Faculty Focus

HIGHER ED TEACHING STRATEGIES FROM MAGNA PUBLICATIONS

group work

Students give high five to each other

Taking Collaboration Seriously

This article first appeared in the Teaching Professor on July 17, 2017. © Magna Publications. All rights reserved. Like many professors, I use group projects in my

Read More »
Students collaborate in library and read over one another's papers

What! No Textbook?

The approach to course reading described here is not the result of some altruistic action to save students money on textbooks. Nor was it a

Read More »
group work strategies

Students Riding on Coattails during Group Work? Five Simple Ideas to Try

The idea for sharing this post came from a session I recently conducted at the annual teaching conference organized by my university. A pedagogical conundrum was raised by a colleague whose enthusiasm and question stayed with me and inspired me to write this post. The question posed by this colleague is relevant to all instructors who have ever used group work to assess their students: How should one deal with the issues that arise when members of a group are not picking up their share of the responsibilities during a group work project?

Read More »
arranging students into groups

A More Strategic Approach to Arranging Students into Groups

What’s the best way to put students into groups? It’s the first task that confronts teachers who want students to work together. And the best reply is one of those “it depends” answers. Here are the questions on which it depends.

Should teachers let students form the groups? Students often prefer this approach. They tend to pick people they know, classmates who are friends, those in the same major, and those who share the same race. It’s more comfortable working with people who are known and similar. When groups are composed of friends, they sometimes struggle with the transition to a more professional relationship. They’re used to socializing, but now there are tasks to complete and that means functioning in different roles. If the group work is a project that requires extended collaboration and will benefit from a variety of opinions and perspectives, letting students form the groups may not be the best approach. On the other hand, for short, ad-hoc group work and for students who may be shy and not used to working with peers, knowing others in the group makes the experience less intimidating.

Read More »