Facilitate Effective Group Work

At DKU, “Collaborative Problem-Solving” is one of the seven Animating Principles, highlighting the value of group work and team-based assignments. While many students may feel they perform better independently, research and faculty experience show that well-structured group work enhances students’ ability to apply knowledge. However, simply placing students into groups does not automatically foster critical thinking. Instructors must therefore be intentional in designing and facilitating collaborative learning environments to ensure meaningful engagement and learning outcomes.

1. Identify Activities or Assignments Suitable for Group Work

Group work is most effective when tasks require interdependence—where students must rely on each other to succeed. Research shows that students in groups achieve greater learning gains than individuals when working on complex, open-ended problems with multiple possible solutions (Kirschner et al., 2011). In contrast, for simpler tasks that involve recalling facts, defining terms, or searching for information, individual work tends to be more beneficial.

2. Prepare Students for Group Work

Instructors cannot assume that students naturally know how to work collaboratively. It is essential to teach students how to:

• Structure their time and meetings

• Discuss expectations and establish group norms

• Assign and delegate tasks

• Communicate constructively

• Resolve conflicts productively

Clear guidance on roles, responsibilities, and group dynamics sets the stage for effective collaboration.

3. Form Groups and Manage the Group Work Process

Recommendations on how to form groups (Wilson, Brickman, Brame, 2017):

• Compose gender-balanced, ethnically diverse groups consisting of students with a mixture of problem-solving styles.

• Instructors rather than students should form groups.

• Limit the size of groups to 3-5 students.

Manage the Group Work Process

• Explaining how groups will operate & how students will be graded. Instructors should ensure every student understands the purpose of the group project, the skills that need to be developed through group work, and the grading standards.

• Start by assigning simple tasks and increase complexity as students become more skilled at group work.

• Reinforce listening skills and the proper methods to give and receive constructive criticism.

• Ask groups to set out a timeline and submit a plan of action outlining group goals and individual responsibilities.

• Check in regularly with the groups and identify problems. May request weekly progress reports that summarize group meetings, attendance, discussions, and next steps

To minimize freeloading

• Keep groups small

• Match tasks to student strengths

• Assign specific roles with clearly defined responsibilities

• Provide opportunities for formative peer evaluations

• Make expectations and accountability visible, requiring submission of individual contributions

4. Assessing Group Work

• Decide what is being evaluated: the final product, the process, or both.

  • For the process, the evaluation criteria should represent the learning objectives for class and for the group. Process evaluation might include: attendance and participation in meetings, time management skills, active listening, evidence of cooperative behavior, and professionalism and engagement with the task.

  • For evaluating the effectiveness of the product, a more concrete grading rubric might be necessary. The criteria can be outlined based on content, structure, organization, accuracy, thoroughness, and general mechanics, etc.

• Individual grades, group grade or a combination of both: Individual grades may promote fairness but could risk undermining group cohesion (Davis, 1993). Assigning the same grade to all members may cause dissatisfaction if effort levels vary. If the group is graded collectively, the assignment should contribute a modest portion of the final grade (Johnson, Johnson & Smith, 1991).

• Decide who assigns the grade: the students, the instructor, or both. If the group work process is being evaluated, it may include peer assessment of group members.