# Group Work: B2+

Patrick McMahon

Work together for academic success*The Collins Academic Skills Series - winner of the ELTon 2014 Innovation in Learner Resources Award.*Collins Academic Skills Series: Group Work will give you the skills you need to work well with others, and help you feel confident contributing to group projects at university.Through practical exercises and real-life case studies you will learn how to• form effective groups• assign roles• establish rules• deal with difficult group situations.Collins Academic Skills Series: Group Work will help you to make the most of your time at university.• Ten chapters with clear information and practical exercises• Real-life case studies from university students• Information on academic expectations – understand the requirements of studying at university• Helpful tips and summaries• Answer key and glossaryGroup Work is part of a new six-book series to help international students achieve academic success at college or university. It is designed to support students who are studying, or preparing to study, at an English-speaking institution.Suitable for students whose level of English is Upper Intermediate / CEF level B2 / IELTS 5.5 and higher.Other titles in the Collins Academic Skills Series• Lectures • Numbers • Presenting • Research • Writing

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First edition 2013

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Ebook Edition Â© May 2014 ISBN: 9780008101831 Version: 2014-07-01

## Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Chapter 1 Why do group work?

> understand why university students work in groups

> discover what teamwork skills involve and why you use them

> appreciate the value of working with other students

> recognize the importance of process over product in your work

Chapter 2 Preparing for group work

> learn ways of forming a group and getting to know each other

> recognize the value of team-building activities

> assign roles and responsibilities, establish rules and share contact information

> create a shared digital workspace

Chapter 3 Planning your group assignment

> understand how to interpret your assignment: what you are being asked to do

> understand the requirements of the task

> use a brainstorming technique to generate ideas

> learn techniques for scheduling your work

> recognize the importance of setting clear goals

Chapter 4 Working collaboratively

> learn how to be an effective group member and organize successful group meetings

> recognize the importance of listening to others

> develop negotiating skills

> understand how groups develop over time

Chapter 5 How different people learn and study

> understand the impact of learning styles on group work

> recognize the link between personality types and team roles

> understand the role of cultural differences

Chapter 6 Monitoring progress

> review your own performance

> review the teamâ€™s performance

> give and receive feedback on peer performance

> review your goals

Chapter 7 When things get hard

> recognize and identify problems within groups

> understand how to solve problems

> understand group dynamics

> deal with difficult group members

> understand when to seek support

Chapter 8 Presenting in a group

> assess group presentations

> plan a group presentation

> practise a group presentation

> deliver a group presentation

Chapter 9 Writing in a group

> plan your group writing task

> revise drafts and give peer feedback

> proofread the final draft

> carry out reflective writing

Chapter 10 Study groups

> understand the role of a study group

> form a study group

> identify different purposes for study groups: lectures, reading, presentations, writing, seminars and exams

Chapter 11 Online group work

> understand the nature of and reasons for online group work

> recognize the challenges and benefits of online group work

> develop strategies for online group work

Chapter 12 Learning from your experience of group work

> evaluate the group work experience

> set goals for the future

> learn from other studentsâ€™ experiences

> learn from lecturersâ€™ thoughts about group work

Appendices Appendix 1 â€“ Useful phrases

Appendix 2 â€“ Interviews with students about group work

Appendix 3 â€“ Interviews with lecturers about group work

Appendix 4 â€“ Skills, abilities and qualities for group work

Appendix 5 â€“ Useful forms and activities

Appendix 6 â€“ Example group presentation

Glossary

Answer key

Acknowledgements

About the Author

About the Publisher

### Introduction

Collins Academic Skills Series: Group Work will give you the skills you need to take part in successful group work activities at university and college.

Designed to be used on a self-study basis to support English for Academic Purposes or study skills courses, it is intended for students on pre-sessional or Foundation courses as well as for first year undergraduate students.

The book has twelve chapters which cover the most important aspects of working with other students. You will learn:

> why group work is important

> how to prepare for group work and group assignments

> how to work collaboratively

> how different students learn and how to apply this knowledge to group work

> how to deal with difficult students

> how to write and present in groups

> how to reflect and learn from your group work experience.

At the back of the book there is:

> a list of useful phrases for group work

> transcripts of interviews with students on their experiences of group work

> transcripts of interviews with lecturers on their thoughts about group work

> a list of the skills, abilities and qualities needed for group work

> an example of a group presentation

> a glossary of key terms

> a comprehensive answer key

Chapter structure

Each chapter includes:

> Aims â€“ These set out the skills covered in the chapter.

> A self-evaluation quiz â€“ By doing this you are able identify what you already know on the subject of the chapter and what you need to learn.

> Information on academic expectations â€“ These sections will help you understand university practices and expectations so you understand what is required.

> Practical exercises â€“ These help you to develop the skills to succeed at university. You can check your answers at the back of the book.

> Tips â€“ Key points are highlighted for easy reference and provide useful revision summaries for the busy student.

> Glossary â€“ Difficult words are glossed in boxes next to the section where they appear in the chapter. There is also a comprehensive glossary at the back of the book.

> Remember sections â€“ This is a summary of key points for revision and easy reference.

### Glossary boxes

Where we feel that a word or phrase is difficult to understand, we have glossed this word/phrase. All definitions provided in the glossary boxes have been taken from the COBUILD Advanced Dictionary. At the end of the book there is a full alphabetical list of the most difficult words from the book for your reference.

### Using Group Work

You can either work through the chapters from Chapter 1 to Chapter 12 or you can choose the chapters and topics that are most useful to you. The Contents page will help in your selection.

### Study tips

> Each chapter will take between two to three hours. Take regular breaks and do not try to study for too long. Thirty to sixty minutes is a sensible study period.

> Regular study is better than occasional intensive study.

> Read the chapter through first to get an overview before you do any exercises. This will help you to see what you want to focus on.

> Try the exercises before referring to the Answer key. Be an active learner.

> After doing the exercises in the book, put what you have learned into practice when you are given real group work to do. The exercises will prepare you for group work but they are also examples of exercises you should do to make your group work successful.

> All university departments are different. Use the information in the book as a guide to understanding your own university department.

> Write questions you can ask to find out how your department expects you to work in groups.

> There is no one correct way of working with others. Use the experience you gain from doing the exercises to learn what works best for you. Adapt the suggestions in this book to suit your learning style and context.

> Learning to work in groups is an on-going process, which means you need to practise the same skills many times. Revise regularly.

### Other titles

Also available in the Collins Academic Skills Series: Lectures, Numbers, Presenting, Research and Writing.

### 1 Why do group work?

Aims

> understand why university students work in groups

> discover what teamwork skills involve and why you use them

> appreciate the value of working with other students

> recognize the importance of process over product in your work


Quiz

Self-evaluation

Read the statements, then circle the word which is true for you.

1 I prefer to work on my own rather than as part of a team. | agree | disagree | not sure
2 I can work as part of a team when I need to. | agree | disagree | not sure
3 When I work with other students, I make sure they follow what I say. | agree | disagree | not sure
4 I can learn everything I need to know from books and teachers; other students are not important. | agree | disagree | not sure
5 Other students may have different ideas; these ideas can challenge mine and make me think more. | agree | disagree | not sure
6 The final piece of work is the most important thing; the process of how the work is done is not. | agree | disagree | not sure

Now check the key for comments on this exercise.

### What is group work?

Glossary

assignment An assignment is a task or piece of work that you are given to do, especially as part of your job or studies.

Group work involves working with other students who are on the same course as you to complete a task or an assignment. You will find that lecturers in English-speaking universities often ask you to carry out work in groups.

There are different types of tasks and assignments that you can do when you work together. Some of them may be quite short, for example:

Glossary

common practice Common practice is a generally accepted way of doing something.

option An option is something that you can choose to do in preference to one or more alternatives.

random A random sample or method is one in which all the people or things involved have an equal chance of being chosen.

> holding group discussions

> checking your answers in groups.

Group discussions are usually held between small numbers of students and it is common practice for the lecturer to ask one group member to report their discussion to the whole class. Other group work activities may take more preparation, for example:

> giving a group presentation

> writing a group assignment.

These tasks will probably involve meeting your group outside class to spend time working together. Some group work assignments may even last several weeks or months. Examples of these from Business Studies are:

> setting up and running a university-based business

> designing a product and the marketing campaign for it.

When you work in groups, you sometimes have the option of choosing your own group members; this means you might decide to work with friends. Alternatively, you may be told who to work with by the lecturer. Another option is to have a random selection process. The size of groups might be small with two, three or four students, or there could be ten or more.

### For more information on forming a group, see Chapter 2.

Tips

> Try not to feel nervous when working in a group with people you do not know; use it as an opportunity to meet new people and make friends.

> Use the opportunity of working with others to develop your English language speaking skills, as well as to get help when you are not sure what to do.

### Reasons why university students work in groups

Glossary

participate If you participate in an activity, you take part in it.

collaborate When one person or group collaborates with another, they work together, especially on a book or on some research.

Understanding the purpose of working in groups will motivate you to participate. This is important as a high percentage of your marks at university will come from group work. If you do not understand the reasons for working with others, it is unlikely you will participate well. University lecturers generally believe that:

> you can learn more about a topic when working in a group than when working alone

> teamwork skills are very important and can only be learned through group participation

> the most important part of learning happens while you are working with other students, not when working alone

> group work is an important preparation for the world of work as you will need to collaborate with colleagues in your professional life after university.

Exercise 1

Compare what happens in group work assignments in an English-speaking university with what happens in your own country. Read the statements and tick the columns that are true for you.

University assignments | English-speaking universities | My country
 | True | False | True | False
1 Group work is a popular way of setting work for students. |  |  |  | 
2 Lecturers expect students to spend time working together outside class. |  |  |  | 
3 Lecturers encourage students to discuss ideas in groups and to learn from each other. |  |  |  | 
4 Students listen to each other and appreciate each otherâ€™s points of view. |  |  |  | 
5 Students take responsibility for finding out what they need to learn and learning it on their own. |  |  |  | 

Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.

### What is the value of working with other students?

Glossary

background reading Background reading involves the reading of related works in order to get background (contextual information) on a topic that you are intending to study or write about.

As already stated, lecturers in English-speaking universities believe you will learn more when you work with other students than when you work alone. The following example of a group work assignment will help you to think about whether you agree or not.

For example: Identify a shopping mall in the city and carry out a survey of its customersâ€™ shopping habits.

There will be a number of stages to this assignment. The first stage might be to do some background reading on peopleâ€™s shopping habits. The information below shows how much you could do if you worked individually compared with working as part of a group.

Stage 1: Find out as much as you can about peopleâ€™s shopping habits by doing some background reading.

As individual work | As group work
You can read a small number of articles and gain some information. | Each group member can read different articles. Students can then meet and share their information with each other.
Result: You have a small amount of information. | Result: You have a lot of information.

The next stage might be to design a survey and write questions to ask shoppers. As before, this task will be easier to do as part of a group rather than done individually.

Stage 2: Write a list of questions to ask shoppers about their shopping habits.

As individual work | As group work
You write all the questions you can think of. | Each group member writes a list of questions. You then work together to choose the best ones; some students have written good questions you did not think of.
Result: You have a list of all the questions you could think of. | Result: You have a list of the best questions from each student.

The final stage might be to carry out the survey by stopping shoppers in the shopping mall. You can see from the information on page 12 how many shoppers you can ask on your own compared to working in a group.

Stage 3: Carry out a survey of shoppers in a shopping mall.

As individual work | As group work
You ask as many shoppers as you can in the time you have. | You and your group members split up and go to different parts of the shopping mall. You ask as many shoppers as you can in the time available and then share all your information.
Result: You have a small number of respondents. | Result: You have a large number of respondents and your survey will be more representative.

Glossary

available If something you want or need is available, you can find it or obtain it.

representative A group of people or things is representative of a larger group of people or things if it closely matches the wider group.

refine If something such as a process, theory or machine is refined, it is improved by having small changes made to it.

You will have seen from these examples that there are clear advantages to working in groups.

> You learn more when you can share information that you get separately; it takes time to find and read information, but it does not take long to share this information with someone else.

> You learn from the ideas of others; you will have some ideas, but you cannot think of everything on your own. Other students will usually have some ideas you did not think of.

> You will benefit from explaining your ideas and listening to the ideas of other students. They will help you to see things from different points of view and help you to refine your ideas.

Exercise 2

Read the tasks below and make notes about the benefits of group work.

Task | Benefits of doing task in a group
Make a poster explaining the content of your degree programme for a university open day. |  | 
Give a presentation entitled The advantages of studying abroad for your degree. |  | 
Design a new product to sell at your university shop and persuade the shop manager to stock it. |  | 

Now check the key for comments on this exercise.

### What are teamwork skills and how do they help the process of learning?

Glossary

infrastructure The infrastructure of a country, society, or organization consists of the basic facilities such as transport, communications, power supplies, and buildings, which enable it to function.

brainstorm If a group of people brainstorm, they have a meeting in which they all put forward as many ideas and suggestions as they can think of.

negotiate If people negotiate with each other, they talk about a problem or a situation in order to solve the problem or complete the arrangement.

As we have discussed, group work will help you to develop your teamwork skills, and teamwork skills are important for working effectively with other students. If you have good teamwork skills, you will be able to work collaboratively; your group will achieve more and your marks will be higher. Furthermore, specific marks for teamwork are often given for group assignments.

Look at the teamwork skills involved in the following group assignment.

For example: Set up and run a project for the design and implementation of an infrastructure project of your choice.

Task stages | Teamwork skills you will practise
Deciding what infrastructure project your group will work on | BrainstormingListening to othersMaking suggestionsPutting forward a point of viewNegotiatingMaking group decisions
Making a list of student roles and responsibilities needed to complete the assignment and sharing them out | Problem-solvingNegotiatingPutting forward an opinion and supporting itAllocating responsibilitiesRecognizing the strengths of others
Drawing up a plan of the project | Problem-solvingHelping each otherMaking suggestionsSharing ideasCollaborating

These are just some of the teamwork skills you might use, but there are many more (see Appendix 4 for a complete list). You will need to practise and use these skills when you work with others.

### For more information on working collaboratively, see Chapter 4.

Tips

> Recognize that whenever your lecturer asks you to do something, there is a good reason for it.

> Reflect on what you are learning every time you do a task or assignment in order to get better marks.

Exercise 3

Read the assignments below. Which ones would be good for individual work, and which ones would benefit from teamwork? Write I if you think they are good for individual work and G if they would benefit from group work. What teamwork skills are needed to complete the group work assignments effectively?

Task | I / G | If group work, what teamwork skills are needed?
1 Make a video about student life in your university for the student union to show future students. |  | 
2 Write a personal statement to apply for a placement in a company to gain work experience. |  | 
3 Write a newspaper article explaining why students from abroad come to study at your university. |  | 
4 Plan a Welcome Event for new students who are joining your course next term. |  | 
5 Write a 500-word essay saying why you chose your degree programme and what you hope to gain from your studies. |  | 

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise. How is group work assessed as a process as well as a product?

Glossary

reflective If you are reflective, you are thinking deeply about something.

enable If someone or something enables you to do a particular thing, they give you the opportunity to do it.

University lecturers also ask you to work with others because of the skills and subject knowledge you gain during the group work process. This means that the lecturers are not only interested in the finished assignment that you hand in, they are also interested in what happened when you were working on the assignment; they will give you marks for this process of working as well as marking your final assignment. This is why the process is important, not just the product. If the product is good but only one person worked on the assignment, you will score poorly on the collaborative working part of the assignment.

In long assignments there are usually several parts, for example, a group presentation as well as individual writing. It is common to include a reflective piece of writing in which you show what you have learned from your group work. This enables you to make comments about how you worked as a group and how you solved any problems that came up.

### For more information on reflective writing, see Chapter 9. Remember

> You can usually achieve more when working in a group than working individually.

> University lecturers will expect you to participate actively in group work.

> University lecturers want to see you listening to and learning from other students.

> You get marks for being a good group member.

> If your final assignment looks good but your group work is poor, you might be disappointed with your mark.

### 2 Preparing for group work

Aims

> learn ways of forming a group and getting to know each other

> recognize the value of team-building activities

> assign roles and responsibilities, establish rules and share contact information

> create a shared digital workspace


Quiz

Self-evaluation

Read the statements and circle the answers that are true for you.

1 I want to be able to choose my own group members. | agree | disagree | not sure
2 I think it is much easier to work with people who have the same nationality as me. | agree | disagree | not sure
3 Team-building activities can be useful to build a strong group. | agree | disagree | not sure
4 I donâ€™t like having a lot of rules; I prefer a more relaxed approach to work. | agree | disagree | not sure
5 I think everyone should help each other, so individual responsibilities are not important. | agree | disagree | not sure

### Now check the key for comments on this exercise. Forming a group

There are a variety of ways of selecting the members of a group. For example, the lecturer can:

> decide on the members of each group; you do not have a choice

> allow you to choose your group members with complete freedom

> allow students to choose their group members, but give some constraints, for example numbers of males and females or the mix of nationalities

> use a random selection process, for example picking out names written on individual pieces of paper.

Glossary

Constraint A constraint is something that limits or controls what you can do

Your lecturer will generally have good reasons for choosing one of these methods. If you understand what these reasons are, you are likely to have a more successful group.

Exercise 1

Read the methods of selecting group members below. Make notes about the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

Method | Advantages | Disadvantages
1 The lecturer decides on the group members with no input from students. | It is a quick way to choose the group. There are no arguments about the group members. | 
2 Students freely choose their own group members. |  | 
3 Students can choose their group members within constraints given by the lecturer. |  | 
4 Group selection is done through a random process. |  | You might have all the students with similar skills in the same group.

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.

Tips

> If you are unhappy about your group membership, try to make it work before asking to move.

> You should talk to your tutor or lecturer if you still feel uncomfortable in your group after a period of time.

### Getting to know each other

It is very important for you and the other group members to get to know each other so you can work together effectively. If you have some basic information about them, you will quickly find shared interests and start to understand how they think and work.

The activities in Exercises 2, 3 and 4 are just some of the ones you might choose in order to learn something about the other members in your group. Your lecturer is unlikely to use such activities, but will assume that the group takes responsibility for organizing and carrying out this process.

Exercise 2

Look at the form below that a student has completed after meeting a new group member. The information is very basic. What follow-up questions can they ask to get more interesting information?

Nice to meet you!

Work in pairs. Take it in turns to ask each other the following questions. Make notes of the answers.

> 1 Full name: Narantuya Bayarmaa

> 2 Name to be used in the group/Nickname: Natalie

> 3 Nationality: Chinese

> 4 First language: Mongolian

> 5 Languages you can speak: Mongolian, Mandarin, English

> 6 Currently living: Shanghai

> 7 Course: Mechanical Engineering

> 8 Reasons for choosing this course: China needs engineers

> 9 Hobbies: Horse riding, swimming, travelling and learning about new cultures

> 10 Plans following this course: Return to China and work in the field of developing renewable energy

When you have finished come together as a group and introduce your partner to the rest of the group. Partners should give more information, correct the information being given, and ask and answer more questions. This will generate a rewarding â€˜getting to know each otherâ€™ session.

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.

A skills audit (see Exercise 3) is a useful way of finding out about the strengths and weaknesses of the various group members. It is very useful to exchange this information with your group so that you can decide who is best suited to each task.

Glossary

skills audit A skills audit is a thorough check or examination of a personâ€™s skills and abilities.

Exercise 3

Read the skills audit form below and rate your skills. Write 1 if you think your skills need improvement, 2 if they are adequate and 3 if they are good.

Skills audit
Skills | Rate your skills 1 / 2 / 3
1 Written communication skills in English: able to write fluently in English without making serious grammar mistakes | 
2 Spoken communication skills in English: able to discuss things in English, give points of view and justify opinions | 
3 Pronunciation skills: having good enough pronunciation so that people can easily understand you when you speak | 
4 Presentation skills: able to give an adequate formal presentation in English in front of others | 
5 IT skills: able to carry out a range of practical tasks using a variety of computer programmes such as word processing, digital presentations and making posters | 
6 Numeracy skills: good with numbers when carrying out tasks such as costing, budgeting and keeping accounts | 
7 Teamwork skills: able to work together with other students, negotiate compromise and share ideas | 
8 Reading and note-taking skills: able to read long texts quickly and easily, understand them and take useful notes that can be understood later | 

### Now check the key for comments on this exercise.

Ice-breakers (see Exercise 4) are a useful type of activity to use when a group meets for the first time as they will help to make all the group members feel at ease with each other. In other words, they help to break the ice.

Exercise 4

Look at the ice-breaker activity on page 20 and answer the questions.

> 1 How easy would it be to complete?

> 2 How interesting would it be to use?

> 3 How useful would it be in terms of getting to know others?

Sharing experiences

> 1 Think about something you learned to do recently, e.g. driving or speaking another language.Was it a good learning experience, or not?What made it a good or a bad learning experience?

> 2 Think about a really good teacher that you had when you were at school.What made this teacher special?How did this affect the way you worked?

> 3 Think about a subject that you did not like at school.What made you dislike the subject?Could anything have been done to make it better?

> 4 Have you ever worked in a group before? If so:What made it a good experience?What did you learn from it?

> 5 Think about something you have done that needed courage and took you out of your comfort zone, for example, doing something for the first time, or doing something you did not like or did not want to do.How did you face your fear of doing it?What did you learn from it?

### Now check the key for comments on this exercise.

It is important to make use of the various information you gather about the members of your group during any ice-breaking activities. It would therefore be useful to complete a table similar to the one below.

Glossary

distribute If you distribute things, you hand them or deliver them to a number of people.

For example:

Group skills overview
Group memberâ€™s name | Has particular skills in â€¦ | Has experience of â€¦

After sharing the information, you can ask one group member to type it up and distribute it to the rest of the group. The group can then use the information to help allocate roles and tasks that need to be covered in your group work.

### Team-building activities

Even when students already know each other, it is important to improve communication skills and build trust within a group. In professional life, many companies organize team-building activities for their staff. These activities can be simple ones, for example:

> having a meeting or a conference

> having a meal

> going on a day trip.

Glossary

emphasis Emphasis is special or extra importance that is given to an activity or to part or aspect of something.

The importance of team-building in profession life can be seen by the large amount of money some companies spend on team-building activities. These are often not connected with work in any way and include such things as:

> adventure sports (e.g. climbing, walking, boating)

> raft building

> cooking classes.

This emphasis on team building in professional life demonstrates why you should place importance on team building in your student life.

Exercise 5

Look at the team-building activities below. Which activities could be good for team building when the group members already know each other? Which ones would work best? Which of them might not be a good idea? Make notes.

Team-building activity | Would be good because â€¦ | Might not be good because â€¦
1 Inviting the group for a meal where every member brings a dish from their country |  | 
2 A visit to the local zoo |  | 
3 A day out at a local theme park |  | 
4 Planning and taking a dayâ€™s walk in the countryside using maps and a picnic |  | 

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise. Understanding roles and responsibilities

Glossary

effective Something that is effective works well and produces the results that were intended.

vital If you say something is vital, you mean that it is necessary or very important.

agenda An agenda is a list of items that have to be discussed at a meeting.

As group work is designed to get the best out of the individuals that make up the group, it is essential that the group operates effectively. A group is more likely to be effective if each student has a particular role as well as the responsibilities that come with that role. It is also vital that each group member fully understands their role and their responsibilities.

Sometimes your lecturer will give you a list of formal roles that must be filled by the members of your group.

For example:

Role (or post) | Responsibilities | Skills and abilities used in this role
Group secretary | To take notes during group meetingsTo write up the notes afterwardsTo distribute them to the groupTo prepare an agenda for group meetingsTo distribute the agenda beforehand | This person would need good note-taking skills; good communication skills; the ability to listen carefully; good organizational skills; efficiency; the ability to write up documents and distribute them quickly.

Exercise 6

Read the group work assignment below. How would you allocate the group roles and responsibilities in the table below? Make notes about the skills and abilities you think are used in the roles.

For example: Design and produce a product for the baby market. Create an accompanying marketing campaign using a variety of different media.

Role (or post) | Responsibilities
Group chair | To review overall progress on the assignment; to chair meetings; to settle disputes
Designer and developer | To design and produce the product so it is ready to be sold
Marketing and publicity officer | To design and execute a marketing campaign for the product
Accountant | To keep accounts for the group and to publish them
IT officer | To be in control of the IT needs of the group

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.

Matching roles and responsibilities to the appropriate group member is an important skill that requires an objective judgement of both your own skills and those of the other group members.

Glossary

objective If someone is objective, they base their opinions on facts rather than on their personal feelings.

Exercise 7

Read about the students below and think about the roles and responsibilities in Exercise 6. Which person might be suitable for each role and why?

Fatimah | Often helps her friends with computer problems; runs a website for family business and uses many different computer programmes for a range of activities and hobbies including photography.
David | Interested in all sorts of technology and gadgets; good with his hands; a keen cyclist and regularly works on his bike to improve its performance.
Lora | Very efficient and well organized; popular with others; loves going out with friends and organizing parties and outings for them; good at helping others to sort out problems, so people often ask for her help; not very interested in creative tasks.
Jinjie | Academically very strong; has always done well in maths and science; has worked in parentsâ€™ business and is comfortable using spreadsheet software and formulas for calculating rows of figures and creating charts and diagrams.
Eduardo | Very creative and artistic; loves drawing and painting; very good with technology and can use a wide range of computer software for many different uses.

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise.

Tips

> When you start your group work, make a list of the roles and responsibilities for your group.

> Think carefully about the role and responsibilities you would like to take on and be prepared to tell the other students why you should take that role.

> If you find out after a while that you are not comfortable in your role, speak to your group about it. But do not expect other students to swap roles with you after they have started to work on things they are responsible for.

> Do not be embarrassed to ask other group members for help and support even though you have responsibilities for a task. If you need support, others probably need it too.

### Assigning roles and responsibilities

To help you to choose which members of your group should take on particular roles, you could make a role card for each one.

For example:

Role card

Group secretary

Main responsibilities: Take notes during group meetings, write them up and distribute them to the group. Prepare an agenda for group meetings and distribute beforehand.

Skills needed: Note-taking skills; a good eye for detail; well organized; good communication skills.

During the activity, you would place the role cards on the table in front of the group and discuss who would be good in each role. This would involve negotiation and the use of specific language. Use the following useful phrases to do this.

Negotiating

Iâ€™d really like to take on the role of â€¦

Iâ€™d be good in the role of â€¦ because Iâ€™m good at â€¦

My experience in â€¦ means that Iâ€™d make a very good â€¦

I think David should be â€¦ because heâ€™s â€¦

I know you want that role but would you consider me for it?

I donâ€™t think Iâ€™d be suitable for that. Iâ€™m not very good at â€¦

Iâ€™m sorry. Iâ€™m really not keen on being â€¦ How about if I take on â€¦?

Tip

> Keep any role cards you produce and bring them out at group meetings to help discuss who should be doing what.

### Establishing rules

Glossary

ground rule The ground rules for something are the basic principles on which future action will be based.

It is important to have some ground rules for your group work. Ground rules can prevent misunderstandings and keep your group on track.

For example:

Group members must attend all meetings. If a member cannot attend a meeting, they must tell the group secretary at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting time.

Exercise 8

Read about some common problems that can arise during group work. Suggest a ground rule for each problem. Make notes.

Problem | Ground rule to solve the problem
1 Some students are late or do not attend group meetings. | 
2 Some students spend time talking on their phone or texting during meetings. | 
3 Some students do not say anything in meetings. | 
4 Some students are not sure what they are supposed to do after meetings. | 
5 Some students interrupt other students when they are talking and want to talk all the time. | 
6 Some students do not produce work on time. | 
7 Some students talk to non-group members about confidential group matters. | 
8 Some students are inflexible and want everybody to do things their way. | 
9 Sometimes there is a long time between group meetings, so the group loses focus. | 

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise. For more information on how to deal with difficulties within your group, see Chapter 7.

Tips

> Remember to keep your list of ground rules close to hand so you can refer to it if you have some problems in your group.

> Think about what you will do if a group member breaks a ground rule and include this in the ground rules too!

### Sharing contact information

You will need to share contact information with your group members and say how you would like to keep in touch with each other. Different students may prefer different methods and only be comfortable giving out certain information. It is therefore a good idea to include some rules about keeping in touch in your groupâ€™s ground rules. Make sure that the information you give out is up to date and that you check regularly to see if your group members are trying to contact you.

Use a group contact form to collect and share your groupâ€™s information.

For example:

Group contact form
Name | Email address | Mobile number | Landline number | When not to call | Best way to get in touch

Tips

> You can use a form like the one above to share contact details among your group.

> Do not leave long periods of time without getting in touch with your group members as this is likely to result in problems.

### Creating a shared digital workspace

You will need to create computer files in your group work and you should consider how you will store your work and share it with your group. There are a lot of different ways you can do this using online and offline technology. It is important to remember that:

> different students will have different IT skills

> different students will feel comfortable using different software.

The table on page 27 contains examples of different places where you can store your group work. It also includes a commentary on the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of storage.

For example:

Technology | What you can do with it | Advantages | Disadvantages
Memory stick | You can store your digital files on it. | It is easy to carry around. | You can lose a memory stick!
Folders on a shared computer drive at university or college | You can store, upload and download files to it. | Everyone can easily access all the files. | There may be restrictions accessing the shared drive when you are outside the institution.
Folders on a shared online drive | You can store, upload and download files to it. Some products can synchronise files across different computers. | You always have the latest version of the file and you do not need to use a memory stick or email. | For all these online options you need a fast and reliable internet connection and access to a reasonable computer.
Wiki | You can add content to a webpage and so share your work. | You can easily see each otherâ€™s ideas, work on it and edit it together from different locations.
An online message board | You can read and leave messages for each other. | It is an easy way for the group to share ideas when they are at different locations.

Glossary

wiki A wiki is a website that allows anyone visiting it to change or add to the material in it.

restriction A restriction is an official rule that limits what you can do or limits the amount or size of something.

### Remember

> Group work gets easier as time goes on.

> It is worthwhile spending time to get to know your group members.

> Get to know the strengths of your group members so you can use each otherâ€™s skills.

> Be prepared to negotiate for the role that you want in your group.

> Ground rules will help to keep your group on track.

### 3 Planning your group assignment

Aims

> understand how to interpret your assignment: what you are being asked to do

> understand the requirements of the task

> use a brainstorming technique to generate ideas

> learn techniques for scheduling your work

> recognize the importance of setting clear goals


Quiz

Self-evaluation

Read the statements and circle the answers that are true for you.

1 I donâ€™t have a clear idea of what the work will look like when itâ€™s finished; I just start and see where it goes. | agree | disagree | not sure
2 I donâ€™t usually read course documents that the lecturer gives out as I find them dull. | agree | disagree | not sure
3 I find it useful to work in a group and share ideas. | agree | disagree | not sure
4 I donâ€™t think you can plan too much in advance because you donâ€™t know how long the work will take. | agree | disagree | not sure
5 Itâ€™s important to be flexible when you work. | agree | disagree | not sure

### Now check the key for comments on this exercise. Understanding the requirements of the task

It is essential to understand what your lecturer wants you to do in any group work assignment. One way of doing this is by asking questions about the assignment. Look at this task for Tourism students.

For example: Create a two-week adventure package holiday aimed at the young family market (two professional adults, two young children). Produce a marketing brochure to appear in travel agent outlets that includes details of destination, duration, accommodation, activities and costs. You will be asked to present your package holiday to the class and answer questions about it.

You can use â€˜wh-questionsâ€™ to help you to analyse the question and understand exactly what is required. It is a good idea to try and come up with questions using all seven question words.

What? When? Who? Why? Where? Which? How?

You can also use the following questions stems.

Can we â€¦? Should we â€¦? Do we have to â€¦?

The same questions would help you to understand the task when working alone. However, when working in a group, you have the opportunity to discuss them with others in the group and, between you, arrive at a thorough understanding of the task.

Exercise 1

Read the example task on page 28. How many questions can you write to help you to understand the task? Think about the different elements of the task. Some questions have been given to help you.

1 Questions about your group | Who will I work with? Can I â€¦
2 Questions about the brochure | When does the brochure need to be finished by? Should it â€¦ How many â€¦ Which â€¦
3 Questions about the presentation | How long should the presentation be? Should we â€¦ Does â€¦ Can we â€¦
4 Questions about the assessment | What percentage of marks goes towards this assignment? How many â€¦ What â€¦

### Now check the key for answers and comments on this exercise. Understanding the purpose of a task

Glossary

aim The aim of something that you do is the purpose for which you do it or the result that it is intended to achieve.

learning outcome A learning outcome is what a student is expected to know, understand or be able to demonstrate at the end of a period of study.

fundamental If one thing is fundamental to another, it is absolutely necessary to it, and the second thing cannot exist, succeed, or be imagined without it.

You will have a better chance of doing the task well if you understand why you have been asked to do it. You should therefore spend some time thinking about the purpose of the task, as well as what you think you will learn from it. You will find it helpful to think about:

> the aims of the module

> the learning outcomes of the module.

You can usually find the aims and learning outcomes of your module in the documentation that goes with it. Many students do not pay attention to them and miss an important opportunity to learn how to study more effectively.

Look at the aims and learning outcomes for a module in Healthcare Studies below.

For example:

Module title | Fundamentals of the Healthcare System
Module aims | To provide a critical overview of the organization and work of the British healthcare system, and to generate an awareness of the research that has been conducted into selected areas of the practice of healthcare
Module learning outcomes | To analyse the functions of a healthcare system in an industrial/ emergent post-industrial society
To describe the conceptual, political and organizational background of the British healthcare system
To critically evaluate the extent to which the present system meets the needs of consumers of healthcare, and, more generally, society

You should refer to the module aims and learning outcomes while doing your coursework to make sure you are focusing on the correct content. When you review your coursework, you should ask yourself if you have met the outcomes for the work you were set. For coursework in Healthcare Studies you could ask yourself the following questions.

> Have I analysed the functions of the healthcare system?

> Have I shown that I understand the purpose of the healthcare system and described how it is organized and the politics involved?

> Have I evaluated whether or not the healthcare system works well and satisfies patients and society?

> Have I found, read and referred to a wide range of sources in my coursework?

Tips

> Try to look at assignments that previous students have handed in; these are sometimes kept in the university library or in the faculty office, so you can ask your librarian or lecturer if they are available.

> Use previous assignments carefully; they may not be very good examples of what you have to do.

### Brainstorming

As already discussed in Chapter 1, brainstorming is a useful technique for coming up with ideas. The technique involves putting forward any ideas connected with the subject you are thinking about; each idea generates other ideas that can be noted down until you have a list of loosely connected ideas. You will be able to use some of these, but you will certainly not use all of them. After brainstorming you would normally decide which ideas you can work with and write them into your plan.

Look at how this process might work if you decided to brainstorm your ideas in the assignment below.

Glossary

appoint If you appoint someone to a job or official position, you choose them for it.

For example: Design a new product for your student university shop. It should be practical in nature, bear the university logo and be affordable to students to buy as a product to use or as a souvenir.

Brainstorming a new product for the university shop

> 1 If possible, make use of a flip chart or a sheet of A3 paper attached to the wall and a marker pen.

> 2 Appoint a secretary.

> 3 Agree a set time period (five minutes is about right).

> 4 Start making suggestions about new products; the secretary writes these down in large writing so everyone can see the ideas.

> 5 Group members should not comment on each otherâ€™s ideas but just try to build on each suggestion.

> 6 At the end of the set time period, take a group rest.

> 7 Spend time reading quietly through all the ideas.

> 8 Through group discussion, cross out the least popular ideas and leave the most popular ones.

> 9 Agree on the best idea from the remaining popular ones. Try to include everybodyâ€™s opinion and adopt one idea that everybody is happy with.

Exercise 2

Brainstorm the task on page 31 on your own for five minutes, noting down everything that comes to mind. When you finish, think about the possibilities of each suggestion. Then you will be ready to make a final list of good ideas.

It might be helpful if you attach a piece of paper to the wall so you can brainstorm and make notes standing up. This helps many people to think more freely. Keep brainstorming for the full amount of time. Ideas build slowly, one idea leading to another; good ideas often come at the end of the process.

### Now check the key for comments on this exercise. Making a schedule for your group work

Glossary

deadline A deadline is a time or date before which a particular task must be finished or a particular thing must be done.

collate When you collate pieces of information, you gather them all together and examine them.

It is always important to finish your tasks on time. In order to do this, you have to understand what tasks need to be done, who is going to do them and when they need to be finished. One way of doing this is by using a Gantt chart. This can show the following information in graphic form: a list of sub-tasks, the date when they have to be done and who is responsible for doing them.

Look at the group assignment below.

For example: Conduct a survey among city centre shoppers to discover the strength of popular support for a new indoor shopping mall in the city centre. Present your findings in a written report of 2,500 words by the deadline given on the front of this sheet.

The first stage is to work together to write a list of sub-tasks for the assignment. For the group assignment above you might produce a list of sub-tasks.

> 1 Write questions for your group to ask the shoppers.

> 2 Design a survey feedback sheet to record answers.

> 3 Carry out the survey in the city centre.

> 4 Collate all the answers, in other words, put them all together and get some clear data.

> 5 Draft the different parts of the report: an introduction, a methodology section, a results section, a discussion section and a conclusion.

> 6 Add some charts to give a visual representation of the answers.

> 7 Review and edit the report.

> 8 Write a final draft of the report.

> 9 Print out, bind and submit the report.

Glossary

methodology A methodology is a system of methods and principles for doing something, for example for carrying out research.

The next stage is to allocate group members for the sub-tasks.

For example:

Task | Group member
Write the questionnaire. | Everyone
Design the survey feedback sheet. | Adnan and Gisele
Type up, print out and distribute the feedback sheet. | Roberta
Carry out the survey. | Everyone
Collate data. | Taka
Write a draft of each part of the report. | Introduction: Adnan and Gisele Methodology: Taka Results: Roberta Discussion: All Conclusion: All
Add charts. | Taka
Review and edit the report. | All
Prepare the final draft of the report. | Roberta
Print, bind and submit the report. | Adnan and Gisele

After allocating roles, you need to add the time when the sub-tasks should be done, as shown in the table on page 34.

Task | Group member | To be completed on
Write the questionnaire. | Everyone | Monday, 1/10/12
Design the survey feedback sheet. | Adnan and Gisele | Tuesday, 2/10/12
Type up, print out and distribute the feedback survey sheet. | Roberta | Tuesday, 2/10/12
Carry out the survey. | Everyone | Wednesday, 3/10/12
Collate data. | Taka | Thursday, 4/10/12
Write a draft of each part of the report. | Introduction: Adnan and GiseleMethodology: Taka Results: Roberta Discussion: All Conclusion: All | Friday, 5/10/12 Saturday, 6/10/12 Sunday, 7/10/12 Monday, 8/10/12 Monday, 8/10/12
Add charts. | Taka | Tuesday, 9/10/12
Review and edit the report. | All | Wednesday, 10/10/12
Complete the final draft of the report. | Roberta | Thursday, 11/10/12
Print, bind and submit the report. | Adnan and Gisele | Friday, 12/10/12

Finally, you can put all this information into a chart format (similar to a Gantt chart).

For example:


Exercise 3

Read about the group assignment below and fill in the table as a work chart for Sarah, Nou and Fahad. You might wish to put this into a Gantt chart using appropriate software.

Sarah, Nou and Fahad have five days to complete a group work assignment: making a video of their university campus as a guide to new students. On the afternoon of the fifth day, they are going to show the video to the class and give a presentation justifying and explaining their video. They met on Monday morning to plan their weekâ€™s work and decided the following:

> On Monday afternoon they will split up and each group member will research and visit the locations they have chosen to focus on.