I have worked on so many group projects in my academic career that they have become quite the norm. I still dislike them and often dread having to pick partners, figure out meeting times, and allocate workloads.
That being said, ever since middle school I have understood the importance of being able to get along with people, if only for the short time the group is together. It is a practical life skill and can really make things go smoother.
My favorite part about the group project model is when teachers give essentially two grades, an individual part and a group part. This is the incentive that really encourages every group member to contribute to the project to the best of their ability.
By holding members personally responsible for the work they were delegated, and implementing a "grade your group members" part of the project, the 'slacker' mentality is largely weeded out. I'm not sure when teachers started grading projects this way but I'm glad they did. Accountability is such an important trait that we should be making sure it is rewarded.
I think the aspect of working amiably with group mates is extremely important. In the "real-world' working with fellow employees is a daily exercise. An employee who can't interact effectively with their co-workers will surely not last long in that job.
ReplyDeleteI think we can all agree that both the individual and the group should be held accountable for their work and contribution. I personally love working with groups, but that's just the natural social aspect of my personality, however I know that I constantly have to take into consideration how the other group members feel about the situation. It's great that you can be honest and say it's just difficult to work with people sometimes, because that's true. I hope in the future that you will have positive group experiences and hopefully you already have.
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of the dual grading system where you can give your classmates a grade for their performance/assistance. I know I have had some groups where one or two members out of four never showed up, thus got 0 points on that particular section. Then again I have also had members who do less work than the others give everyone else in the group a 0.....
ReplyDeleteI hate when a teacher grades based solely on the group as a whole. There always needs to be an individual grade as well. In one of my classes this was done by the group all giving each member a "grade." The teacher then took the average of the scores and gave us a grade based on that. Three of us got an A, one got a B, and the one who NEVER showed up or did anything got an F. Had the project been graded as a group, he would have taken the easy way out.
ReplyDeleteIt is best when you are graded on what you put into the project but sometimes this is impossible for the teacher to see. I do like the way you explain it in having different people present different parts of the project and be responsible for that part only but is not that sort of getting away from the group work part. I mean if you give me a task and tell me that is my part and that is all I have to do then I do not ever have to see you again until the due date.
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