Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 21:45:37 GMT Server: NCSA/1.4.2 Content-type: text/html
In your first group meeting you should spend some time talking about how you are going to work. This means setting goals for the group and expectations about how each person will contribute. Write down these goals and expectations as a team, and send me a copy. By the way, although email can be very useful for communicating, it cannot replace the occasional group meeting. You must meet at least once a week - the lab section is a natural place to at least touch base, but I would plan to use a good half-hour of this time for a group meeting.
You should also assign a group leader/coordinator. This position can rotate among the group members if you like, but there needs to be one person who takes the lead scheduling meetings and deciding on how the group should proceed.
At the end of the first week, the group leader must send me the group's list of goals and expectations. Every two weeks, the group should take the time to assess how they are working together and decide on any changes.
When the group hands in a lab or homework assignment, put the names of everyone who contributed to that assignment along with the amount contributed by each member. Normally credit would be spread out evenly. But if the group feels that one or two people have done more than their share, then they should indicate this. I will not pay great attention to this unless the amounts are way out of balance. I may use this in the end to nudge certain grades up a notch.
I know that many students resist the idea of working in groups. Here are some arguments often raised and my answer to them:
Learning is not a competitive sport. Grades are not curved in this course. Helping someone else to do better will not lower your grade. On the contrary, you will find that you will really understand whatever you teach to someone else. Studies (and there are lots of them) show that students in classes with collaborative learning score much higher on the same tests as students in traditional classes.
Almost any job you take, outside of forest ranger, will require you to work with others whether you like them or not. Knowing how to work with others is the skill employers say is most important.
It will take time at first to adjust to the group dynamics. You should spend some time at first deciding how you are going to work together and what role each person is going to have. Take the attitude that you have a job to get done and ask what needs to happen to get it done.
If a team member consistently lets down the rest of the group, then their name should not appear on the assignment. If there are problems getting a group going, please come talk to me about it.