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Collaborative projects: An opportunity for bonding and intellectual development? Juliana Fuqua, Ph.D., Erika DeJonghe, Ph.D., & Alex Vinas Dept. of Psychology & Sociology California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Background. Commuter school: lonely students? Want more friends?

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Background

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  1. Collaborative projects: An opportunity for bonding and intellectual development?Juliana Fuqua, Ph.D., Erika DeJonghe, Ph.D., & Alex VinasDept. of Psychology & Sociology California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

  2. Background • Commuter school: lonely students? Want more friends? • Evident during office hours, during and between classes • Solution: Collaborative projects? • in-class group work? • out-of-class group work (research group)?

  3. Research Questions • Do students want to make more friends? • Does group work foster friendship? • Is group work associated with positive perceived course outcomes (e.g., enjoyment, learning, quality of group product)? • Do students who have made a friend through a group project report positive course outcomes?

  4. Antecedents Processes Outcomes Friendship Positive course outcomes: *Enjoyment *Learning *Quality of product (e.g., paper) Group work

  5. Fuqua (2002) Model of Research Collaboration Antecedents Processes Outcomes Disciplinary Scope • Social Capital, • Social Cohesion & • Informality of • Relationships • Intellectual Product • (Quantity, Quality/ • Innovativeness) Physical Environment Working History

  6. Method Exploratory study Convenience sample of three psychology classes (n=107 students) Two-page questionnaires completed in class Questions focused on in-class group work

  7. Results • Do students want to make more friends at Cal Poly? 83% said yes. • Do students report making friends through group work? 70% said yes.

  8. Results • Is group work associated with positive perceived course outcomes? • Enjoyment of class: 76% yes • Learning: 62% yes • Quality of final product: 60% yes Response options were: Yes, definitely; Yes probably; Don’t know; No, probably not; No, definitely not. “Yes” = either yes response.

  9. 4. Do people who have made a friend through a group project report positive course outcomes?

  10. Results summary Students at our commuter campus desire more friends. Group work is a major way they meet friends. They report group work contributes to their enjoyment of classes, how much they learn in class, and the quality of the final group product (e.g., paper). This is especially true for people who report meeting friends in class, except for the variable of the course product quality.

  11. Discussion • Perhaps group work is a useful method for building friendships (and social support) among students. • Perhaps group work has actual (not just self-reported) emotional and intellectual benefits for students. • Future empirical research could use teacher assessment of the quality of work from a group in comparison to individual work.

  12. Discussion • Previous literature and students indicate that the characteristics of the group work matter. • Require accountability. Have mini-assignments due from each person before the group gets together. • High achievers may perceive greater intellectual benefits when low achievers (or social loafers) are held accountable.

  13. Discussion Also: • Require steady progress (rather than one major deadline) • Allocate team time in class • Move from “group work” to “team” (more positive connation) • Design out-of-class collaborative research projects or other projects (with faculty or solely with students)

  14. Discussion • Future research • Perceived vs. actual outcomes • Individual differences – high achieving vs. low achieving, confident vs. underconfident, social vs. less social • Instructor differences – Type of group work and amount of effective guidance will matter

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