GROUP PROJECTS: GOOD, BAD, or UGLY? GOING FOR GOOD!
I’ve blogged on group work before and continue to hear how frustrating group work is when it goes sideways. Or doesn’t go at all. If this term brings your first group assignments or your past experience with groups has been less than salubrious, you might want to check out my earlier blogs:
Tips for Successful Group Projects: This is the Week
https://www.stevevogel.net/tips-for-successful-group-projects-this-is-the-week/ , and
Group Projects: The Good, or What You Need to Get Done This Week
Although I go into more detail in those blogs, here are the key points for getting group projects done well and done on time:
- Choose your team wisely.
- Get to know each other’s strengths, weaknesses, preferences and dislikes.
- Schedule meetings, starting now.
- Run meetings with agendas that the group sees before each meeting.
- Discuss the group-work sections in the syllabus at the first meeting.
- Choose the topic, set goals, outline the project, assign tasks, and schedule task completion targets–this may take two meetings.
- Meet at least weekly, checking off progress, solving problems, and making adjustments.
- Meet with the instructor early for project approval and resource suggestions.
- Log and email all meetings. You will never regret doing this. You may very well regret NOT doing it!
- Set the group reward or celebration!
And that’s off to a good start!
Check in and let me know your group experience, tips that have worked, the best group you’ve been in, or the worst! [email protected]