Group Projects, are They Effective When Learning in The Classroom?
When having group projects in the classroom it can either be a great way to learn or a difficult time getting the work. Some positive things can come out of a group project as well as, depending on the situation, some unfavorable events will occur.
What are some of the benefits of group work?
Some of the benefits of working with a group is that you can bounce ideas off of one another. If you think that something might be useful for the project then you have others there to share the thought. As well as having others there to help with the information, multiple eyes are looking at the project. This means that more people are looking and can find more mistakes throughout the project. Working in groups, “can reinforce skills that are relevant to both group and individual work.” (What are the benefits of group work?) Some of these skills include time management, feedback performance, and developing stronger communication skills. While group work can be beneficial to the students they can also backfire when not designed right.
What are the downsides of group work?
In some cases when working with groups there can be that one person that will take over or end up doing all the work. When in group settings, some people will just rely on the others within their group to pick up whatever they don’t get done. In the article 5 Tips for Dealing with Lazy, Unresponsive Group Members it talks about how “they’re usually much harder to finish than a solo project”, meaning when working with groups it can take up more time than when working by yourself. For example, you get a group project in one of your classes. Everything is done besides one small part and you have asked your group member to get the information you need. That would be stressful on the rest of your group when it's due the next class. Having many people in a group can lead to confusion on who is doing what, this is why it is a good idea to have a plan before starting a project.
Some things to consider when doing a group project.
Group Size - The more people in your group the less you have to do, but you would have to make sure everyone is doing their part.
Time Management - Make sure you manage the time your group has to work. Think of times where you and your group members can meet and work on the project.
Organization - Make sure everything is organized and figure out who is doing what part for the project.
Talk to the Teacher - If there's problems with your group make sure you talk to your teacher. They know “that some students won’t pull their weight”, so they can help the best they can.
https://collegeinfogeek.com/lazy-group-project-members/
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/groupprojects/benefits.html