsible for understanding all aspects. The small groups are essential to this process because students are able to both be heard and to hear their peers, while in a traditional classroom setting students may spend more time listening to what the instructor says.

Cooperative learning uses both goal interdependence and resource interdependence to ensure interaction and communication among group members. Changing the role of the instructor from lecturing to facilitating the groups helps foster this social environment for students to learn through interaction.

Is there evidence that it works?

David Johnson, Roger Johnson, and Karl Smith performed a meta-analysis of 168 studies comparing cooperative learning to competitive learning and individualistic learning in college students (Johnson et al., 2006). They found that cooperative learning produced greater academic achievement than both competitive learning and individualistic learning across the studies, exhibiting a mean weighted effect size of 0.54 when comparing cooperation and competition and 0.51 when comparing cooperation and individualistic learning. In essence, these results indicate that cooperative learning increases student academic performance by approximately one-half of a standard deviation when compared to non-cooperative learning models, an effect that is considered moderate. Importantly, the academic achievement measures were defined in each study, and ranged from lower-level cognitive tasks (e.g., knowledge acquisition and retention) to higher level cognitive activity (e.g., creative problem solving), and from verbal tasks to mathematical tasks to procedural tasks. The meta-analysis also showed substantial effects on other metrics, including self-esteem and positive attitudes about learning. George Kuh and colleagues also conclude that cooperative group learning promotes student engagement and academic performance (Kuh et al., 2007).

Springer, Stanne, and Donovan (1999) confirmed these results in their meta-analysis of 39 studies in university STEM classrooms. They found that students who participated in various types of small-group learning, ranging from extended formal interactions to brief informal interactions, had greater academic achievement, exhibited more favorable attitudes towards learning, and had increased persistence through STEM courses than students who did not participate in STEM small-group learning.

The box below summarizes three individual studies examining the effects of cooperative learning groups.

What are approaches that can help make group work effective?
Preparation Articulate your goals for the group work, including both the academic objectives you want the students to achieve and the social skills you want them to develop. Determine the group conformation that will help meet your goals.
In informal group learning, groups often form ad hoc from near neighbors in a class.

In formal group learning, it is helpful for the instructor to form groups that are heterogeneous with regard to particular skills or abilities relevant to group tasks. For example, groups may be heterogeneous with regard to academic skill in the discipline or with regard to other skills related to the group task (e.g., design capabilities, programming skills, writing skills, organizational skills) (Johnson et al, 2006).

Groups from 2-6 are generally recommended, with groups that consist of three members exhibiting the best performance in some problem-solving tasks (Johnson et al., 2006; Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992).

To avoid common problems in group work, such as dominance by a single student or conflict avoidance, it can be useful to assign roles to group members (e.g., manager, skeptic, educator, conciliator) and to rotate them on a regular basis (Heller and Hollabaugh, 1992). Assigning these roles is not necessary in well-functioning groups, but can be useful for students who are unfamiliar with or unskilled at group work.
Choose an assessment method that will promote positive group interdependence as well as individual accountability.
In team-based learning, two approaches promote positive interdependence and individual accountability. First, students take an individual readiness assessment test, and then immediately take the same test again as a group. Their grade is a composite of the two scores. Second, students complete a group project together, and receive a group score on the project. They also, however, distribute points among their group partners, allowing student assessment of members' contributions to contribute to the final score.

Heller and Hollabaugh (1992) describe an approach in which they incorporated group problem-solving into a class. Students regularly solved problems in small groups, turning in a single solution. In addition, tests were structured such that 25% of the points derived from a group problem, where only those individuals who attended the group problem-solving sessions could participate in the group test problem. This approach can help prevent the "free rider" problem that can plague group work.

The University of New South Wales describes a variety of ways to assess group work, ranging from shared group grades, to grades that are averages of individual grades, to strictly individual grades, to a combination of these. They also suggest ways to assess not only the product of the group work but also the process. Again, having a portion of a grade that derives from individual contribution helps combat the free rider problem.
Helping groups get started Explain the group's task, including your goals for their academic achievement and social interaction. Explain how the task involves both positive interdependence and individual accountability, and how you will be assessing each.
Assign group roles or give groups prompts to help them articulate effective ways for interaction. The University of New South Wales provides a valuable set of tools to help groups establish good practices when first meeting. The site also provides some exercises for building group dynamics; these may be particularly valuable for groups that will be working on larger projects.

Regularly observe group interactions and progress, either by circulating during group work, collecting in-process documents, or both. When you observe problems, intervene to help students move forward on the task and work together effectively. The University of New South Wales provides handouts that instructors can use to promote effective group interactions, such as a handout to help students listen reflectively or give constructive feedback, or to help groups identify particular problems that they may be encountering.

Assessing and reflecting

In addition to providing feedback on group and individual performance (link to preparation section above), it is also useful to provide a structure for groups to reflect on what worked well in their group and what could be improved. Graham Gibbs (1994) suggests using the checklists shown below.

The University of New South Wales provides other reflective activities that may help students identify effective group practices and avoid ineffective practices in future cooperative learning experiences.

References

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., and Cocking, R.R. (Eds.) (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Bruffee, K. A. (1993). Collaborative learning: Higher education, interdependence, and the authority of knowledge. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Cabrera, A. F., Crissman, J. L., Bernal, E. M., Nora, A., Terenzini, P. T., & Pascarella, E. T. (2002). Collaborative learning: Its impact on college students' development and diversity. Journal of College Student Development, 43(1), 20-34.

Davidson, N., & Major, C. H. (2014). Boundary crossing: Cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and problem-based learning. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25 (3&4), 7-55.

Dees, R. L. (1991). The role of cooperative leaning in increasing problem-solving ability in a college remedial course. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 22(5), 409-21.

Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative Learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, 7(1).

Heller, P., and Hollabaugh, M. (1992) Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 2: Designing problems and structuring groups. American Journal of Physics 60, 637-644.

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

Johnson, D.W., Johnson, R.T., and Holubec, E.J. (2008). Cooperation in the classroom (8 th edition). Edina, MN: Interaction.

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

Jones, D. J., & Brickner, D. (1996). Implementation of cooperative learning in a large-enrollment basic mechanics course. American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference Proceedings.

Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J., Bridges, B., and Hayek, J.C. (2007). Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions, and recommendations (ASHE Higher Education Report, No. 32). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Love, A. G., Dietrich, A., Fitzgerald, J., & Gordon, D. (2014). Integrating collaborative learning inside and outside the classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 177-196.

Smith, M. E., Hinckley, C. C., & Volk, G. L. (1991). Cooperative learning in the undergraduate laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education 68(5), 413-415.

Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of small-group learning on undergraduates in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 96(1), 21-51.

Uribe, D., Klein, J. D., & Sullivan, H. (2003). The effect of computer-mediated collaborative learning on solving ill-defined problems. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(1), 5-19.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1962). Thought and Language. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively

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by Cynthia J. Brame and Rachel Biel Print Version Cite this guide: Brame, C.J. & Biel, R. (2015). Setting up and facilitating group work: Using cooperative learning groups effectively. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/. Many instructors from disciplines across the university use group work to enhance their students' learning.

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Teamwork plays an important part in successful business operations. Definitions of teamwork include a group of people working together for a common goal with each member contributing to the project or program. Social scientists and group-theory researchers study teams to develop theories to define effective practices.

Business-administration programs teach team techniques, and employers ask management-job applicants questions about team-building techniques and practices. An understanding of teamwork theory helps impress job interviewers and also improves work management.

Productive teams help build businesses and create effective companies. Maslow's team building theory suggests that teams are motivated by opportunities for growth and actualization, as explained by Halo Psychology. Highly motivated teams tend to be more creative and productive. Firms focused on high production levels study teams and interpersonal interactions at the business with an eye on making changes to improve productivity.

Apple founder and former Pixar head Steve Jobs, for example, incorporated teamwork as an important part of his corporate operations. Jobs thought the key to high-performing teams involved frequent employee interaction, as described by Inc. He used teamwork theories in the construction of his corporate headquarters to increase worker interaction. Despite the fact that Jobs pioneered communication through electronic media, he also promoted personal interaction to fuel successful teams and workplaces.

The first scholarly study of teamwork took place in the 1950s under the direction of psychologists examining how humans relate to themselves and others. This group looked at how work influences team interactions and the actions team members take to tap the talents and skills of other members in solving a task or problem at work.

Additional studies explored the changes in teams over time and how teams integrate technology in completing tasks. The earliest formal studies of teamwork took place after World War II and focused on discovering the reasons for the failure of military teams.

Using a label to describe a theory allows easy recognition and a foundation to discuss the basic concepts. Major theories evaluating team-member role development include Interaction Process Analysis, a theory proposed by sociologist Freed Bales in 1950. Bale's theory evaluates individual members using a formal inventory system.

David Buchanan and Andrzej Huczynski published a major theory in the 1980s focusing on the elements of power and status in team management theory. Other important theories such as Meredith Belbin's theory of team roles also presented in the 1980s, propose ways to examine assigned team-member roles and compare these with the roles developed as a result of the individual team member's personality. More recently, John Adair's leadership theory emerged offerring a framework for team leaders that integrates tasks, managing the team and managing individual contributions, Mind Tools reports.

The major elements examined by teamwork studies include the team environment, member actions, communication used by the team, traits and roles of team members and the team work assignment. Scholarly studies also explore the attitudes and beliefs of the team members. In-depth team study also looks at the use of employer reward systems, both real and perceived by the worker.

Modern scholarly studies compare new teamwork theories with earlier theories, and also create mathematical equations to represent the behavior of individual team members and the group as a whole. The math equations attempt to predict team behavior under various employment conditions.

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Teamwork theory was developed by organizational psychologists and social scientists. Applying teamwork theory in the workplace can maximize team performance and overall productivity. Important theorists to know include Maslow, Bales, Belbin, Adair and others.

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Teamwork Theory

Tuckman's Stages of Group Development
Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's "team stages model".
First developed in 1965, Tuckman's model is widely known as a basis for effective team building. Yet how many people really know how to use it? Below we explain Tuckman's model before offering some fresh insights on how to take it further.

Tuckman's model is significant because it recognizes the fact that groups do not start off fully-formed and functioning. He suggests that teams grow through clearly defined stages, from their creation as groups of individuals, to cohesive, task-focused teams.

Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Tuckman describes working with a team of social psychologists, on behalf of the U.S. navy. The team studied small group behaviour, from several perspectives. In doing so, Tuckman reviewed 50 articles on group development and noticed that there were two features common to these small groups: the interpersonal or group structure, and the task activity. From this he identified that groups evolved into teams via four common stages.

Firstly an orientation, testing phase which often led to a period characterized by a degree of conflict. This then generally resolved itself, leading to a more socially cohesive phase. Finally, groups settled to a functional phase, during which they focused on role-relatedness. To summarize these four phases, Tuckman coined the oft-quoted terms: "forming", "storming", "norming" and "performing".

Tuckman's teamwork theory is best illustrated on a graph which shows the link between group relationships (the horizontal axis) and task focus (the vertical axis). The optimal or "performing" position is reached when relationships have developed within the group and it has started delivering with a clear focus on the task.

However, Tuckman's ideas clearly indicate that it takes time to reach the "performing" stage, and it's normal for these teams to go through ups and downs as they develop relationships. Particularly in the early period, which is perhaps why Tuckman called it the "storming" phase!

The 4 Phases of Tuckman's Teamwork Theory

Forming:

The initial stage of team development during which individuals have not yet gelled together. Everybody is busy finding their place in the team, sizing each other up, and asking themselves why they are here! Find out more in our articles: Team Building Techniques and Teamwork Tips. The first offers advice on starting a new team while the second will help you take over an existing team (perhaps a far more common situation).

Storming:

People begin to see themselves as part of a team. However at this stage they may challenge each other, and the team leader, about such things as what the team is doing, and how things should be done. As the stage title suggests, conflict and confrontation typify this stage, as differences surface. This may result in some loss of performance or focus on the task, as the diagram illustrates.

Norming:

This is the phase where team members start to come together, developing processes, establishing ground rules, clarifying who does what, and how things will be done. This phase is characterized by a growing sense of "togetherness". Find out more about both the Storming and Norming phases in our article: Team Building Concepts.

Performing:

This is the final stage where increased focus on both the task, and on team relationships, combine to provide synergy. Performance is delivered through people working effectively together. We have written two articles to further develop this stage. Team Building in the Workplace will help you build a performing team. Characteristics of Effective Teamwork will help you and your team sustain that performance.

Thinking about Tuckman's Model

The value of Tuckman's model is that it helps us understand that teams evolve. It also helps us to consider how they may encounter different problems at different stages of their development.

One limitation of the model may be that it makes team building appear too linear and sequential. Although it's a useful analytical tool, we must remember that some teams may "loop" around in their development.

For example, not all teams evolve smoothly through Tuckman's stages but may yo-yo between norming and storming until they either begin to function, or are disbanded! Regardless of limitations, all well-conceived models can be useful in helping us to understand and better manage our circumstances.

Adjourning

Tuckman's famous phases are part of a teamwork theory based on stages of team development. His theory may have gained popularity partly due to the catchy labels for each of his stages. Indeed, in 1977 Tuckman proposed an update to his model, introducing a fifth stage: adjourning. This was meant to reflect the period after a team disbands, having achieved its objectives or perhaps being broken-up for other reasons. The issues for managers here can include:

Capturing the knowledge/expertise of the team for future use or reference.

Dealing with any sense of loss amongst team members, where successful or well-established teams are being broken up.

Understanding the causes and ramifications of team dysfunction, where the team is being disbanded because it has not worked.

Beyond Tuckman's Theory

Tuckman's theory provides a useful and simple way to think about how we humans interact in team situations. Firstly by illustrating that it's normal for teams go through stages as they develop. Secondly, by highlighting the need to manage different aspects of team behaviour at each stage of that development. The beauty and usefulness of Tuckman's model is perhaps in its simplicity. Follow this for more information on this theory or click here to read Tuckman's original article.

Team development theories such, as Tuckman's group development stages, recognise that teams develop through different stages, from forming through to performing. Whilst these theories give a useful understanding of different team requirements at different times, there are a number of questions that aren't particularly well answered by the models. For example:

How should you lead at the different stages of a team's development?

How do you identify when you are progressing through a stage?

How does the team develop in the organisational setting?

How is it affected by other outside influences?

The theory of group stages alone doesn't answer these questions. To do so, and thus to build a more robust teamwork concept, ideas about team leadership and outside factors need to be introduced. We've done just this in our STAR team performance model. You can see how this model applies to group stages in: Stages of Team Development.

This is the first of ten articles in our teamwork series. But for some practical tips on using teamwork theory, look at our great-value guides (below), or at our Team Building Exercises for all team stages.

Team Building Exercises and Team Stages

Our e-guide: Team Building Exercises has been specifically designed to help you understand and use a team stages model. It contains a tool for each stage to help you build a high-performing team - as quickly as possible. The exercises in the guide are grouped according to our own team stages model. Remember, each team is unique and needs to be led through several developmental stages. These include:

If you're creating a new team or taking over an existing team

Exercise 1: Being a TEAM together
Exercise 2: True or false
Exercise 3: Who does what in a team?
Exercise 4: Getting the mix right
Exercise 5: Doing something for the first time
Exercise 6: Two years from now

If you're developing an existing team

Exercise 7: A clearer vision
Exercise 8: Mad, sad or glad
Exercise 9: Seeing the bigger picture
Exercise 10: Positive feedback
Exercise 11: Conflicting views

If you're team is already performing and achieving results

Exercise 12: Did you notice?
Exercise 13: Limiting beliefs

If you're trying to sustain good team performance

Exercise 14: Scarce resources
Exercise 15: Keeping going

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Teamwork Theory | Tuckman's Stages of Group Development - The Happy Manager

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Probably the most famous teamwork theory is Bruce Tuckman's 'team stages model'. Tuckman's model is widely used for effective team building.

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Funktion Events - Hen Party Ideas, Stag Do Ideas, Birthday & Team Building Ideas

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Funktion Events | Part of Funktion Leisure

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Read, think and put into action some of the most famous teamwork theories developed by an array of experts in their field. Develop your own path to success.

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Read Aloud Adventure | Learn Along Adventure

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Mind Your Manners - Manners at School (Part 1 of 4) [School Rules & Self-Regulation]

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🐙 Helping hands by Anna Prokos | Read Aloud Books for Kids

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The Singing Walrus - English Songs For Kids

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Please and Thank You Song | The Singing Walrus

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Accountability - it's the willingness to accept personal responsibility for our own actions. And successful teams can't thrive without it.

Ever worked on a team routinely plagued with missed deadlines, broken promises, or vague expectations? Or where managers constantly nagged and micromanaged? It's likely the team didn't have a culture of accountability.

Accountability fosters better work relationships, improves job satisfaction, and helps teams work more effectively together. It empowers ICs with ownership over their work and fuels more effective teamwork, since folks know they can count on each other to get things done. Mastering team accountability can help teams have better performance discussions and hold each other accountable in a more supportive way too. It inspires individuals to exceed their goals and improve their performance, and it's intrinsically linked to results (and revenue). Employee engagement, according to Gallup, helps companies outperform their competitors, and can result in 21% greater profitability.

Despite the clear benefits, if your team struggles with accountability you're not alone. 25% of remote managers say lack of accountability is one of the biggest hurdles their team needs to overcome. According to another study, 93% of employees don't understand what their team is trying to accomplish (let alone how they can contribute to help get there), and 85% of leaders aren't defining clear enough expectations for employees in the first place.

What is team accountability?

On a team, accountability means the team follows through on its commitments, finishes projects on time, and meets its goals. Team accountability requires each individual to be accountable for their own piece too - both for long-term goals and day-to-day work. On teams with strong accountability, ICs take ownership of their work, communicate openly and often about commitments, and complete tasks they commit to in a timely manner.

So often, teams only discuss accountability when things go wrong. It can be a term charged with negative connotations including stress, fear, and even disciplinary measures. But it doesn't need to be.

Building systems for team accountability - like regular planning and goal-setting, or standards around sharing progress updates - ensures accountability feels fair and non-judgemental. It's less about a manager or teammate nagging you for information, and more about adhering to a process everyone has agreed upon. The system holds you accountable, not just the people.

Why remote teams struggle with accountability

It's harder to align on expectations

When you work remotely, you miss out on natural opportunities to build alignment and ask questions. It can be harder for folks to know what's expected on any given project or of certain roles, which can lead to unnecessary work and misunderstandings. Teammates might feel like someone is dropping the ball, when in fact, it's actually not that person's responsibility or they didn't even know it was in the first place. Plus, when you're spread across multiple time zones, it can be challenging to know what's expected in terms of ways of working, online hours, or response times over Slack or email.

Communication takes more work

Developing remote practices for communication that successfully keep everyone in the loop can be daunting at first. Teammates often feel like they're spending more time reporting on their work than getting work done. For managers, it can feel like there are endless status updates floating around in their inbox, project management systems, or both. Some people share too much; others share too little. Important updates can easily get lost in the mix and, if there's not a single source of truth, it's hard to track down what's been shared in the past.

The pressure to report on progress: Especially for teams new to remote work, there's often added pressure from leadership to report on progress. Leaders want to know teams and projects are running smoothly. Generally, this comes from a place of good intention, but can quickly create a trickle-down micromanagement effect as managers and leads scramble to stay on top of their team.

It can be harder to feel progress and purpose

When you work from home, it can be easy to forget about the rest of the team and how your work fits into the bigger picture. It's harder to keep tabs on team goals, especially if they're not being talked about regularly, and oftentimes folks start to doubt whether their work is impactful, resulting in a lack of engagement and lower levels of motivation. When individuals lose momentum, projects stall, and the team is more likely to experience burnout. When you're remote, it's also easier to focus on individual work over collaborative projects - which ultimately changes what work gets done.

3 ways managers can foster remote accountability

1. Define clear expectations around roles, projects, and ways of working

When you WFH, things that were naturally resolved or aligned upon when you sat together in an office can take a lot more effort and intentionality. To fill these gaps, it's important to develop standardized practices that focus on communicating expectations with specificity and clarity.

Use the S.M.A.R.T.E.R framework: Whether you're defining expectations for a particular project, role, or your team as a whole, one tool that helps with assessing specificity and clarity is the S.M.A.R.T.E.R. framework. This framework makes certain your expectation is specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, trackable, ethical, and recorded.

Outline clear WFH policies: After we went fully remote, our team found it helpful to create a WFH policy that outlined clear expectations around ways of working. In the policy, we include things like: defining core work hours, windowed work (https://www.range.co/blog/windowedwork), and communicating around vacation and absences. The key is transparency. Be abundantly clear about your expectations and any potential consequences, while also acknowledging that WFH presents its own unique set of challenges. Show empathy and allow for flexibility - you never know what else team members may be juggling at home.

Create a detailed project spec template: Project specs and one-pagers help teams create alignment and clearly define expectations. Each one should include a clear timeline (that's specific on timezones - "code freeze goes into effect on May 11 at 5:00 pm PST"), outline project ownership (including a RACI chart), and have specific details on the deliverable (if possible, provide examples). It can be helpful to create a project spec template for your team to save time and ensure a standard set of information is included in each one. Not sure where to start? Check out our project spec template.

Define project ownership: When there is a lack of clarity around project ownership, managers often feel the need to micromanage because there isn't a point person and they're worried about dropping the ball. Take a look at all the major projects that you have going on this quarter, and review the owners for each task. Does each task have one clear, identifiable owner? If not, work with your team to define who owns what. Many teams also like to use a RACI chart for each project - clarifying who should be responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed on the work.

Clearly define roles: When people know their role, they're more likely to feel a sense of ownership and take charge of their work. Likewise, when teammates understand each other's roles, it strengthens collaboration, communication, and trust because they know who to turn to for what and what is (and isn't) expected. As a manager, make it a point to publicize everyone's role and revisit expectations on a regular basis.

2. Build habits around daily planning and long-term goal setting

To be accountable to yourself and your team, first you need to define what you're actually trying to accomplish.

Start the day with an individual planning exercise: For remote teams, where folks naturally have more freedom and less guidance in their day-to-day, daily planning is a small practice that can help build up personal accountability over time. On our team, individuals create their own plan for the day every morning and share it as a part of their Check-in. Especially since going fully remote, we've found it to be a helpful tool in building individual autonomy and self-awareness.

Have regular conversations around commitments and outcomes: As a team, set up a system for committing to work for a period of time - maybe it's a two-week sprint or a month. Then include ways to check in and follow up with each other. On our team, we set expectations together in our sprint planning meeting for the coming two-week cycle, share updates about the work through our daily Check-ins, and then reflect together in a retro at the end of the sprint. The goal of this process isn't necessarily that everyone meets their commitments 100% of the time, but rather to start a conversation about why not and what's getting in the way (to create accountability measures).

Set team and individual OKRs: For longer-term goal-setting, you can help your team align their work with purpose by setting strong OKRs (objectives and key results). OKRs are goals that outline the why, in addition to the what and how. They help teams see how individual work ladders up to the big picture or a specific business objective and can be a powerful way to help folks feel their impact.

3. Create a practice of sharing progress and checking in on commitments

Daily progress updates - whether through a team standup, scrum meeting, or async Check-in - encourage more individual accountability by building expectations around sharing and moving work forward. When folks know the team cares about their work and is following their progress, they feel more motivated to get it done. When done right, daily updates can also improve transparency and make remote communication less burdensome and more impactful.

Try daily written updates: Written progress updates are easier for remote teams because they work for everyone's schedule and can be read or referenced later on. You can use Range Check-ins to make the process even easier. Teams find them to be more effective and less time-intensive than other styles of status updates. Managers can see what everyone is working on in one place, ICs can easily pull in tasks from other tools to create an all-up view of their work in under 5 minutes, and leadership always has a line of sight into your team's accomplishments.

"As a manager, Check-ins really helped me do away with all the weekly status reports in email." - Kristin Toole, Adobe

Engage with each other's updates: Showing that individual work directly impacts shared team goals is a powerful way to build team accountability. One way our team does this is by reading (and engaging with) each other's Check-ins. It helps reinforce the idea that individual work matters and shows folks their work has an impact on the team's success and results. We've also found it helps our team feel more connected around shared goals, which has helped bring us together as a remote team and improves our team dynamic.

Give structure to your updates: As you build the habit of sharing daily updates, it can be helpful to give structure to the sharing to give folks a foundation and place to start. You'll likely want to try different formats and see what sticks for your team. Our team likes the GROW format - Goal, Reality, Opportunities/Obstacles, Wins.

Build a foundation of accountability on your team

Accountability should be something your team talks about daily, not just when there are gaps in performance or when things go wrong.

Building systems for accountability into your team's workflow can help ICs feel more empowered and help managers support them, without micromanagement. You can have better performance discussions, build healthy habits around planning and goal-setting, and achieve better results. If you want your team to be more effective, invest in team and individual accountability.
Start improving accountability with Range

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How to increase team accountability - even when you're remote

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While some teams struggle with accountability when they go remote, it doesn't have to be that way. Here are 3 ways managers can increase team accountability.

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Let's make Each other Accountable using Compassion 

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Let's make Each other Accountable using Compassion 

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As a manager, it's a tricky balance to promote accountability for business outcomes while demonstrating kindness to individuals on your team. How do you find the sweet spot between being compassionate and holding people responsible? The secret is to over-index on clear expectations and then provide frequent, low-impact coaching and feedback to give your team members assistance without ever transferring ownership of responsibility. This article covers some techniques to instill in your team the sense that they can be simultaneously vulnerable with you and responsible for hitting their goals.

Your team has a lot to accomplish, so you can't afford to have anyone on board who consistently lets their colleagues down. You need individuals who understand their responsibilities and feel obligated to deliver - a team full of people who feel accountable. But building an accountable team is easier said than done.

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What you need to know about being in charge.

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Hold Your Team Accountable with Compassion, Not Fear

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As a manager, it's a tricky balance to promote accountability for business outcomes while demonstrating kindness to individuals on your team. How do you find the sweet spot between being compassionate and holding people responsible? The secret is to over-index on clear expectations and then provide frequent, low-impact coaching and feedback to give your team members assistance without ever transferring ownership of responsibility.

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Recipe for Effective School Accountability 

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Recipe for Effective School Accountability 

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A Recipe for Effective School Accountability | Intellections

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Faculty Focus | Higher Ed Teaching & Learning

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The idea for sharing this post came from a session I recently conducted at the annual teaching conference organized by my university. A pedagogical conundrum was raised by a colleague whose enthusiasm and question stayed with me and inspired me to write this post. The question posed by this colleague is relevant to all instructors who have ever used group work to assess their students: How should one deal with the issues that arise when members of a group are not picking up their share of the responsibilities during a group work project?

The benefits of group work are well recognized (e.g., http://goo.gl/N8kqhy), as are the reasons students don't like working in groups (Taylor, 2011). We have all had groups that operated magically, when group members brought out each other's strengths and helped each member shine; but we have also had groups that failed miserably when members did not get along or did not pull equal weight in completing a group project.

Although much has been written about group work and its benefits and challenges, as well as variables, features, or components that can contribute to positive learning outcomes (Tomcho, & Foels, 2012), issues of implementation seem to pop up every time instructors get together to talk about their teaching challenges. In this post I focus on the persistent challenge of imbalance when not all group members contribute equally. What follows are a few simple ideas you might wish to consider that have worked well for me during years of trial and error in my teaching, as well as insights from my research.

1. Design a group project in which the students work in phases.

For instance, starting with a project idea, then moving to project development, followed by preliminary project outcomes - and requiring students to "check-in" at each phase before delivering the final project. Not only does this help ensure that the groups won't wait until the final deadline is upon them to work on their project, but it also enables the instructor to touch base with every group and to offer guidance, support, or mediation, if needed, during the process.

2. Develop an element of the project that allows group members to make their own choices.

In my teaching, I usually give students the freedom to choose a topic area that interests them within the scope of the course or that is the most relevant or meaningful to the team members. This decision helps create a sense of ownership and enhances the students' level of engagement, both of which are crucial for working on large group projects, and especially for those requiring students to carry out the work in phases throughout the term (see, for example, Enghag & Niedder, 2007, on the theoretical basis for student ownership of learning).

3. Within a group project, include a component requiring individual students to submit non-onerous individual work.

For example, the project could include a personal reflection piece (e.g., e.g., Huang, 2011a), in which each member individually reflects on the process and product of his or her own portion of the group work. Apart from the pedagogical benefits of learners engaging in individual reflection (Pavlovich, Collins, & Jones, 2009), this task or component will inevitably provide insights about the division-of-labor issue commonly raised by instructors and students alike. Both learners and the instructor can glean a great many insights from those individual reflection pieces, which instructors can take into account when assigning either project or final grades, depending on their individual approach to assessment. This process also enables students to gain greater understanding about what worked well and what could be improved.

One important matter to keep in mind when implementing the reflection component is the need to ensure that we, as instructors, clarify what we mean by "reflection" in order to minimize a potential mismatch between our expectations about reflective learning and our students' understanding of what it entails. What we'd like our students to do is to engage in critical reflection - that is, thinking that involves different levels of reflection, rather than simply restating or describing what they did, or what I have called "non-transformative" reflection.

The goal is to encourage students to move beyond simply recalling what they did either individually or together within the group and instead to reflect on their personal discoveries about their own learning and the process of working collaboratively (i.e., understanding, analyzing, and evaluating the process and the product of their group efforts), and, importantly, to "verbalize" what they would do differently the next time around (i.e., pointing to the future).

This component is an example of what is called "writing/speaking to learn" (Manchón, 2011). For this task, it's important that students not be required to follow any formatting or style guidelines. The reflection should be an informal piece of writing, much like a diary entry, and can be in any modality (e.g., writing, audio recording, video clip) that suits the characteristics or preferences of individual students to allow for their individual expression. For some additional simple guidelines about implementing learner reflection, refer to Huang (2011b).

4. Devote a segment (30 minutes or so) during class before all group projects begin to implement two important steps.

Step 1: Get to know each other. The first 10 minutes can be a period for all students to find and meet with the group members they have either been assigned or have self-selected. They should then spend some time exploring each other's communication styles, which may arise from personal or culture-related differences (Lewis, 2006), to help them better anticipate different communication preferences and approaches to group work. This time can be spent sharing responses to guiding questions or statements, such as "I would describe my communication style/personality as ...," "I tend/prefer to deal with conflict by ...," and "I would appreciate my team members doing/not doing ...." (Huang, 2014). Guiding questions are especially helpful for groups that are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Step 2: Establish group norms. During the next 20 minutes, encourage each group to negotiate its own group norms (derived from Step 1) and ground rules. During this time, members of each team should elucidate, negotiate, and establish roles, responsibilities, and expectations. This process makes explicit the specific contributions and ownership of responsibilities that each team member negotiates and agrees to.

Below is a sample checklist that instructors can modify and use to facilitate this process and help prepare each group project to succeed (Huang, 2014). You can revise the items to suit a project or provide the list as an example for each group to use in creating its own list. The list can also be revisited during each check-point mentioned earlier and adjustments made as needed. Upon completion of the project, instructors can request the checklist(s) to be submitted (but not graded), along with other deliverables that are due.

5. Prepare students to expect the unexpected.

Rather than directing their every concern to you, students should be encouraged to become problem solvers not only by identifying problems, but also by developing solutions and choosing and evaluating the best ones so as to balance personal learning with the group's project goals. At the same time, you'll want to create and maintain a culture of openness that lets your students know you are readily available to provide guidance when groups reach an impasse.

In any group work situation, it is always possible that compatibility issues will arise between or among team members, as well as conflicts or problems with unequal distribution of work. The pre-group-project considerations described above, however, can easily be implemented to help minimize the likelihood that conflicts will develop that could negatively affect learning and outcomes. They may also help instructors and students in dealing with the specific common challenge of students who are not pulling their own weight in group collaborations, while maximizing the benefits of a group project not only in terms of content, but more, if not most, importantly, in learning how to work with others - a valuable life lesson that's best learned through experience.

References:
Enghag, M., & Niedderer, H. (2008). Two dimensions of student ownership of learning during small-group work in physics. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 6(4), 629-653.

Huang, L.-S. (2011a). Language learners as language researchers: The acquisition of English grammar through a corpus-aided discovery learning approach mediated by intra and interpersonal dialogues. In J. Newman, S. Rice, & H. Baayen (Eds.), Corpus-based studies in language documentation, use, and learning (pp. 91-122). Amsterdam: Rodopi Press.

Huang, L.-S. (2011b, Fall). Key concepts and theories in TESL: Learner reflection. TEAL News: The Association of B.C. Teachers of English as an Additional Language, pp. 9-13.

Huang, L.-S. (2014). Lessons learned from team-facilitation in ELT: Strategies for navigating the challenges and making it work. IATEFL ES(O)L Newsletter, pp. 13-17.

Lewis, R. D. (2006). When cultures collide: Leading across cultures (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Manchón, R. M. (Ed.). (2011). Learning-to-write and writing-to-learn in an additional language. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.

Pavlovich, K., Collins, E., Jones, G. (2009). Developing students' skills in reflective practice: Design and assessment. Journal of Management Education, 33(1), 37-58.

Taylor, A. (2011). Top 10 reasons students dislike working in groups...and why I do it anyway. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 39(2), 219-220.

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Dr. Li-Shih Huang, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Learning and Teaching Scholar-in-Residence, Learning and Teaching Centre, University of Victoria, BC, Canada.

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Students Riding on Coattails during Group Work? Five Simple Ideas to Try

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How should faculty deal with the issues that arise when some students ride on the coattails of others during a group work project?

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When it comes to teaching, we must provide all students with the opportunity to learn in an equitable environment. This means that each student has access to the same quality of education, regardless of race, socio-economic status, identity, or background. It must happen to set all students up to learn and thrive in classrooms. The suggestions in this blog are designed to help any teacher in any school.

1.Recognize that all students have different needs

If you are teaching students from various backgrounds and cultures, it is crucial to recognize that they have diverse needs. This means that each student has different strengths and weaknesses, so we need to teach them in ways that honor and embrace their identities.

For example, some students struggle with reading comprehension while others struggle with math. If this is the case, your lessons should provide support so all students can succeed. Once we look at each student as unique and has unique strengths and needs, we can truly start reaching all students.

2.Pay attention to your mindset and be aware of any biases you may have

It is essential to be aware of our mindset. Being aware of our mindset means that we need to pay attention to any biases or prejudices that might affect students. If you are not mindful of your own biases, you might accidentally give students unfair treatment.

For example, pay attention to who you are calling on more often than others to answer questions. Also, pay attention to who you are redirecting for behaviors. It is even important to be aware of who you stand by while you teach. If we let ourselves be truly reflective and observant, we might see that we are implicitly showing favoritism or unfairly treating students in the classroom. We can only make changes once we are aware of what we need to work on.

3.Create a community of trust where students from all backgrounds and identities feel safe to speak up

Building community in the classroom is vital. When students do not feel safe or included at school, it can affect their learning ability. We need students to trust us to share their thoughts and ideas with us. If they don't, we won't know what our students need. We should make sure that our students feel safe in the classroom so they can focus on learning.

Every student deserves to feel safe, welcome, and comfortable in the classroom. By doing this, you allow them to participate fully in their lessons and make good progress by providing this atmosphere.

One way you can build trust with your students is to hold a community circle before lessons begin. This way, all students will feel welcome and included in the classroom community. To learn more about circles, check out this article, Circle Up for a Better Climate and Culture.

4.Promote diversity in your curriculum, not just literature or social studies classes, but science and math too

Teaching acceptance and diversity doesn't have to have a time limit or be at a particular time of the year. Diversity must be incorporated into all class subjects. Students should see diverse people reflected in every subject. We must also intentionally include a wide variety of diverse perspectives and diverse people in our everyday curriculum to ensure students consistently see representation.

We must pay attention to what and who we put in the curriculum, how we teach it, and how students learn it.

According to the blog Culture and Equity in Science Classrooms, when students' contributions do not conform to the expectations of the science curriculum, their ideas are more likely to be dismissed. Because Western science has defined the curriculum, it is more likely for students from non-dominant communities to be shut out. This is why we must stay aware of our implicit biases and intentionally keep them in check with our actions and in our planning.

When we think about math, we might not always think of the need to make a more equitable experience for students, or know how we can do so. We found some key research that points towards the need to make math more equitable. According to a study called The Importance of Equity in Mathematics Education, there are some key indicators of equity in math, including:

Strong Support for all students

High Expectations

Collaborative Learning

Accommodating Differences

Open-ended teaching/learning strategies

5.Use visuals to promote diversity in the classroom

Representation does matter. In your classroom, try to include diversity in your visuals as well. If all of your visual examples are of people who look the same, some students might not feel valued, validated, or belonging.

For example, if you are teaching students about some of the first female scientists, include pictures that show women from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. This might seem simple, but it can make a difference to students. Check out this set of FREE Diversity and Inclusion Posters that help spread equitable messages and actions in your classroom.

6.Utilize student voice in curriculum planning and use different perspectives

If you want your lessons to be both engaging and equitable, you should listen to students' interests when creating curriculums.

Student voice and choice are critical. Students must have a say in the curriculum because it promotes active learning and empowerment. Allowing students to choose means they are engaged in their learning, further promoting equity.

A great way to highlight student voice is to demonstrate alternative ways to express their knowledge and skills other than traditional tests. Better yet, allow them options on how they will learn about specific topics. For example, you might give them several different resources and pathways they can explore to learn about a historical event or historical people and demonstrate their knowledge using evidence.

You might also try project-based learning because it provides a learning experience students can be empowered to help drive. According to PBLWorks, project-based learning is "A teaching method in which students learn by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects." Students will also get to be collaborative and practice social-emotional skills. Be careful to also think about what kinds of projects students might be working on and be purposeful with picking projects that pertain to their interests. Better yet, give students choices on their projects or allow them to suggest their own!

7.Have diverse materials in the classroom and diverse books on your shelves

Classrooms today have students with unique backgrounds, cultures, and identities, so it is important that the classroom materials represent this.

Having diverse resources within the school is crucial because it can provide students with more information on specific topics. For example, if you teach about immigration to your students, having books or websites available for them to access after class will help them learn even more.

If there are no books or other materials about certain groups of students, then some students might feel like they don't belong or like they aren't represented. This means all students need to see themselves reflected back at them when they open a book to enjoy it. Check out 22 Diverse Book Choices for All Grade Levels from Edutopia for some great book suggestions.

8.Reach Multilingual Learners

Multilingual education specialist Carly Spina said that languages are tied to our identities. She believes that it is important to incorporate heritage languages into our learning spaces. Providing supports for multilingual learners provide more ways to make our classrooms more inclusive.

If you are looking to learn more about how to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom with your multilingual learners check out Episode 12 of the TeacherGoals Podcast with Carly Spina! In this episode, Carly shares how she approaches fostering community with multilingual students and their families by engaging them in conversations about their lives. She discusses the importance of reflection in order to create equitable practices in the classroom. She also provides examples of how using social media has helped her connect with her students and their families. Be sure to check it out by listening below!

9.Get help if you need it

It is important to remember that we all need support sometimes. If you're struggling with what to do, when to do it, or how to do it, it is important to seek out this information and learn from others.

There are many ways to get support, such as blogging, joining an online community Facebook group, listening to podcasts, or engaging with the amazing colleagues you have right down your hallway. The important thing is to put in the work needed to learn!

Creating an Equitable and Safe Place for your Students

Teachers need to have a mindset that promotes equity to teach students equitably. Additionally, teachers should utilize student voice and choice when planning lessons, use diverse materials in the classroom, and be proactive in seeking out resources to help them promote equity.

So what do all of these things have in common? They're all ways that we can promote equity in our classrooms. When we teach and learn from a perspective of equity, everyone benefits. Students feel seen and heard, and they are more likely to succeed both academically and socially. We hope that you'll try out some of these ideas in your classroom, and if you need help getting started, don't hesitate to reach out!

If you're looking to learn more about how to promote equity in your classroom, be sure to check out Episode 4 of the TeacherGoals Podcast with Dr. Sheldon Eakins! In this episode, Dr. Eakins discusses how to meet the needs of all students by having a mindset that promotes equity. He provides many great ideas and strategies that you can use in your classroom, so be sure to check it out by listening below!

Additional Resources

There are many great resources available, and here are some of our favorites to help promote equity in the classroom:
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9 Ways to Promote Equity in the Classroom - teachergoals.com

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Every student deserves an equal chance to learn and succeed. These nine tips will help promote equity in your classroom, so that all students can reach their potential.