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Assessing Group Work. Julie Vuolo j.c.vuolo@herts.ac.uk. HBS students, UH. Content. Advantages of group work Completing a group task The student view Assessing group work. Advantages of group work. Share abilities and physical resources Share ideas and information
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Assessing Group Work Julie Vuolo j.c.vuolo@herts.ac.uk HBS students, UH
Content • Advantages of group work • Completing a group task • The student view • Assessing group work
Advantages of group work • Share abilities and physical resources • Share ideas and information • Stimulate creativity and innovation • Increase motivation • Solve complex problems • Scaffold learning • Studying collaboratively has been shown to directly enhance learning and improve grades
Completing a group task • The task is for each group to produce an origami fox. • The completion of the task must be divided into sections so that each group member completes a part of the task e.g. 4 people fold 5 sections each, one reads the instructions. • A practice fox can be constructed but marks will only be awarded for the final fox. • How should it be assessed?
Assessment • What is to be assessed? Is it the product of the group work or the process of the group work, or both (and if the latter, what proportion of each) • What criteria will be used to assess the work (and who will determine this criteria - lecturer, students or both) • Who will apply the assessment criteria and determine marks (lecturer, students - peer and/or self assessment or a combination) • How will marks be distributed (shared group mark, group average, individually, combination)
Distribution of marks • What percentage of the student’s total project grade will be based on the group’s performance vs. individual components? • What percentage will be based on assessments of product vs. assessments of process? • How much weight will you give to peer evaluations or self-evaluations? • Will feedback from external clients also be incorporated into your assessment of the group’s work? If so, what sort of feedback: feedback on product or feedback on process or both?
I have worked very hard to get to university and I want the best grade. The fact that I could be put in a group where a person could bring my grade down because they couldn't be bothered to do the work is unfair. • It is unfair that some students are punished by being given groups including foreign students that struggle with English…they are punished with this if they travel in to university or are slow to make new friends, meaning they are last to find decent students to produce coursework together. I have done a placement year, and hence I don't know anybody in final year…I found it very difficult to form groups • …it was unfair that we had so much group work in final year. We were told that the final year was the most important year as it affects our degree. However, it is very difficult to get good degree if we have to rely on other people's work for the part of coursework. I was always left with far too much to do compared with other group members …coursework deadlines all tend to be together and this makes the completion of work very hard to accomplish…
Facilitating successful group work • Purpose: why is the group work being done? • Group membership: how will membership be decided? • Ground rules: behavior, respect, commitment, honesty… • Roles and responsibilities: who is going to do what? • Function: what activities & tasks must be completed and by when? • Assessment criteria: what will be assessed and how? • Record keeping: what records are needed, who keeps them, when should they be submitted? • Communication: when and how should groups communicate, when should tutors be involved? • Managing conflict: how and when should this be done? • Reflecting on the process
NSS comments: Group work Group work based assignments have helped me to succeed on my course and I strongly feel that universities should carry this on because it works extremely well amongst all students. • Good amount of group work and presentations, caring tutors that help outside of lectures • There has been more groups assignments which has helped me become more flexible and able to work with others. • Group works have met some good and different people who I have learnt from.
Useful resources • Centre for the Study of Higher Education, Australia http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/03/group.html • HBS ASU website: http://www.studynet1.herts.ac.uk/ptl/common/asu.nsf/Teaching+Documents?Openview&count=9999&restricttocategory=Groupwork • Learn Higher Group work resources http://learnhigher.ac.uk/Staff/Group-work.html • Oxford Brookes, student support: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/study-skills/groupwork.html