Giving students an informed choice when selecting teams for group work

Most large scale software projects require team work. However, it is a common problem that, when forming teams in a university setting, students know little about each other, resulting in dysfunctional teams. To help alleviate this, we ran three small preliminary assignments before students formed a team for the last major project. The idea was to encourage students to work with a variety of group members before they could choose their final team. The results showed that half of the final groups had a makeup that changed from their first initial grou

The Student Experience In Speed Teaming: A New Approach To Team Formation

Building on previous research by the first author, this paper presents data from students who experienced an innovative method of team development based on a concept coined “Speed Teaming.&rdquo

Undergraduate group projects: Challenges and learning experiences

Working in groups and managing projects are important professional skills for engineers, and there is a growing demand to teach and assess such skills. But what should be taught and when? Tuckman’s famous “stages of development of performing groups” provides a framework for understanding the types of challenges which groups face. Yet, as with any abstract model, it will not be transferred into students’ practice if they do not see it as relevant to their lived experiences. In 2014, a new course exploring the nexus of social and engineering issues in relation to the global challenges facing humanity was added to the obligatory program for all first year engineering students. Among the many noble goals of this course, in addition to gaining a more nuanced view of the global challenges from both an engineering and social science perspective, are the development of transversal skills such as team work, communication, presentation, library research and ethical engagement. The taught material about team work was presented online, allowing for the use learning analytics on students’ online responses to assess how well the “stages of group formation” literature matched students’ experiences. It also allowed us to consider how students’ perceptions of the challenges they will face differed from challenges they actually did face, as well as the implications of this for how they should be taught about group processes

Using a cooperative learning strategy to increase undergraduate students’ engagement and performance: Bahir Dar university Psychology graduating students in focus

In the 21st century, preparing university students for real work and lifelong learning requires instructors to serve as facilitators of learning rather than as providers of information. Instruction needs to be learner-centered, active, enjoyable and engaging. As one form of active learning strategy, cooperative learning (e.g. group assignment) helps students to collaborate in the task actively and this in turn improves their learning engagement and performance. However, in my undergraduate course, when I encourage students to do assignments in groups, many of them do not take it seriously and are not committed, the final product being poor in terms of quality and participation. The objective of this action research was to improve the educational value of group assignment as one form of cooperative learning strategy by way of designing the task thoughtfully, following up and motivating students, providing constructive and timely feedback and ensuring greater engagement of students in the task. Third year psychology students volunteered to participate in the project. Phase I and Phase II (preliminary and actual action implementation make up the action research project). The outcomes of the preliminary and actual action implementation were then compared. The findings revealed that as a result of the intervention, students developed positive attitudes towards group assignment and they were more engaged in the second assignment as compared to the first (t= 6.51, p= 0.05). Students’ performances in the second test and group project was also improved (t= 2.80, p=0.05 and t=7.67, p=0.05 respectively). Based on the findings, implications for further research and action are suggeste

Critical Perspectives on the Scholarship of Assessment and Learning in Law

"The Assessment in Legal Education book series offers perspectives on assessment in legal education across a range of Common Law jurisdictions. Each volume in the series provides: Information on assessment practices and cultures within a jurisdiction. A sample of innovative assessment practices and designs in a jurisdiction. Insights into how assessment can be used effectively across different areas of law, different stages of legal education and the implications for regulation of legal education assessment. Appreciation of the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research bases that are emerging in the field of legal education assessment generally. Analyses and suggestions of how assessment innovations may be transferred from one jurisdiction to another. The series will be useful for those seeking a summary of the assessment issues facing academics, students, regulators, lawyers and others in the jurisdictions under analysis. The exemplars of assessment contained in each volume may also be valuable in assisting cross-jurisdictional fertilisation of ideas and practices. This first volume focuses on assessment in law schools in England. It begins with an introduction to some recent trends in the culture and practice of legal education assessment. The first chapter focuses on the general regulatory context of assessment and learning in that jurisdiction, while the remainder of the book offers useful exemplars and expert critical discussion of assessment theories and practices. The series is based in the PEARL Centre (Profession, Education and Regulation in Law), in The Australian National University’s College of Law.

Case study of reflections on the implementation of group projects from the perspective of professors at Lakehead University

Cooperative learning practices in higher education carry the potential to increase student achievement and to develop social and team work skills valued highly by employers. However, despite an abundance of literature documenting such benefits, students and professors continue to report disappointment and frustration with group work, a common form of cooperative learning. These problems are not only distressing and uncomfortable, they also prevent the pedagogical potential of cooperative learning from being realized. This phenomenological inquiry aims to uncover the essential elements of professors’ practice related to group work project implementation in an effort to improve group work experiences for students. Through a focus group interview, professors’ experiences were collected, analyzed, and interpreted through a theoretical lens based on a previously published framework for group work implementation