1. Group Work Digital Project February 7, 2016
PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies
Sean Brown

2. Agenda Context Advantages Disadvantages Best Practices
Role of Instructor
Role of Learners
Personalized Example

3. Context
Barkley (2010, p.124) identifies the effective use of group work (T/S 35) as a strategy for promoting active learning.
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey-Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.

4. Advantages
Barkley (2010, p.124) indicates that effective use of group work can:
Promote community, collaboration, teamwork & mentoring
Take advantage of differing learner backgrounds, experience, academic skills & learning strategies
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey-Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.

5. Advantages
Merriam & Bierema (2013, p.118) indicate that group work provides the opportunity for contextual learning:
Social negotiation guides learning among learners with differing contextual knowledge
Vygotsky (1980) indicates that contextual learning is a form of cognitive apprenticeship
Learners construct their understanding based on their own prior knowledge and shaped by social negotiation with peers
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice; p San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Vygotsky, L. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press.

6. Disadvantages
Barkley (2010, p.124) indicates that challenges with the use of group work may include:
Inequitable participation
Some do less than their share
Some may over-control or take over
Some resist due to poor prior experiences with group work
Some engage in off-task behaviours e.g. texting, Facebooking
Some group members don’t get along
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey-Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.

7. Best Practices / Role of Instructor
Barkley (2010, p.124) indicates that group work best practices maximize the opportunity for student learning:
Group Formation
Size of groups type of task class size
Heterogeneous groups gender mix academic skills
Background experience preferred learning strategies
Level of contextual knowledge
Random membership e.g. number off & groups 1’s, 2’s, etc.
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey- Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.

8. Best Practices / Role of Instructor
Facilitating Group Interaction
Provide clear instructions & expectations in writing & verbal
Instructor available move group to group one-on-one as required
Structure the activity with both individual (write a paper) and group (presentation) accountabilities
Guide learners to identify best practices
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey-Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.

9. Role of Learners
Develop a clear understanding of instructions & expectations
ask questions as required
Break down work into individual responsibilities
Set deadline for work
Identify resources available e.g. academic journals, textbook
Collaborate with peers: social negotiation to construct learning
Reflect on content and the learning process
Brown, S. (2015). Constructivism and Problem-based Learning; PIDP Learning Theory Essay. The Role of the Learner; p.8.

10. Examples Context: Student diversity:
Problem-based learning
Case studies: business, biomedical, ethics
Student diversity:
ESL / writing
Analytics
Student engagement can be rewarding:
Example: TA group of ten, paired responsibilities, accountable to each other, one student dropped the course but completed his share of work

11. References
Barkley, E. (2010). Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. Tips and Strategies for Promoting Active Learning: T/S 35, p.124. Jossey-Bass: John Wiley & Sons; San Francisco, CA.
Brown, S. (2015). Constructivism and Problem-based Learning; PIDP Learning Theory Essay. The Role of the Learner; p.8.
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult Learning: Linking Theory and Practice; p.118. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Vygotsky, L. (1980). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press.