Classroom Assessment A Practical Guide for Educators by Craig A. Mertler

1. Classroom AssessmentA Practical Guide for Educatorsby Craig A. Mertler Chapter 12 Assessing Group Work

2. Introduction • Assessing group work is not as straightforward as it may seem; it is not a simple extension of individual student assessment. • There are several additional assessment issues related to the assessment of group work.

3. The Importance of Group Process • More and more classrooms are emphasizing cooperative learning strategies, involving small groups of two to six students who must work on a task together. • Can foster student learning, self-esteem, social skills, and attitudes toward others. • Not only an important instructional strategy, but also an important assessment strategy. • To create a better parallel between instruction and assessment.

4. The Importance of Group Process • Three basic purposes of assessment in cooperative learning environments: • to measure each individual student’s level of learning resulting from the group work • to measure the quality of the group’s solution • to measure students’ abilities to collaborate with others • Main idea is that students often learn more (or differently) when working with others, rather than in isolation.

5. The Importance of Group Process • Several types of group processes can emerge when students are placed in collaborative situations: • Working together. • Conflict and controversy. • Giving and receiving help. • Equality of participation. • Diffusion of responsibility. • Division of labor. • Expert model • Interchangeable model

6. Designing Assessments of Group Process • Group process can have both positive and negative effects on individual and group learning. • Three types of group work that focus on mastery of subject matter (and include collaborative processes) are: • Group papers • Group projects • Group presentations

7. Designing Assessments of Group Process • However, students’ collaborative (group) skills can also be assessed as a result of these types of work. Assessing Collaborative Work Skills: Step-by-Step Procedure Step 1: Clarify your reasons for wanting to assess group skills. Step 2: Describe the assessment context. Step 3: Identify and describe each collaborative skill. Step 4: Design an appropriate scoring instrument.

8. Methods for Assessing Group Process • Most common practice is to assign a single grade to the group’s solution and give that grade to each member. • Assumes equal participation and contribution to the solution (typically not the case). • If teacher stresses that individual contributions are more important than that of the group, many benefits of group process will be lost. • Tends to create very competitive—not collaborative—environment.

9. Methods for Assessing Group Process • No single solution to this dilemma. • Depends on purpose of group work, teacher’s views of assessment, etc. • Often results in the incorporation of subjective decisions. • Many teachers are content to award the same grade to everyone; some rely on additional observations made by others; some incorporate self- and peer-assessment.

10. Methods for Assessing Group Process • Three specific methods for assessing group work: • Self-assessment • Appropriate in upper-elementary and secondary grades. • Can be used to assess level of effort, amount of time contributed, portions of process with which students felt comfortable, and those that were difficult. • Tendency to self-assess in a less-than-honest manner. • Good practice to examine alongside other evidence.

11. Methods for Assessing Group Process • Self-assessment (continued) • Can also incorporate informal discussion with individual students, comparing various assessments.

12. Methods for Assessing Group Process • Peer assessment • Each team member assesses all other members. • In theory, a very effective approach since they know best what happened within the group. • May also have problems with honesty. • Should be used only as formative feedback to teachers; not as basis for grades.

13. Methods for Assessing Group Process • Teacher assessment • Entire responsibility can be placed on the teacher. • This involves assigning both individual and group grades—each student receives two grades. • Assigns a grade for the quality of the group-based product or solution; each student receives this grade for the group’s work. • Students are then required to complete individual follow-up activities related to the group’s solution or product; purpose is to determine individual understanding (therefore, students have responsibility for group and individual learning).