Group Work

Getting Started

For in-class activities, consider using Zoom breakout rooms. You can divide students into small groups to work together in real time, then bring the class together as a whole. Instructions for using Zoom breakout rooms:

For longer projects of out-of-class activities, consider using Groups in Canvas. Instructors can create groups in Canvas course sites that provide an online working space for projects and assignments. You can select a “Group Set” when creating Assignments or Discussions to create a group assignment in Canvas.

Instructions for creating groups and group assignments in Canvas
Students can schedule their own group meetings in Zoom by going to https://northwestern.zoom.us Links to an external site.. They can create a new meeting and share the link with their teammates.

Strategies

Below are some tips and strategies to consider when assigning group work in your classes:

Group size:
We recommend groups of 4-5 in order to promote diversity of opinions, ease of planning, and meaningful contributions by all group members, but group size may vary depending on the size of your class and the nature of the activity or assignment.

Team charter:
For longer term projects, consider having groups complete a group charter so that they can establish norms and expectations for their teams. [Sample group charter below]

Peer evaluations:
Provide students with an opportunity to evaluate their peers’ participation in the group project. As part of this assignment, consider having them reflect on their own participation as well. Rather than including a peer evaluation at the end of the project, consider using it at a project mid-point to give the teams a chance to evaluate their progress and make any necessary adjustments or improvements to their workflow. [Sample peer evaluation form below]

Sample Group Charter Instructions

Before you begin working with your groups, it's important to establish norms and establish what the expectations you will have for your teammates.

This document is worth 5 points, however, there is no partial credit or rubric. If you thoughtfully complete the assignment, your group will receive 5 points.

Deliverable: Submit a document that includes the following:

Your group name (have fun with this)
3-5 norms for your group (don't just repeat class norms)
A plan for which group member will serve as team leader for each project
- The leader is ultimately responsible for ensuring group assignments are completed and submitted on time
- Each assignment is required to have a team leader, and each member of the team is required to be the leader once
- The final doesn't require a team leader, however, it is recommended that you assign roles to each team member for that project to ensure that each task is completed successfully
An approach for handling conflict within the group should it arise.

Sample Peer Evaluation Form

Download the Sample Peer Evaluation Form

Your name ____________________________________________________

Write the name of each of your group members (including yourself) in a separate column. For each person, indicate the extent to which you agree with the statement on the left, using a scale of 1-4 (1=strongly disagree; 2=disagree; 3=agree; 4=strongly agree). Total the numbers in each column.

Group Evaluation Form
Evaluation Criteria	Group member:	Group member:	Group member:	Group member:
Attends group meetings regularly and arrives on time.
Contributes meaningfully to group discussions.
Completes group assignments on time.
Prepares work in a quality manner.
Demonstrates a cooperative and supportive attitude.
Contributes significantly to the success of the project.
TOTALS

Feedback on team dynamics:

How effectively did your group work?
Were the behaviors of any of your team members particularly valuable or detrimental to the team? Explain.
What did you learn about working in a group from this project that you will carry into your next group experience?

Adapted from a peer evaluation form developed at Johns Hopkins University (October, 2006)