Supporting Students Throughout the Group Process

Group Process

“Groups are the Ferraris of work design. They are high performance but high maintenance and expensive.”

- Lawler

Learning How to Collaborate

Learning to work in a group is a new skill for many students Students may become frustrated Students may want to work alone Students may lack the skills to be a good

collaborator

As with any new skill, the students will need practice, guidance, and support to develop this ability With repeated practice and reflection,

students will improve Teachers use several different tools to

help students become better collaborators

This is a student’s biggest fear!

Five Ingredients Necessary for Successful Collaborative Learning

1. Positive Interdependence - sink or swim (common goal)

2. Face-to Face Interactions - motivation, joint problem solving, clarifying task3. Individual accountability

- structure group objectives- set interim deadlines

- peer assessment of individual contributions

4. Interpersonal, Teamwork & Social Skills - Discussion, problem solving/decision making,

communication

5. Group Processing- evaluate group process, provide each other feedback

Source: Johnson, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1991)

How do we support students in their development of group process?

1. Create a structured learning situation for student collaborative work with clear roles and group interaction norms.

2. Provide structured questions and process tools that guide students in their groupwork.

3. Monitor groups while they are working – observe and listen to group members, and provide feedback.

4. Implement workshops and discussions to support students in their own awareness of the characteristics of group process.

Form Groups with Intentionality

Heterogeneous groups: mixed-abilities (high achieving, middle achieving, low achieving)

Homogenous groups: same level of achievement. This allows for a teacher to work with groups needing more help.

Based on interest/topic Students elect group leaders, who then form

the groups equitably with teacher guidance

Possible Ways to Form Groups - Some Ideas in PBL Starter Kit (page 73)

Student Group Interaction Norms1. Create an agreed upon decision-making process2. Use that process to check for disagreements and to discuss

“undiscussables”3. Use questions to address potential conflicts and to explore

ideas4. Always check-in on each member of the group to make sure

they understand the group process5. Each group member will explain their actions or beliefs to

the group

Student Group Interaction Norms (cont)

6. Each group member is responsible for all other group members in understanding the task and coaching each other to perform at a high level

7. Each group member will explain important words and provide specific examples when needed

8. All group members will question other members when they encounter “jump to conclusion” comments

9. When sharing ideas all members will advocate their ideas and ask questions about other ideas

Take a look at the collaboration rubrics that have been developed for both middle and high school by the district!

Group Process Tools

Develop organizational tools, forms, journals, and other structuring documents that foster the smooth processes needed for effective cooperation and group work:

Group Contract Group Feedback Tool Pacing Chart Group Task Sheet Group Observation Checklist Group Learning Log

Group Contracts

Have groups write a group contract at the start of a new project

• Provide a template, guiding questions, or sample contract

• Review the contract with the group and have each member sign it

• Keep the contracts readily available

• Refer to the contract when problems in the group arise

• Ask the groups to reflect on the contract at the end of the project

Example - Group Feedback Tool

How Can I Intervene When a Group is Not Functioning Well?

Point out the problem and ask the group members what can be done to resolve it. If there are no suggestions, model several possibilities.

If a group member is not participating, ask him/her to explain what the group is doing and why.

If a group asks you a question, try to turn it back to the group to solve, or just give enough help to get them started.

Sometimes it can help to participate in a group meeting as a member of the group to model effective process and collaboration skills (i.e. active participation, listening, questioning, etc.)

Some Final Thoughts on the Teacher’s Role in Group Process

1. Forming the work groups with intentionality

2. Clearly specifying objectives in terms of both product and process

3. Providing or directing students to appropriate resources

4. Monitoring groups as they work and offering feedback as well as support

5. Practicing group communication skills6. Evaluating student performance

Research-based Final Thoughts… Research has suggested that group size should be

approximately four (4) people – exceptions should be rare and with specific purpose/focus

Students across the spectrum of abilities benefit by heterogeneous grouping, especially low-ability students

Positive structures must be in place to support groups or else the groups may be ineffective

“Positive interdependence” includes mutual goals, joint rewards, as well as resource and role interdependence

These research-based strategies were developed by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory,

Portland, Oregon

Useful Websites

http://groups.physics.umn.edu/physed/Research/TAOrientation/Cooperative%20Groups.pdf

http://www.studygs.net/cooplearn.htm http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/coop.php http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/coop/

index.html http://www.centralischool.ca/~bestpractice/coop/

process3.html