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Getting Groups to Gel & Grapple Patty H. Phelps University of Central Arkansas

Getting Groups to Gel & Grapple Patty H. Phelps University of Central Arkansas. Let’s begin with the challenges!. What skills do students need?. Creativity & innovation Critical thinking & problem solving Communication & collaboration (21 st Century Skills). The “best” college teachers….

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Getting Groups to Gel & Grapple Patty H. Phelps University of Central Arkansas

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  1. Getting Groups to Gel & GrapplePatty H. PhelpsUniversity of Central Arkansas Let’s begin with the challenges!

  2. What skills do students need? • Creativity & innovation • Critical thinking & problem solving • Communication & collaboration (21st Century Skills)

  3. The “best” college teachers… • promote deep learning • help students become better thinkers • encourage students to grapple (Bain, 2004, p. 59) www. amazon.com

  4. What’s my primary goal? • To cover content? • To be in charge? • To talk the most? • To demonstrate my knowledge? • To promote student learning?

  5. Messages Students Have Heard: • “Be quiet.” • “Do your own work.” • “Turn around.” • “Get ahead to succeed.” • “There is one best answer.”

  6. Reasons Faculty Resist:(Millis & Cottell, 1998) • Group work is less rigorous. • Coverage will suffer. • I must give up control. • My role is threatened/changed. • Lecture was good enough for me.

  7. Use of Groups: • Short-term (informal ad hoc) • Long-term (formal) (Lang, 2008)

  8. To group or not? • Is grouping the most appropriate method for the purpose and content? (Kovalik, 1994)

  9. Ways to Fail: • “Get into groups.” • “Discuss the article/chapter.” • “Write a paper together.” • “Receive a group grade only.”(based upon Herreid, 2002)

  10. Ways to Form Groups: • Self-selection • Random • Teacher-selected (Birmingham & McCord, 2002, p.80)

  11. Something to think about: • “The best group work led students to grapple with important questions, to reason collectively through perplexing, intriguing, and significant issues, and to brainstorm solutions to fascinating problems.” (Bain, 2004, p. 129)

  12. TEAM TIME: • Design a monument to college teaching. • Invite all to offer input. • Record your team’s idea on flip chart. • Begin by sharing one place you’d each like to visit someday. • Time: 9 minutes • Form teams by sticker on packet.

  13. Design Elements: • Positive interdependence • Individual accountability • Group processing • Social skills • Face-to-face interaction (Johnson & Johnson, 1994; Millis & Cottell, 1998)

  14. Getting Groups to GEL: • Start on Day 1. • Help students get to know each other. • Make expectations explicit. • Seek commitment from students. • Provide skill building as needed. • Aim for heterogeneous groups. • Incorporate peer evaluation.

  15. Getting Groups to GRAPPLE: • Select a “group worthy” task. (Lotan, 2003) • Make the goal clear. (Larson & LaFasto, 1989) • Provide class time to work. (Michaelsen & Knight, 2002) • Teach the stages of group development. • Know when to intervene. (Hackman, 1990) • Provide support & feedback.

  16. Stages of Team Development: • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing (Tuckman, 1965)

  17. An Alternate View:(Gersick, 1988;1990) • Life Cycles of Groups: • Phase 1 • Transition* (midpoint) • Phase 2 • Completion *Critical point in time (Variation; continuity & change; deadlines)

  18. Taxonomy of Collaborative Skills:(Bosworth, 1994) • Interpersonal Skills • Group Management Skills • Inquiry Skills • Conflict Management Skills • Synthesis/Presentation Skills

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