15 Steps to Group Project Success
15 Steps to Group Project Success was designed to address various concerns from all types of learners regarding collaborative work. The steps in this process are simple for students to understand which makes the learning and assessment process transparent and supportive of a variety of student learning profiles.
Collaboration is an essential professional skill, yet group projects often evoke anxiety in upper-level students. The insight that inspired this 15 step process was this: Instructors often ask students to work in groups without teaching them about group communication and how the best groups function. This omission can lead to difficulty in teams and a distaste for collaborative work overall. After listening to student concerns about group projects for years and drawing on information from conferences, workshops, literature, and discussions with colleagues, I developed this process with intentional remedies to ease the main issues that cause tension in group projects. The majority of students who go through these steps report they had a good team experience and learned to appreciate the many nuances of teamwork. Students are better equipped to navigate collaborative work essential to their future.
Since implementing this formula in my classrooms, I have seen student engagement soar and quality of work substantially elevated. These 15 steps align well with the UDL model and are adaptable to a variety of circumstances where teamwork is necessary. I teach advertising/public relations courses that are well suited to the collaborative nature of the industry. Students work in teams to research, problem solve, ideate, iterate and produce strategic communication campaigns, often for real clients. These projects require critical thinking and strong team dynamics to produce valuable results. Teaching students how to work together effectively is crucial for successful outcomes, both short term and long term.
Support for this Module
Original development of this module was made possible by the College STAR (Supporting Transition Access and Retention) initiative. College STAR was a grant-funded project focused on partnering postsecondary educational professionals and students to learn ways for helping postsecondary campuses become more welcoming of students with learning and attention differences. Much of this work was made possible by generous funding from the Oak Foundation.
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Posted date:
November 18, 2022