Vikki Costa, Professor, Secondary Education Presentation for International Programs, University Extended Education Group Work in the University Classroom

INDIVIDUALLY: Identify which are the most important skills for your students. Rank order the skills from 1 (most important) to 15 (least important) SMALL GROUP A: In your small group (similar), reach consensus on the top five skills. Give your top 5 skills to the instructor for posting. INDIVIDALLY: Complete Worksheet. SMALL GROUP B: Share your ideas with your new group (different). GROUP WORK ACTIVITY 21st Century Skills for College Students

Groupwork is an instructional strategy that may be used instead of or in addition to lecture The outcome of groupwork may be formal products, such as presentations, papers, reports informal products, such as worksheets, reporting out, or Q/A sessions Assessment of group work may be informally, individually, or as a whole content or skill based What is GroupWork?

Research has shown that groupwork and cooperative learning: promote student learning and academic achievement increase student retention enhance student satisfaction with their learning experience help students develop skills in oral communication develop students' social skills promote student self-esteem Why Use Groupwork?

Student think about learning differently. Old View: teachers give them knowledge New View: they construct knowledge The learning is more active and engaged. The students are not only actively learning from one another, they are also teaching -- teaching in way that is cognitively different from that of a faculty member's teaching. Discussion is more open. Because there is less risk of public error, students more likely to explore possibilities, ask questions, take risks, and "benefit from mistakes. Why Use Group Work?

To involve students in their own learning To make course topics come alive To deepen students’ knowledge about a topic To develop particular skills, such as collaboration, cooperation, accountability, leadership To reflect on learning

Break the ice or build a team atmosphere. Have students get to know each other through special groupings and line-ups (i.e., birthday, where they are from, major) Discuss the syllabus Before giving them the syllabus, have groups of students generate 10 questions. Then switch questions sets and answer questions for another group; swich back. Introduce the course Print out a few dozen quotes from the textbook and have student groups draw from a hat. Give groups 10 minutes to make meaning of the quote and then share their thoughts. When to Use Groupwork? - Early in the Course

Analyze case studies. Have each group analyze a different case study or a different aspect of the same case, or analyze it from a different perspective, then share answers with the class. (Avoid having groups report out on the same thing.) Find and share news clippings. Ask students to bring newspaper or magazine clipping, editorial, or cartoon related to a concept discussed in class. have students share in small groups, then pick "best" to share with whole class. Create and enact role plays. Ask students to create scenarios related to a topic being discussed. When to Use Groupwork? - To Make Course Ideas Come Alive

Generate questions Have groups make a list of questions based on the course readings or lecture. Groups switch questions and try to answer, or groups read questions out loud and the instructor or students answer. Generate answers This is the most common task for groups. Give groups one or more question(s) to answer about course reading material or lecture content. Review student writing or check problem solving Have students solve a problem in class or bring a draft of work; exchange papers and review. When to Use Groupwork? - To Deepen Thinking About Topics

Apply Knowledge In a small group or pairs, have students answer a question that requires them to apply something they've learned to their personal or professional lives or to societal issues. Gots and Needs In pairs or small groups, have teams write on each side of an index card: what they got (something they learned) and what they need (a question that they have). They add their names to turn it in for points. When to Use Groupwork? - To Reflect on Learning

Be sure students are prepared. WRT Content knowledge You don't want "shared ignorance" WRT Procedures guidelines for brainstorming techniques, active listening, dispute resolution, and allocation of responsibilities Preface group tasks with individual tasks. Diversity group tasks. Listen and learn. Bring them back together but make it useful. How to Use Groupwork Effectively

DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES Table2 was not exported from SlideRocket

Face-to-Face Interaction - promote each other's success Positive Interdependence - sink or swim together Individual & Group Accountability - no hitchhiking! no social loafing 3 Elements of Cooperative Learning

gain from each other's efforts. Your success benefits me and my success benefits you. Cooperative efforts result in participants striving for mutual benefit so that all group members:

recognize that all group members share a common fate. We all sink or swim together.

know that one's performance is mutually caused by oneself and one's team members. We can not do it without you.

1. Assigning Roles A team of four is established. Each member is given a specific role. A task is completed and each role has specific assignments within the task. Classroom Activity

Earth Processes Students know why and how earthquakes occur and the scales used to measure their intensity and magnitude. California Geology Students know the principal natural hazards in different California regions and the geologic basis of those hazards. Investigation and Experimentation Recognize the usefulness and limitations of models and theories as scientific representations of reality. ASSIGNING ROLES EXAMPLE

Assign one of the following roles to each member of your team: Architect - who will draw a plan for how the structure will be built, assist the builder, and help answer #2, 4, and 7 Builder - who will lead the construction of the structure, assist the architect and help answer #3 and 5 Recorder - who will record answers on the design packet, take pictures of the process, help answer #6, and assist the presenter Presenter - who will create and deliver presentation to the class, assist the recorder, and help answer #1 and 8 Building an Earthquake Resistant Structure

Classroom Activity 2. Jigsaw Groups with 4-5 students are set up. Each group member is assigned some unique material to learn and then to teach to his group members. To help in the learning students across the class working on the same sub- section get together to decide what is important and how to teach it. After practice in these "expert" groups the original groups reform and students teach each other.

Geography of China Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the civilizations of China in the Middle Ages. Geography of China Quiz JIGSAW EXAMPLE