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3 Think about a subject that you did not like at school.What made you dislike the subject?Could anything have been done to make it better?
4 Have you ever worked in a group before? If so:What made it a good experience?What did you learn from it?
5 Think about something you have done that needed courage and took you out of your comfort zone, for example, doing something for the first time, or doing something you did not like or did not want to do.How did you face your fear of doing it?What did you learn from it?
Now check the key for comments on this exercise.
It is important to make use of the various information you gather about the members of your group during any ice-breaking activities. It would therefore be useful to complete a table similar to the one below.
Glossary
distribute If you distribute things, you hand them or deliver them to a number of people.
For example:
After sharing the information, you can ask one group member to type it up and distribute it to the rest of the group. The group can then use the information to help allocate roles and tasks that need to be covered in your group work.
Team-building activities
Even when students already know each other, it is important to improve communication skills and build trust within a group. In professional life, many companies organize team-building activities for their staff. These activities can be simple ones, for example:
having a meeting or a conference
having a meal
going on a day trip.
Glossary
emphasis Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to part or aspect of something.
The importance of team-building in profession life can be seen by the large amount of money some companies spend on team-building activities. These are often not connected with work in any way and include such things as:
adventure sports (e.g. climbing, walking, boating)
raft building
cooking classes.
This emphasis on team building in professional life demonstrates why you should place importance on team building in your student life.
Exercise 5
Look at the team-building activities below. Which activities could be good for team building when the group members already know each other? Which ones would work best? Which of them might not be a good idea? Make notes.
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
Understanding roles and responsibilities
Glossary
effective Something that is effective works well and produces the results that were intended.
vital If you say something is vital, you mean that it is necessary or very important.
agenda An agenda is a list of items that have to be discussed at a meeting.
As group work is designed to get the best out of the individuals that make up the group, it is essential that the group operates effectively. A group is more likely to be effective if each student has a particular role as well as the responsibilities that come with that role. It is also vital that each group member fully understands their role and their responsibilities.
Sometimes your lecturer will give you a list of formal roles that must be filled by the members of your group.
For example:
Exercise 6
Read the group work assignment below. How would you allocate the group roles and responsibilities in the table below? Make notes about the skills and abilities you think are used in the roles.
For example:Design and produce a product for the baby market. Create an accompanying marketing campaign using a variety of different media.
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
Matching roles and responsibilities to the appropriate group member is an important skill that requires an objective judgement of both your own skills and those of the other group members.
Glossary
objective If someone is objective, they base their opinions on facts rather than on their personal feelings.
Exercise 7
Read about the students below and think about the roles and responsibilities in Exercise 6. Which person might be suitable for each role and why?
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
Tips
When you start your group work, make a list of the roles and responsibilities for your group.
Think carefully about the role and responsibilities you would like to take on and be prepared to tell the other students why you should take that role.
If you find out after a while that you are not comfortable in your role, speak to your group about it. But do not expect other students to swap roles with you after they have started to work on things they are responsible for.
Do not be embarrassed to ask other group members for help and support even though you have responsibilities for a task. If you need support, others probably need it too.
Assigning roles and responsibilities
To help you to choose which members of your group should take on particular roles, you could make a role card for each one.
For example:
Role card
Group secretary
Main responsibilities: Take notes during group meetings, write them up and distribute them to the group. Prepare an agenda for group meetings and distribute beforehand.
Skills needed: Note-taking skills; a good eye for detail; well organized; good communication skills.
During the activity, you would place the role cards on the table in front of the group and discuss who would be good in each role. This would involve negotiation and the use of specific language. Use the following useful phrases to do this.
Negotiating
Iâd really like to take on the role of â¦
Iâd be good in the role of ⦠because Iâm good at â¦
My experience in ⦠means that Iâd make a very good â¦
I think David should be ⦠because heâs â¦
I know you want that role but would you consider me for it?
I donât think Iâd be suitable for that. Iâm not very good at â¦
Iâm sorry. Iâm really not keen on being ⦠How about if I take on â¦?
Tip
Keep any role cards you produce and bring them out at group meetings to help discuss who should be doing what.
Establishing rules
Glossary
ground rule The ground rules for something are the basic principles on which future action will be based.
It is important to have some ground rules for your group work. Ground rules can prevent misunderstandings and keep your group on track.
For example:
Group members must attend all meetings. If a member cannot attend a meeting, they must tell the group secretary at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting time.
Exercise 8
Read about some common problems that can arise during group work. Suggest a ground rule for each problem. Make notes.
Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.
For more information on how to deal with difficulties within your group, see Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo).
Tips
Remember to keep your list of ground rules close to hand so you can refer to it if you have some problems in your group.
Think about what you will do if a group member breaks a ground rule and include this in the ground rules too!
Sharing contact information
You will need to share contact information with your group members and say how you would like to keep in touch with each other. Different students may prefer different methods and only be comfortable giving out certain information. It is therefore a good idea to include some rules about keeping in touch in your groupâs ground rules. Make sure that the information you give out is up to date and that you check regularly to see if your group members are trying to contact you.
Use a group contact form to collect and share your groupâs information.
For example:
Tips
You can use a form like the one above to share contact details among your group.
Do not leave long periods of time without getting in touch with your group members as this is likely to result in problems.
Creating a shared digital workspace
You will need to create computer files in your group work and you should consider how you will store your work and share it with your group. There are a lot of different ways you can do this using online and offline technology. It is important to remember that:
different students will have different IT skills
different students will feel comfortable using different software.
The table on page 27 (#litres_trial_promo) contains examples of different places where you can store your group work. It also includes a commentary on the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of storage.
For example:
Glossary
wiki A wiki is a website that allows anyone visiting it to change or add to the material in it.
restriction A restriction is an official rule that limits what you can do or limits the amount or size of something.
Remember
Group work gets easier as time goes on.
It is worthwhile spending time to get to know your group members.
Get to know the strengths of your group members so you can use each otherâs skills.
Be prepared to negotiate for the role that you want in your group.
Ground rules will help to keep your group on track.
