At Swift Tutors we understand from our own professional experience, together with the overwhelming research, that working in small groups can create many added advantages and benefits. This is true for all ages and ability levels and crosses over the entire spectrum of learning and learning styles as well as the curriculum. It is an integral part of life throughout all stages and the younger we start working and studying collaboratively the better.
We also know that group work can be messy, complex and challenging to manage. Working together can leave some people feeling as if they are doing all or most of the work while others may feel left out, in the background or completely uninvolved. However we should not avoid it for these reasons, as the benefits clearly and overwhelmingly outweigh any down sides. Let’s unravel some of this negativity and look at some really proactive ways to solve and avoid any potential group work hazards.
Firstly, studying or working together on a combined project or task helps to build great communication and interpersonal skills which are an essential tool for life.
Secondly, it helps develop and hone our emotional complexity by enhancing our innate ability for empathy, understanding of other people and having respect for each person, their respective ideas,opinions and contributions, their key role or function within a group. We learn how to develop a deeper sense of value for others via team work.
Thirdly, it helps students develop a more meaningful understanding of the world around us and how each one of us has a valuable and meaningful contribution and part to play. It helps us to remember that we all have something of value and meaning to share and contribute. This helps to increase our self-worth and self-esteem and compassion as team work forms an integral part of confidence building.
How can teachers and tutors create better group work experiences?
We have established that group collaboration can be difficult to manage and organize effectively so let’s look at how to make these team efforts into positive experiences for learning.
- Ensure that there is real clarity from the start about each member’s role within the group.
- Structure and assign group work into manageable parts, It is vital to break down the tasks into equitable parts. Make sure that the teacher and the students know exactly what they intend to learn from the task so that there are some clear set learning goals and outcomes that benefit all.
- Even though we recognize that team work can be complicated and difficult to manage it is exactly this level of complexity that students need to work through to gain the most positive individual and overall experience of truly collaborative team work.
- Assign roles that match each individual student to bring out their strengths but also stretch students by varying their roles from time to time.
- Sensitively encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and try the different/multiple roles of group leader, creator, designer, organizer, supportive like supporting a peer or assessor, editor or proof reader, time keeper or note taker, mapper etc.
- Ensure that tasks are interdependent. This means some tasks and contributions to the whole will be individual and interdependent and some will be a combined effort with shared responsibility.
- Make sure everyone is involved and feels valued rather than allowing some to shoulder all the work.
- Each member should feel a strong sense of shared ownership of the task by the end.