Many instructors try to build a student community in the class they teach. In order to do that they form students into groups and give them a variety of assignments for a group work. However, in many cases it is not enough - students still remain to be lone riders. What do these instructors miss? Any thoughts are more than welcome.
Pavel, putting students into groups and telling them to work together doesn't mean that we will make them great collaborators. That's why I take the suggestions of Johnson, Johnson & Smith (1991) seriously.
I still have to work hard to ensure:
a) Positive interdependence: Each member is responsible for maximizing other members’ learning. The success of learning is dependent on the effort of every member of the group.
b) ‘Promotive’ interaction: Occurs as individuals help each other learn, challenge each other, and strive together to accomplish the group’s goal. The interactions carried out by the group are meant to promote academic performance of every member.
c) Individual accountability: The performance of each member is taken individually and the result will be shared with other group members. Each member is assessed through individual test or weekly group presentation.
d) Interpersonal and small-group skills: Students have the opportunity to know other group members, to support and accept each other, to communicate accurately and resolve different opinions in a positive manner.
e) Group processing: Reflecting on the efforts that each member has contributed by checking group progress. This aims to improve the effectiveness of a collaborative group work. I encourage my students to do this reflecting regularly; and at times, I participate in this activity.
(Recently I sent an article on collaborative learning to an online journal.)
Pavel, putting students into groups and telling them to work together doesn't mean that we will make them great collaborators. That's why I take the suggestions of Johnson, Johnson & Smith (1991) seriously.
I still have to work hard to ensure:
a) Positive interdependence: Each member is responsible for maximizing other members’ learning. The success of learning is dependent on the effort of every member of the group.
b) ‘Promotive’ interaction: Occurs as individuals help each other learn, challenge each other, and strive together to accomplish the group’s goal. The interactions carried out by the group are meant to promote academic performance of every member.
c) Individual accountability: The performance of each member is taken individually and the result will be shared with other group members. Each member is assessed through individual test or weekly group presentation.
d) Interpersonal and small-group skills: Students have the opportunity to know other group members, to support and accept each other, to communicate accurately and resolve different opinions in a positive manner.
e) Group processing: Reflecting on the efforts that each member has contributed by checking group progress. This aims to improve the effectiveness of a collaborative group work. I encourage my students to do this reflecting regularly; and at times, I participate in this activity.
(Recently I sent an article on collaborative learning to an online journal.)
In my opinion, we should teach them how they should collaborate, because students don't know how collaborate. I saw many times that students working in groups, but they were working individual in reality. What is the best way to fix it? In my opinion teacher must do optimal selection to group. We must juxtapose people who must and will be collaborate. The worst solution is to allow students to self-selection into groups (obviously, if they don't know how work together).
Hi Pavel,
I agree with previous postings that students need to be taught how to collaborate, as collaboration does not come naturally to all students, particularly if they have come to university from a competitive high school environment. Firstly students need to be convinced of the benefits of collaboration, these benefits need to be made explicit by the instructor. However, most importantly a respectful and trusting environment needs to be created where students feel confident that all of their contributions will be received in a positive manner. All contributions should be valued.
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