group assignments – dreams and nightmares ksenija napan, te pae whanake, school of community...
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Group assignments – dreams and nightmares
Ksenija Napan, Te Pae Whanake, School of Community Development,
Unitec
Skills Most Sought After by Employers
Communications Skills (listening, verbal, written)
Analytical/Research Skills Computer/Technical Literacy Flexibility/Adaptability/Managing Multiple
Priorities Interpersonal Abilities Leadership/Management Skills Multicultural Sensitivity/Awareness Planning/Organizing Problem-Solving/Reasoning/Creativity Teamwork
Resource:http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html
Personal Values Employers Seek in Employees
Honesty/Integrity/Morality Adaptability/Flexibility Dedication/Hard-Working/Work Ethic/Tenacity Dependability/Reliability/Responsibility Loyalty Positive Attitude/Motivation/Energy/Passion Professionalism Self-Confidence Self-Motivated/Ability to Work With Little or
No Supervision Willingness to Learn
Resource:http://www.quintcareers.com/job_skills_values.html
How to co-create these super people?
By rote learning?
By writing essays?By throwing them at the deep end?
By reproducing teacher’s knowledge?
By teaching them how to cut and paste from internet?
Research says:
When students are involved in tasks that cannot be attempted alone multiple skills are brought to bear on problems and conflicting views are aired and considered (Strauss and U, 2007, Gatfield, 1999, McCorkle et al 1999, Young and Henquinet, 2000).
Group assessment is a good way of developing skills for employability (Johnston and Miles, 2004, Pfaff and Huddelstone, Strauss and U, 2007)
However …
As much as it sounds like a fantastic idea, it is not as easy as it seems
How to teach students to work cooperatively?
How to tap into their intrinsic motivation?
This can be learnt through direct instruction and/or through experience
A combination of both is advisable
Creating groups
Self-selected groups Through likings Through common interests Designed process Intuitive Based on previous experience
Teacher selected groups with allowance for student initiated modifications
Teacher selected groups – no modifications allowed
Purposefully created groups
Joys of group assignments
Fun Increases motivation and engagement Synergy Plays to people’s strengths Sharing workload Peer learning Student centred
Challenges
Piggybacking Balancing high and low contributors Cultural and language issues Social practice values in action (do you
dob-in your colleague?) Communication issues Fair assessment of individual
contribution
Ideas for overcoming challenges:
It is essential that group assignments are done through a group process not as an amalgamation of separate inputs
Appropriate process is in place Process needs to be taught and
experienced Process needs to be reflected on and
assessed as well as the final product Honest, fearless, clear peer and self-
assessment Back up plans
More ideas …
Defining a purpose and personalising it Careful planning Being available to students during the process –
timetabling it Contingency plans Being fair and just Listening to students Being flexible Teaching students how to play to one another’s
strengths and learn from one another
Students say ….