Group work – why do it?

Rachel Horn – Civil & Structural Engineering

Structure of the session• Employability & group work

– Employers’ view– Academic view– Key discussion points

• Brief examples - my experience– Group work and skill development– Peer assessment and moderation

• Group discussion– Barriers and problems– Methods and solutions – sharing good practice– Adapting to other teaching scenarios

Employer view…

• Productivity

• Employability

Academic view…

• Deeper learning

• Management of numbers

• Employability

Making group work effective…

main problems and barriers• Group size• Group selection • Group management

– ensuring participation– administration and facilitation

• Assessment• Types of group tasks• Skill development & awareness of skills

My experience

• Project modules– 3rd year & 4th year

• Careers and industrial liaison role– Discussions and involvement in teaching

3rd year Group project

Embedding teamwork skillsSubsequent 2-week group design project:• Provide outline brief only – students interview client

– Professional approach

• Too much for one student – all team have to co-operate, elements need integration

• Specific tasks – Encourages adoption of roles

• Only one or two team members participate in each “taught” session

– encourage communication

Raise awareness of skills

End of the design project:

• Final assessment

• Feedback and debrief session– Reflection on skills – Linked to professional training scheme – Could be linked to other skills awareness – PDP etc

Assessment: Peer assessment

• 4th year module

– 8 groups = 4 paired groups – peer assess• Encourages engagement

• Listen, question, analyse

• Develop constructive criticism

• Eager for feedback

• Learn from each other

Assessment: peer moderation

• Use peer moderation for “internal” team skills

• Anonymous evaluation of peer contribution

• Comments justify scores

• Scores used to moderate group mark

• Develop assessment criteriae.g.

– Co-ordination, leadership, delegation

– Data investigation

– Problem-solving skills

– General teamwork skills

Group Discussion – making group work effective…

• Main problems and barriers

• Solutions, good examples and ideas

• Adapt ideas to teaching situations

Group discussion• Ideas for a group exercise / project

• Ideas for how to develop employability skills

– Teaching scenario

– Aims / intended benefits

– Barriers / potential difficulties

– How will skill development be achieved?

– How will it be assessed?

– Controls / solutions?

– How will students be encouraged to recognise skills they have developed?