Which of the following is something group leaders do not need to focus on?
Unfortunately, groups can easily end up being less, rather than more, than the sum of their parts. Why is this? Show
In this section, we consider the hazards of group projects and strategies instructors can use to avoid or mitigate them. Find other strategies and examples here or contact the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence for help.
Challenges for studentsCoordination costs represent time and energy that group work consumes that individual work does not, including the time it takes to coordinate schedules, arrange meetings, meet, correspond, make decisions collectively, integrate the contributions of group members, etc. The time spent on each of these tasks may not be great, but together they are significant. Coordination costs can’t be eliminated, nor should they be: after all, coordinating the efforts of multiple team members is an important skill. However, if coordination costs are excessive or are not factored into the structure of group assignments, groups tend to miss deadlines, their work is poorly integrated, motivation suffers, and creativity declines. Instructors should note that coordination costs increase with:
Strategies: To help reduce or mitigate coordination costs:
Motivation costs refers to the adverse effect on student motivation of working in groups, which often involves one or more of these phenomena:
Strategies: To address both preexisting and potential motivation problems:
Intellectual costs refer to characteristics of group behavior that can reduce creativity and productivity. These include:
Strategies: To reduce intellectual costs and increase the creativity and productivity of groups:
Challenges for instructorsWhile group assignments have , they also have complexities that instructors should consider carefully, for example in these areas: Allocating time: While group assignments may save instructors time in some areas (e.g., grading final projects), they may add time in other areas (e.g., time needed up front to identify appropriate project topics, contact external clients, compose student groups; time during the semester to meet with and monitor student groups; time at the end of the semester to ascertain the contributions of individual team members.) Teaching process skills: Functioning effectively in teams requires students to develop strong communication, coordination, and conflict resolution skills, which not all instructors feel qualified to teach. Many instructors are also reluctant to devote class time to reinforcing these skills and may be uncomfortable dealing with the interpersonal issues that can arise in groups. In other words, dealing proactively with team dynamics may push some instructors out of their comfort zone. Assessing process as well as product: Assessing teamwork skills and group dynamics (i.e., process) can be far trickier than assessing a team’s work (i.e., product). Effective evaluation of process requires thoughtful consideration of learning objectives and a combination of assessment approaches. This creates layers of complexity that instructors may not anticipate. Assessing individual as well as group learning: Group grades can hide significant differences in learning, yet teasing out which team members did and did not contribute to the group or learn the lessons of the assignment can be difficult. Once again, this adds complexity to group projects that instructors often underestimate. Find effective strategies to help faculty address these issues in the design of effective group projects. What type of role does the group leader have quizlet?Leaders manage the group as a social system that allows the group and its members to achieve specific goals. Leaders remind the group periodically what it has done and what it is doing in regard to agreed-on goals formulated earlier.
When should a group leader deepen the focus of a group?The best way to deepen the focus in a personal growth group is to hold the focus on one member until he or she talks. When a leader believes the topic a member has brought up has relevance for the entire group, she may want to shift the focus from that member to the topic.
Which of the following is not considered an advantage of the co leadership model quizlet?Which of the following is NOT considered an advantage of the coleadership model? The leader will always be in the position of power and privilege and members must learn to appreciate this status.
Which of the following is considered a benefit of participating in group work?Tackle more complex problems than they could on their own. Delegate roles and responsibilities. Share diverse perspectives. Pool knowledge and skills.
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