Prepare students for group work

For students to operate effectively in groups, preparation is essential. Students should not be expected to be “team ready” just because they have been working in groups before. Each group experience is new and students need to cover the basics. For example, students need to know:

• What sort of group work will be conducted in this subject?
• Why is group work needed in the subject?
• Who will be their fellow group members and why?
• What specific skills will be developed through their participation in group work?

You can not assume that students know this information. Most students are very sceptical about group work and have little idea of the reasons they are made to work in groups. If students are informed about the basics, they are more likely to understand the rationale for group work in their subject. As a result, they will also be more likely to enter their groups with the attitudes, expectations and motivation necessary to engage at a high performance level. Informed and motivated students will also be much more willing to learn from their group experiences.

Here are 3 key steps to prepare students for group work.

1. Written rationale for group work

Students will read the word ‘group work’ long before they hear it in the class room. It is therefore important that the rationale for group work is contained in the subject outline – which is where students are likely to first read about it.

For many students, a comprehensive and well structured section on group work in the subject outline tends to reflect the lecturer’s overall commitment to the principles of group work. When there is little reference to group work in the outline, students often perceive that the lecturer is only using group work as a workload reduction strategy. In these instances, students feel ill-prepared for group work and have little confidence that the lecturer will oversee the groups effectively. Self-fulfilling prophecies such as these can be dangerous because they can hinder groups before they even begin. 

Despite slight variations, an outline with a comprehensive group work section contains all the information students need to prepare for group work. This section should include statements concerning:

• the basic rationale for group work in the subject
• what the group assignment will involve
• the learning outcomes of group work
• how members will be selected into groups and why
• how group work will be assessed and why
• how groups will be monitored to ensure equal participation by all members
• how often (and for how long) should group members be meeting to work on their assignment
• what are the potential risks that students may face by working in a group and what efforts will be made to manage these risks if they arise
• how any problems should be resolved

2. Verbal presentation about group work

Students should not only read the rationale for group work, but they should also hear it. Presenting the rationale is one of the most crucial aspects of student-based group work. It is when most students decide to “buy in” or not. The delivery of the rationale, however, must be genuine. Students will be looking just as much at your body language as they are listening to your voice. They will be looking for signs of your commitment to group-based learning. You can’t expect your students to be committed to group work if you’re not. 

In most instances, your verbal presentation about group work should take place in the first lecture or tutorial. It is best if it follows and reinforces the material you have written in the subject outline. Following the presentation, some lecturers hold a ‘question and answer’ session/class discussion where students have an opportunity to voice their concerns about group work. This session is particularly useful because it allows you to cover any additional issues not covered in the subject outline. It will also help students see your commitment to group work. 

3. Encourage member familiarity before group formation

If time permits, it is often a good idea to help students in your class become familiar with each other. In most instances, the students in your class will not know each other very well (if at all). In a week or two, they will be expected to begin working together as a group. It is therefore important that students get to know others in their class as these people may be their fellow group members in a few weeks time. 

An effective way to encourage familiarity is to run an ‘ice-breaking’ group exercise. This will not only encourage familiarity, but also help students practice team work. UTS library has a large collection of team-building books which contain ice-breaking exercises. References to some of these books can be found at the end of this unit. 

For the purposes of the exercise, it is best if you randomly assign students into groups. This will allow students to work with new people (which is the main aim of the exercise). It is important to note that these groups are only temporary (ie. only for the exercise) and are not applicable for the group assignment.