Tips for Successful Group Projects: This is the Week

/in /by

Today I’m going to provide key points for what action you can take this week to get a good group project completed by the end of the term, with minimal stress.

You may have just completed a term where you had The Group Project from Hell. That’s not unusual: Group projects are very often a student’s single biggest source of stress and frustration.

I’ve dealt in greater depth in earlier blogs with how to minimize the pain of group work and maximize the gain–you may find those blogs useful for planning out your group projects over the term.

But for now, let’s start at the beginning. You have less control over a group project than you do over individual work–you may not even be able to choose your group members or topic. 

So what can you do? What do you have control over? What can you do this week?

The key elements to keep in the forefront of your mind are elements that you do have some control over if you exercise them. They are:

  • Team
  • Time, and perhaps
  • Topic.

Time and Team are as important as Topic. Students who have largely focused on individual work in the past may forget that having a great Topic will not carry the project if the timing and the team fall apart. Let’s deal with that.

Managing Team in a Group Project

The reason this subject is in an early blog this term is because THIS IS THE WEEK

  • To choose your group members, if you can. Choose for attitude and workstyle.
  • To exchange contacts to set up your online groups (Messenger, Zoom, Discord, etc.).
  • For you to review good group project management before the first meeting.

Managing Time in a Group Project

THIS IS THE WEEK

  • To assemble your team
  • To schedule your first meeting
  • To stage the project
  • To schedule the stages
  • To allow for unscheduled disasters before the deadline.

You will look at the topics, of course, and begin thinking about what you would prefer. But that decision can be made next week at the first meeting.

This week, the key points are getting a handle on the project timing. And getting your team going.
I look forward to hearing how your Winter Term goes, the successes and the challenges. The challenges–contact me. Let’s see what we can do. [email protected]