An Effective Strategy for Successful Group Work

Articulating what good teamwork looks like takes planning, reflection, and respect for student choice.

Edutopia

By James Fester February 22, 2024

In the article "An Effective Strategy for Successful Group Work," published by Edutopia on February 22, 2024, James Fester shares insights into enhancing collaborative learning among students. Fester, drawing from his own experiences with professional learning communities (PLCs) and teaching middle school, emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between group work and teamwork, the necessity of actively teaching collaboration skills, and the value of incorporating student voice in group formations.

Illustration by Michael Keany/AI

Fester introduces the Start-Stop-Continue exercise as a reflective protocol to help learners assess the impact of their learning experiences. This exercise prompts students to think about what actions they should start, stop, or continue based on their learning, fostering a mindset of continuous improvement.

A key insight from Fester’s experience is the differentiation between group work and teamwork. He argues that the term "teamwork" more accurately represents the collaborative efforts aimed at achieving shared success, as opposed to "group work," which may lack a collective commitment to each other's success. He suggests utilizing temporary grouping structures within a project to expose students to diverse perspectives, offer breaks from constant collaboration, and leverage different protocols for varied group sizes.

Fester also criticizes the assumption that collaboration skills develop solely through experience. He advocates for structured, teacher-facilitated opportunities to explicitly teach these skills. Using tools like rubrics or short group challenges can help build these skills without significantly extending project timelines. Resources like "Silver Bullets" or the PBLWorks website offer guidance for assessing teamwork effectively.

Lastly, Fester encourages including student voice in the formation of groups but with strategic oversight. Allowing students some choice in their groups can enhance engagement and class culture, but it should be balanced with teacher-guided decisions to ensure effective learning partnerships. Strategies such as assigning groups based on chosen roles, combining pairs of students who wish to work together, or forming groups around preferred project types are suggested as ways to involve students in the process while maintaining educational goals.

Fester's approach transforms group work from a simple classroom activity into a meaningful opportunity to develop crucial skills for college and career readiness. By emphasizing thoughtful planning, reflection, and respect for student choice, educators can foster a more effective and enriching collaborative learning environment.

Read the full article for more in-depth insights: An Effective Strategy for Successful Group Work

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Prepared with the assistance of AI software

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com