Anyone who has worked on group projects knows that they are almost never purely academic experiences. In fact, for many, group projects are among the most challenging aspects of school life. (Google “group project memes.” You will not be disappointed.) Group projects are a great way to get to know people: people who only show up on the last day, people who don’t know the topic until it’s time to submit the project, people whose “research” stops at Wikipedia, and those special people who do none of the work… but all of the talking.
Challenges aside, it’s undeniable that group projects offer skill development that is not mentioned in most curricula, getting learners to collaborate and learn to work with a diverse group of people; enabling them to plan, organize, and delegate work; and allowing them to build research and presentation skills. And though assigning group projects for online courses may have additional challenges beyond projects assigned for in-person courses, most instructors agree they’re still definitely worth the effort.
So, what can instructors do to mitigate the “downfalls” of group work and create a better group project experience for learners?
1. Teach group work skills.
Some aspects of working in groups might be obvious and familiar to seasoned learners, but new to less seasoned learners. Before learners begin working in groups, the instructor can run through some issues they might face and give them tips on how to overcome these issues. Instructors should stress the importance of regular communication and check-ins to make sure projects are on track. Teach the skills of group work like you would any other new topic in the classroom. In a completely online course, you can add a short module covering the skills required for group work and require that learners complete the module.
2. Provide the structure.
Giving learners the format for the project and setting clear expectations for what you expect will help eliminate some of the friction in early group work, especially online. For assignments at the beginning of the course, learners may even benefit from sample projects to get an idea of what theirs should look like. Beware of spoon-feeding, though. A few months into the course, when your learners more familiar with working with each other, you can let them make more of these decisions themselves.
3. Leverage online tools.
Online learners may benefit from using online project management tools like Kanban boards to track project tasks and completion. You may even be able to integrate a project tracking tool into your course platform. Cloud-based systems on which learners can collaborate using the same document are also very useful. (But be sure to warn your learners about ways that they can lose work.) You can allow learners to pick their own tools or recommend common tools that everyone in the class can use.
4. Schedule check-ins.
If you think that your learners are not meeting as regularly as they should or are finding it difficult to meet, you can build project group meetings into the class schedule or the online course. In video lectures, you can assign ten minutes a week for group project discussions in breakout rooms. You could also add a weekly course assignment or activity that involves group project discussions on a discussion board.
5. Remember that less is more.
Coordinating with others is a large part of the effort involved in group work. Having many group projects requires a lot of time spent in coordination. To avoid coordination fatigue, pick one or two significant projects to assign as group projects and have learners work on just those together, rather than having a large number of group projects. (If there are multiple other group projects in other classes, it might be difficult for learners to manage, especially if they have jobs, as well.)
6. Give it time.
Assign group projects as early as possible and give learners much more time than would be required for individual assignments. Groups need time to prepare and schedule meetings, plan their own schedules, and coordinate with each other.
Group projects aren’t easy at the best of times. Make them easier for your learners by following these tips.
