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=Group Work in the Classroom=

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For a downloadable slightly condensed 2-page version of this document click here >[|Written Paper]< =====

Table of Contents

 * 1) Introduction
 * 2) Group Construction Techniques
 * 3) Benefits of Group Work
 * 4) Planning for Group Work
 * 5) Classroom Management During Group Work
 * 6) Assessment of Group Work
 * 7) Group Work Tips & Common Issues
 * 8) Tools and Organisation Patterns
 * 9) Grouping Poll
 * 10) Websites of Interest

Introduction
There is no question of whether group work can be a beneficial learning tool in the classroom. What this report contains is the information needed to ensure the group work is effective through proper planning and management tips. The research has shown the key factors affecting the productivity of group work is group construction, activity planning and classroom management. All three categories are covered within.

Group Construction Techniques

 * Heterogeneous
 * Students with **different** ability levels, ages, race, etc.
 * Homogeneous
 * Students are **similar** in ability level, age, race, etc.
 * Usually rated by standardized tests or in-class assessment
 * The purpose of this is not to ostracize, but so each group can work on something they need specific help on common to their group. Not every group has the same work
 * The groups will change depending on the lesson
 * Random selection

//Ability Grouping (The most popular form of grouping)//
Ability grouping is a type of homogeneous grouping where each student has similar ability levels. It can be used for a variety of reasons
 * **BENEFITS OF ABILITY GROUPING** || **DRAWBACKS OF ABILITY GROUPING** ||
 * * Students are not forced to wait or rush because all the students of the group will be working at the same pace
 * The teacher can work closer with those that need help
 * Students that are clearly ahead have time to move on and progress faster to more complex topics || * Students may get “stuck” in a group. Sometimes labelling occurs when we ability group, the “nerdy group”, the “dumb group”, etc.
 * It can be additional work for the teacher if used every day, therefore only use it when dealing with the concepts that have the most differing ability levels ||

Benefits of Group Work

 * Allows the teacher a lot more hands on with individuals and small groups then when teaching the entire class.
 * The teacher will also get the opportunity to get to know each student more closely
 * Group work helps students move from receiving knowledge to generating knowledge
 * Stimulates the pupil’s thinking and communication skills.
 * Motivates students to work together to share resources and ideas.
 * Cooperative learning strategies supports underperforming students to:
 * Think aloud, take risks, and develop deeper understandings and higher order thinking
 * Become more self confident learners
 * Develop oral language skills as student input into activities is values
 * Improve their relationships with other students and with their teachers
 * Scaffold their learning through talk and the use of cognitive and graphic organisers

Planning For Group Work

 * Be conscious of group size. Groups large than four could reduce participation level
 * There must be a clear purpose for the activity; whether that is to help groups struggling with the same concept or simply to start building a community and friendly atmosphere for the kids
 * Give students the skills they need to succeed in groups.
 * Many students have never worked in collaborative learning groups and may need practice in such skills as active and tolerant listening, helping one another in mastering content, giving and receiving constructive criticism, and managing disagreements.
 * Create group tasks that require interdependence.
 * Students should learn to depend and trust one another in their groups. Knowing that peers are relying on you is a powerful motivator for group work.
 * Make the group work relevant.
 * Create assignments that fit the students' skills and abilities.
 * Assign group tasks that allow for a fair division of labour.
 * Set up "competitions" among groups.
 * Give them a deadline and tell them what should be finished in class
 * Learning role cards are an effective way or organising work load, printable format [|here]

Classroom Management During Group Work
Group work will only work well if everyone is on task and not wasting time just chatting, unless that is your goal in the first place. Here are some tips to maintain control:
 * Be Proactive
 * Inform the students of expected behaviour; voice levels, permission to leaving desks and signs to signal the end of an activity or noise level
 * Practice
 * Once they have been informed have them get in their groups and practice how talk in the correct tone, and practice proper behaviour. This is not a time for a lesson but to practice proper behaviour so when it comes time for work the proper behaviour is known; practice once a day for a few minutes for the first week or two of class
 * Establish consequences
 * Try to keep the consequences related to the work such as making the student complete the entire group work on their own if they don’t behave properly.
 * Behaviour contracts
 * This is another proactive solution, and a good opportunity to teach the student accountability
 * Signals
 * Signals for the end of an activity, noise level. Things like blinking the lights or a bell
 * Circulate and Supervise
 * Consider written contracts.
 * Keep groups together if possible
 * offering options of splitting the group up but each subgroup still responsible for full work load for example
 * Make it clear that each group must find its own way to handle unproductive group behaviour.
 * Make sure students know you're the  boss   and they should listen to the procedure otherwise your     classroom management     will get out of hand

Assessment of Group Work
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 * Explain how students will be graded. Keep in mind that group work is more successful when students are graded against a set standard than when they are graded against each other (on a curve).
 * Consider offering group test taking.
 * On a group test, either an in-class or take-home exam, each student receives the score of the group
 * Ensure that individual student performance is assessed and that the groups know how their members are doing.
 * Give students an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their group.

Group Work Tips & Common Issues
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 * Illustrate the task in slow step-by-step fashion.
 * When groups choose the topic on their own, they open up more opportunities for learning because they know they will benefit from finding out more about the topic
 * Teachers should teach some discussion methods
 * Teachers should teach children to work for common goal, not for individual
 * "I paid my tuition to learn from a teacher, not to have to work with my classmates, who don't know as much."
 * Inform students about the research studies on the effectiveness of collaborative learning and describe the role it will play in your course.
 * "Students won't work well in groups."
 * Informally check in with groups to see how things are going, offer assistance as needed, and provide time for groups to assess their own effectiveness.
 * "If I do group work, I won't be able to cover as much material during the semester as I do when I lecture."
 * Yes, adding group work may mean covering fewer topics. But research shows that students who work in groups develop an increased ability to solve problems and show evidence of greater understanding of the material.

Tools And Organisation Patterns
A number of tools and cooperative learning strategies are available: (Follow the links for further details)
 * ** Communication Tools ** || **Organisation Patterns**  ||
 * * [|SMART Technologies]
 * [|Microsoft Surface]
 * [|First Class]
 * [|Wiki Pages]
 * Forums / Bulletin Boards
 * [|Windows Live Writer for MSN] || * [|Think-Pair-Share]
 * [|Placemats and Round Robin]
 * [|Jigsaw]
 * [|Numbered Heads]
 * [|PMI]
 * [|Graphic Organisers]
 * [|Effective Listening] ||

Poll
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Websites of Interest
[|Effects of Training on Idea Generation in Groups] This study examined the affects of idea generation through brain storming training and group creativity. “Small Group Research” by Jonali Baruah and Paul B. Paulus, Sage Publications, 2008 From: http://ft.csa.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/ids70/resolver.php?sessid=u5r8g8bs9dk37rmiuejvq6jsr1&server=csaweb104v.csa.com&check=702356224efe6008bd142c468254a8e5&db=sageman-set-c&key=1046-4964/10.1177_1046496408320049&mode=pdf  [|Group Work In The Classroom] This article is a comprehensive how-to resource for group work that covers everything from group construction to classroom management. “Group Work in the Classroom” by Mary Harlin, December 2008 http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/19619.aspx

[|Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams] This article goes into detail on strategies for collaborative learning, designing and evaluating group work. “Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams” by Barbara Gross Davis, Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco, 1993 http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/collaborative.html

[|Teaching Strategies: Group Work] This article goes into detail on strategies for collaborative learning, designing and evaluating group work. “Collaborative Learning: Group Work and Study Teams” by Barbara Gross Davis, Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco, 1993 http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/t4l/teaching/groupwork.php

[|Classroom Organisation] An article that covers practical applications of organisation patterns and group strategies. “Classroom Organisation” Australia, 2002 http://www.myread.org/organisation.htm

[|How To Work In Groups] This article again covers group strategies but also goes into the important facet of motivation. “How to Work in Groups” by Dorit Sasson, April 2007 http://classroom-organization.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_work_in_groups