SCEN103: Working in Groups

Silicon, Circuits, and the Digital Revolution

Working in Groups

I don't like to do all the work and let others take the credit. How can I prevent this?

It is important that each student be held individually accountable for his or her own performance. When each student group takes this seriously, "free riders" are discouraged and contributors to the group effort are rewarded. The first provision for emphasizing individual accountability is the assignment of roles of responsibility. There should be a separate role for each student in the group, and these roles should rotate among group members every week or after every problem or assignment. Some suggested roles and their responsibility are included in the table below.

TABLE

Role Responsibility For Example

Discussion Leader Keeps group on-track;
maintains full participation "Let’s focus on the problem."
"Should we move onto the next question?"

Recorder/
record keeper Records assignments, strategies, unresolved issues, data;
convenes group outside of class, keeps group record sheets "Did we get all the learning issues down?"
"Is this the diagram we want?"

Reporter Makes sure all agree on plan/action/report;
writes up assignment "Are we in agreement now?"
"Everyone check this draft before tomorrow."

Accuracy Coach Probes for group understanding;
locates resources and brings them to class "Why do you think that?"
"What does this text say?"
"Where did you find that information?"

Skeptic Challenges group consensus;
checks for alternative ideas "I’m not sure we’re on the right track."
"Are you sure about that?
John, do you agree with Sue?"

Timekeeper Checks for timing of discussion of the problem;
alerts discussion leader when group needs to switch activities "Lisa, we’ve only got 10 minutes, we’d better assign learning issues."
"We should move onto the second page now."

Reflector/
Summarizer Summarizes progress of the group;
checks for involvement and understanding of all group members "Here’s where I think we are. What do you think Sally?"
"Jack, you’ve not said what you’re thinking. Do you agree with Joe?"

TABLE
Role	Responsibility	For Example
Discussion Leader	Keeps group on-track; maintains full participation	"Let’s focus on the problem." "Should we move onto the next question?"
Recorder/ record keeper	Records assignments, strategies, unresolved issues, data; convenes group outside of class, keeps group record sheets	"Did we get all the learning issues down?" "Is this the diagram we want?"
Reporter	Makes sure all agree on plan/action/report; writes up assignment	"Are we in agreement now?" "Everyone check this draft before tomorrow."
Accuracy Coach	Probes for group understanding; locates resources and brings them to class	"Why do you think that?" "What does this text say?" "Where did you find that information?"
Skeptic	Challenges group consensus; checks for alternative ideas	"I’m not sure we’re on the right track." "Are you sure about that? John, do you agree with Sue?"
Timekeeper	Checks for timing of discussion of the problem; alerts discussion leader when group needs to switch activities	"Lisa, we’ve only got 10 minutes, we’d better assign learning issues." "We should move onto the second page now."
Reflector/ Summarizer	Summarizes progress of the group; checks for involvement and understanding of all group members	"Here’s where I think we are. What do you think Sally?" "Jack, you’ve not said what you’re thinking. Do you agree with Joe?"

If there are fewer students in each group than roles of responsibility, you may want to combine some of the functions, such as Discussion Leader and Timekeeper or Accuracy Coach and Reflector.

Ground-Rules
Another important tool that will help group members ensure that all students contribute to the group effort is establishing and enforcing group ground-rules. You will be encouraged to discuss the behaviors that you will and will not tolerate from others in your group, and decide the consequences for violators of these ground-rules. After your group comes to consensus on the ground-rules and consequences, you should send a copy by e-mail to me at <ghw@udel.edu>. All group members should be cc'd so each has a copy also.

Some examples of commonly used ground-rules are the following:

Come to class on time every day.
Do all assignments and be prepared to discuss them.
Notify group members of absences.
Share information.
Respect the views and ideas of others.
Reporter should share a draft of any write-up 2 days before it is due.
When ground-rules are violated by one or more students, the group will not ignore it, and will invoke the appropriate consequences.

As in the world outside the classroom, rules need to be enforced with consequences, or they may be ignored. Some examples of appropriate consequences for violators of the ground-rules are the following:

Group member will have a "time-out" period from the group and will be responsible for completing all work on his/her own.
Group member will not receive a grade for an assignment for which s/he did not contribute.
Group member will be responsible for a greater share of the next assignment.
After 2 ground-rule violations, a member can be expelled from the group permanently.

The instructors will approve each group's list of ground-rules as well as consequences, so that if needed, s/he will help students reinforce those guidelines.

Comments, suggestions, or requests to ghw@udel.edu.
"http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/colloq2000/question1.html"
Last updated Feb. 11, 2000.
© Barb Duch, Univ. of Delaware, 2000.