EDSS 530 RR4 Designing Groupwork

Chapter one defines groupwork as students working in a collaborative mode so each can participate on a clearly defined task. It is a delegation of authority that allows the students to accomplish the task in the way they think best, but yet they are held accountable. The teacher is ultimately responsible for the design and the logistics. It must be compatible with the class and work in the class environment. In my experience I found in training executives and sales staff the group design worked very well. Empowering them to do the tasks is a reflection of their motivation and creativity. It also creates a team atmosphere and a pleasant workplace environment. There is no reason this design cannot apply to a classroom.


Chapter two focuses on achieving intellectual and social goals. Students are able to assist each other in learning and foster conceptual thinking and problem solving to escape the routine of traditional education. Social skills develop and the prize is oral and language skill proficiency improves. Synergy occurs and the whole becomes greater than the parts. The teacher must be able to manage a heterogeneous classroom both academically and socially. My co-operating teachers use groupwork 60% of the time. The groups are setup with each student having a responsibility and they are held accountable to that task. The group is graded as a team so one of the group leaders is sure to have everyone on task. If someone is behind, the team helps them catch up. It is a win win arrangement for each student and the team.

Chapter three explores the problems of group work. Groups segregate and friends tend to hang out so it is best for the teacher to be in complete control and select the groups, establish roles for each student, and provide the task to be completed to be pertinent and worthwhile. Poor planning can cause an undesirable domination of some of the group members and withdrawal and remission by some others. Academic, expert, peer, and societal status of the students all impact the team and the role each plays. Expectations must be set in these areas to insure understanding that it is a team effort and this is what we are going to accomplish. If not, the problems of groupwork will be compounded. There are mixed opinions toward group work, some teachers feel it is a social activity, especially for high school students. The way they design their group activities it is. Design and implementation is so critical to the success of groupwork. If the teacher invests the time and effort to set it up properly then the results will be rewarding and beneficial to all.

For me I want to develop the skills to be efficient and effective in my implementation. Groupwork is an excellent tool to check for understanding and I need to develop a balance to evaluate each member and also provide a grade for the group. The evaluation of the effectiveness is also a concern since we may be bias in our own group efforts. My philosophy is geared to teamwork and this is a strategy I plan to pursue rigorously.