{"id":3404,"date":"2021-03-08T15:35:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T23:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/?p=3404"},"modified":"2021-03-08T15:35:29","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T23:35:29","slug":"improving-group-work-in-asynchronous-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/2021\/03\/08\/improving-group-work-in-asynchronous-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Improving Group Work in Asynchronous Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0Why Group Work Is Important\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Love it or hate it, group work is an important part of education. Learning to work cooperatively with diverse people is a core 21st century skill, one which employers increasingly value and expect new workers to have mastered. Experience gathered from group work in educational settings directly transfers to and prepares students for successful collaboration in work teams. By collaborating in teams, students learn a wide range of discrete as well as soft skills that make group work worth the effort, including those below.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Social skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Self-awareness<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Empathy<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coping with stress<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Creating work plans and schedules<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Forecasting needs and hurdles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Time management &amp; meeting deadlines<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Working with difficult personalities<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Managing &amp; navigating unmet expectations<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Following up &amp; messaging<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Accountability<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leadership<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Development of academic\/professional voice\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pedagogically, group work supports a constructivist approach to learning, in which students contribute to the learning environment, build knowledge both individually and collectively, and co-create the classroom environment. Constructivist theory posits that learning is a social process and values student interaction with and contributions to collective knowledge. Group work and student collaboration are foundational methods in constructivist classrooms that help students develop the knowledge and skills that allow them to meet learning objectives. Additionally, group work is seen as a key element of student-student interaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Considerations for Successful Groups<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first thing instructors should consider when planning to incorporate group work is to reflect on WHY they are assigning it- as an <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">objective of learning<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or as a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">means of learning.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Group work for the purpose of learning collectively, producing collaboratively, or for gaining experience working cooperatively are all valid reasons to include group work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, instructors must consider the limits of the asynchronous modality when creating group assignments. We all know how difficult it can be if the group you end up working in is not harmonious; For students in asynchronous online courses, group work can be even more difficult, with challenges like different time zones, different daily schedules, and lack of face to face collaboration opportunities. Even the most thoughtfully designed group activities can run into problems. What happens when one student fails to contribute? Do the other group members take up the slack and cover for their absent partner? How should a group handle an overbearing group member who takes on more than their fair share of the project? Anticipating the potential hurdles that may arise when planning the group project and incorporating support and resources for struggling groups can alleviate these barriers to a large degree.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An important consideration when creating group assignments is Conrad &amp; Donaldson\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Phases of Engagement <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">model, which advises instructors to structure group work so that students can build up group cohesion through low-stakes activities like icebreakers, introductions, and discussion forum posting towards the beginning of the term before ramping up to more complicated collaborative projects. This scaffolding of tasks helps groups bond and build community among members, facilitating better working relationships and the trust necessary to work through the intricacies of a complex group project. The theory can be helpful when approaching a series of courses within a specific degree program as well, moving from simple group projects in lower division courses to co-facilitating and transformative ongoing engagement at the upper levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-3406\" src=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic-1024x580.png\" alt=\"chart of five phases of engagement: connect, communicate, collaborate, co-facilitate, and continue\" width=\"770\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic-1024x580.png 1024w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic-300x170.png 300w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic-768x435.png 768w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic-1536x871.png 1536w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/phases-of-engagement-model-graphic.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another model that can help instructors understand how to structure group work is Peter Lencioni\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Five Dysfunctions of a Team<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, which describes a pyramid of features that are required for groups to function effectively. Lencioni claims that trust is the foundation of any functioning group, followed in ascending order by managing conflict through healthy discourse, ensuring commitment and buy-in, providing a method of accountability for team members, and a focus on collective results over personal prestige. Avoiding dysfunction by clearly structuring group work to anticipate and provide tools for dealing with these problems can ensure teams get off on the right footing and can work together smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3407 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/5-behaviors-of-a-cohesive-team-graphic.png\" alt=\"pyramid of five behaviors of a cohesive team: trust, conflict, committment\" width=\"537\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/5-behaviors-of-a-cohesive-team-graphic.png 1024w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/5-behaviors-of-a-cohesive-team-graphic-300x247.png 300w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1504\/files\/2021\/03\/5-behaviors-of-a-cohesive-team-graphic-768x632.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 537px) 100vw, 537px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, instructors should consider the type of collaboration that is common within their own discipline, whether it be performing distinct roles within a team or more general projects requiring cooperation. Designers often work together creatively to develop and improve products; medical teams must work collectively but in distinct roles to serve patients; computer software developers must be able to distribute work and manage tight deadlines; public-facing personnel must be able to amicably respond to a range of customer behaviors. Connecting group work explicitly to real-world work scenarios helps students see the value and relevance of their learning, which helps increase engagement and dedication. Structuring group projects to mimic the type of work tasks they can anticipate also provides the added value of preparing students for scenarios they will actually be faced with on the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Finally, since asynchronous group work relies heavily on technology, ensure that the technology to be used by the group is familiar or can be mastered quickly. Provide detailed instructions or tutorials for how to use the technology, plan for how to handle issues students might face with technology, and share resources they can tap should they run into problems. University instructional technology support can be linked to, and websites and apps often offer training videos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Types of group work<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pair\/partner work<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Informal cooperative active learning<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Group essays or projects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Group presentations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Setting groups up for success<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Set up groups of the right size, preferably with an odd number of participants<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make groups heterogenous to encourage peer-to-peer learning<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide opportunities for students to activate their unique background knowledge and perspectives<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide detailed instructions for group interaction expectations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide guidance on strategies for dividing the workload, such as setting up roles (ie: organizer, recorder, liaison, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide detailed instructions and rubrics for expected process and product<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Split the grade for group work between collective and individual grades<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Build in check-ins with instructor early on and midway<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Plan for interventions if groups are not functioning well<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Allow team members to evaluate each other\u2019s and their own performance for contribution, cooperation, &amp; timeliness<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Sources<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cmu.edu\/teaching\/designteach\/design\/instructionalstrategies\/groupprojects\/benefits.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are the benefits of group work? &#8211; Eberly Center<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.actfl.org\/sites\/default\/files\/resources\/21st%20Century%20Skills%20Map-World%20Languages.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">21st Century Skills Map<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2014.00558\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Group work as an incentive for learning \u2013 students\u2019 experiences of group work<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sheffield.ac.uk\/staff\/elevate\/guidance\/teaching-practice\/groupwork\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Group work &#8211; Teaching practice &#8211; Learning and teaching guidance &#8211; Elevate &#8211; Staff<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/267723731_Transforming_the_Online_Learner\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Transforming The Online Learner<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/scalar.usc.edu\/works\/c2c-digital-magazine-fall-2019--winter-2020\/increasing-online-student-engagement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Increasing Student-to-Student Engagement: Applying Conrad and Donaldson&#8217;s &#8220;Phases of Engagement&#8221; in the Online Classroom<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tablegroup.com\/topics-and-resources\/teamwork-5-dysfunctions\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teamwork 5 Dysfunctions<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0Why Group Work Is Important\u00a0 Love it or hate it, group work is an important part of education. Learning to work cooperatively with diverse people is a core 21st century skill, one which employers increasingly value and expect new workers to have mastered. Experience gathered from group work in educational settings directly transfers to and&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/2021\/03\/08\/improving-group-work-in-asynchronous-courses\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11195,"featured_media":3406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1386648,50450],"tags":[1065996,1839,1386683,155,156246,1000],"class_list":["post-3404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success","category-tips-tricks","tag-constructivism","tag-ecampus","tag-group-work","tag-oregon-state-university","tag-student-success","tag-teaching"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3404"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3410,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3404\/revisions\/3410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/inspire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}