Group Work

Instructional Compass

Successful group work must begin with...

• clear goals.
• explicit directions.
• learning outcomes.
• benchmarks for task completion.
• clear expectations.
• and guidelines for assessment.

Pace and Practice

In the beginning of the year, have students work in pairs for a few minutes at a time. As students learn to work collaboratively, we can assign tasks to larger groups and have those groups work for longer periods of time.

Students should work with their peers every class period. They can work in pairs, small groups, or groups of six. Although students do not need to be in groups the entire period, they should have a chance to talk about their learning multiple times throughout the period. The more our students work in groups, the more proficient they become at working together.

Model and Support

Collaborative work needs to be taught and modeled for students. Consider using one of the strategies below to help prepare students for group work.

• Analyze a video of students working productively in groups.
• Use a diagram to illustrate how you want the groups to look in the room.
• Show students how to move effectively into groups.
• Make clear the expectations for task completion.
• Ask a group of students to role-play a few scenarios in front of the class.
• Create norms for group behavior.
• Coach students as they learn how to work in groups.

Engagement

Collaborative work is naturally engaging, but not all members engage the work equally. One way to increase engagement for all learners is to assign group roles. (For a list of possible roles, see "Group Roles" under "Downloads." You can assign as many roles as there are group members.

Another way to engage all learners is to have each member be responsible for completing an aspect of the project. This strategy ensures that all students have something to do. It also motivates group members to hold each other accountable.

Explicit Instruction

We want our students to master the skills we teach and transfer what they have learned into other academic and professional environments. To build mastery of a skill, we must explicitly teach how a skill (like "Marking a Text") is used, why it is used, and when it should be used. Once students master a set of skills, they will be able to independently select and strategically apply the skills they have learned.

Advice from the Experts

Give students time to learn how to work together. How long? Six to ten weeks is a good amount of time. Don't be too quick to move or shuffle group members. However, we want to identify potential problems with students and address groups that are dysfunctional. Moving students might be necessary, but it shouldn't be our first action or solution.