Online Group ProjectDecember 11th, 2008 by theProfessor |
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The typical online course group project involves the following steps:
· The instructor assigns you to a group of three or four other students.
· You are expected to produce a group project together.
· The project is usually gargantuan, and it requires the creation of a PowerPoint, text, and other presentation materials.
· After you read the requirements, you e-mail your group members. No one responds.
· You end up doing all the work yourself.
· You swear that you will never work in an online group again!
Does that sound familiar? How can you succeed? Below are a few strategies to help you succeed with group work.
Redefine the outcomes as you go, based on the types of work coming. Be flexible and make adjustments as needed. Potential problem: No clearly defined goal or outcome. The overall goal or desired outcome may be imprecisely described or defined. It is important to clearly define the concrete attributes: length, structure, content, purpose, format, complexity. Solution: Make sure that the outcome and goals are as clearly defined as possible. “SMART” goal-setting is ideal: Specific, Measured, Achievable, Reasonable, Time-based. Of course, there are downsides to having rigidly defined outcomes. They can inhibit extremely creative and driven students, and they can result in conformity and mediocrity.
Build in rewards for working with each other. Make sure that each person clearly perceives that there exists a clear reward for the effort expended in the group work. Competitive rather than collaborative. Group members are caught up in proving that they are “right” and that the others are not. They do not want to modify any of their work in order to have it mesh or blend with the others in order to produce a coherent whole. Solution: Separate the tasks and roles so that there is division of labor, rather than overlap.



