Strategies to Improve Student Reaction to Group Work

Abstract

After receiving negative feedback from students and tutors about their group work experiences in a health subject, strategies to resolve these collaborative learning issues were considered. The objectives were to facilitate student ability to resolve group work issues, highlight group work as an important graduate attribute and to improve perceptions of the benefits of group work. A literature review assisted in identifying several strategies that had been used elsewhere to resolve issues similar to those raised by the students in this study. Consequently a number of support resources were designed for the revised delivery of the subject to the next cohort of students. These included a structured introduction to elements of group work and several strategies to improve the group work experience. At the conclusion of the subject students indicated that the group work experience was of value. The overall response suggested that active tuition in the elements of group work contributes positively to student understanding of both the process and group dynamics. S t ra t eg i e s t o I m p ro v e S t u d en t R ea c t i o n t o G ro u p W o r k L y n d a K r i f l i k a n d Ju d y M u l la n Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice – Vol 4/1, 2007 14 Introduction and Background This paper considers the question of what strategies could be developed to improve student involvement in group work processes within the Introduction to Health Behaviour Change (POP 103) subject, at the University of Wollongong (UoW), Australia. The subject required students to complete a group work task which was outlined in the subject guide and overviewed in the first tutorial. The task required students to collaboratively research a health topic; dividing the work equitably, compiling and presenting the research and then presenting this to the tutorial class with each group member participating. Students were generally assigned to groups on a random basis. The group work task was intended to assist students to attain UoW’s fourth Graduate Attribute which is a capacity for, and understanding of, teamwork. In delivering this subject in 2004, the authors of this paper, their fellow tutors and students experienced negativity in response to the group work task. This reaction was reported by all involved in teaching the subject and reflected in many of the student comments in the subject review questionnaire. Three students participated in a focus group convened to further explore the evaluation comments, thus providing a contextual perspective. The compiled responses, including that from the focus group participants, indicated that more structure was required in the group work tasks for these to be perceived as contributing to students’ learning. The identified needs were clarifying the purpose of the group work, strategies to assign students to teams, assisting students to organise and share the workload, and involving students in peer assessment of group work. One of the tutors, also a lecturer in Learning Development, was involved in a university wide review of group work at UoW and used this as an opportunity to develop a scaffolded approach to group work. As a starting point for addressing the issues raised by UoW students, reference was made to the literature to consider group work issues as described in other tertiary settings. This provided both a context in which to consider the concerns of the UoW students and a baseline from which to develop strategies that aimed to facilitate a positive experience of group work processes for UoW students.