Writing Tasks Suited to Group Work
Fact and Fiction: Common Fears about Group Work
My individual ideas will be lost...
I could write it better myself...
My grade will depend on what others do...
Group work will take more time than if I did it myself...
My group members aren't as smart as I am...
I don't have time to meet out of class...
Idea-Generating and Research Tasks
Construct Rules for Discussion
Although it usually seems unlikely in the beginning, a healthy disagreement can easily turn nasty when people are invested in a topic. Decide early on what will be considered inappropriate comments and make sure someone monitors these in later meetings. Here are some rules to consider:
- No personal attacks on a person's intelligence, background, way of speaking, etc.
- No yelling; all disagreements should be kept in a rational tone
- No name calling
- If a person objects to a comment directed at them, the conversation stops there, no matter anyone's opinion of the objection
- Out of Line Comments: "That's a dumb idea;" "You don't know what you're talking about;" "It figures a man/woman would say that"