Group Work Tasks Research Articles

Adapting the Proof of Lagrange’s Theorem into a Sequence of Group-Work Tasks

This article presents an inquiry-oriented lesson for teaching Lagrange’s theorem in abstract algebra. This lesson was developed and refined as part of a larger grant project focused on how to “Orchestrate Discussions Around Proof” (ODAP, the name of the project). The lesson components were developed and refined with attention to how well they supported active and broad student participation. By guiding student exploration of a few key example groups and structuring the exploration to identify recurrent structure, students formulate key lemmas that they can combine to prove Lagrange’s theorem.

The Influence of Emergent and Assigned Leaders on Interactive Group Work Tasks in the L2 Classroom: Focusing on the Group Work Dynamics, Motivation, and Linguistic Performance

The Influence of Emergent and Assigned Leaders on Interactive Group Work Tasks in the L2 Classroom: Focusing on the Group Work Dynamics, Motivation, and Linguistic Performance

Learned helplessness and anxiety among a sample of primary school students with learning difficulties

Introduction. In primary education, understanding the psychological experiences of students with learning difficulties is of utmost importance. Among the various psychological factors that can impact their well-being, learned helplessness and anxiety have been identified as significant contributors. Learned helplessness refers to a state of perceived powerlessness and a belief that one's actions do not influence their outcomes. Coupled with anxiety, it can create a debilitating cycle that hinders academic progress and emotional well-being. This study explores the relationship between learned helplessness and anxiety among a sample of primary school students with learning difficulties. By shedding light on these interrelated factors, this research seeks to provide insights that can inform targeted interventions and support strategies to enhance the educational experiences and overall well-being of students facing learning challenges. Aim. This study aimed to identify the level of learning disability and anxiety among primary school students with learning difficulties in the Karak governorate in Jordan. Materials and methods. The study followed the descriptive survey approach, and the study sample consisted of (150) students from the fifth basic class students in the Karak governorate in Jordan, and to achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used the learning disability scale and anxiety scale. The results. Students were found to have significant levels of learning impairment, with 19 questions rated as "very difficult" or "very difficult to do." These items revealed students' difficulties with group work tasks, emotions of hopelessness, and perceptions of their own weakness. In one set of data, the statement "I cannot engage in activities of a group work nature" got a mean score of 3.99 and a standard deviation of 1.21. In fact, only 3 items obtained average ratings, with "I avoid tough chores and duties" receiving the lowest score (mean = 3.60, standard deviation = 1.31). High levels of anxiety were also reported by students, with the highest levels being related to problems concentrating and breathing (mean anxiety scores of 4.57 and 4.47, respectively). Traditional teaching methods, overcrowded classrooms, family upbringing, and the educational environment are all hypothesised to contribute to the elevated anxiety levels seen in students with learning impairments. Pervasive difficulties affecting the students' well-being and educational experiences are indicated by the mean scores of 3.78 (SD = 1.12) and 3.89 (SD = 1.08) for learning disability and anxiety, respectively. Conclusions. Primary school kids in Karak governorate, Jordan, who were having difficulty learning found to have high levels of acquired helplessness and anxiety, indicating severe emotional suffering, according to this study. It was speculated that factors such as traditional teaching methods, overcrowded classrooms, parental involvement, and the general educational atmosphere all played a role. The results highlight the immediate need for educational method improvements and the provision of holistic support to lessen the effect of these psychological obstacles on students, with the ultimate goal of bettering their educational experience and general well-being. In light of these findings, it is imperative that educators, politicians, and carers reevaluate and restructure the current educational and support systems to better accommodate students with learning impairments.

Claiming insufficient knowledge in pairwork and groupwork classroom activities

This conversation analytic paper explores how students in pair and groupwork tasks produce and respond to claims of insufficient knowledge (CIKs). Based on 7 h of video recordings of peer interaction from 18 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes in Czech secondary schools, we analyze how students express and negotiate their epistemic status using CIKs: when producing a CIK, the current speaker assumes a not-knowing status, thus making the imminent speaker change more relevant, as the next speaker then typically reveals his or her epistemic status. We also show that when a CIK is produced dyadic interactions in second position, the first speaker then produces a knowledge display response, or another CIK, resulting in abandoning the question, which differs from sequences that can be found in frontal teaching. The findings also show that CIKs can be used to resume task-related talk and initiate repair sequences focusing on language issues that the task comprises. Thus, CIKs can be viewed as central interactional resources for students to manage the task, i.e., to invite others to contribute, to resume their talk, or to abandon the current question, and to initiate repair sequences focusing on problematic items from the task.

Student Voices: A Critical Reflective Exploration of an Online Groupwork Video Analysis Task During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The shift to online learning in universities prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic impacted field learning, an important component in nature conservation qualifications. Academics used video resources as an alternative approach to mitigate related challenges. This case study critically reflects on students’ experiences and views on the use of an internet video and WhatsApp text messaging to complete a groupwork task in a conservation module offered at a university in South Africa. The video content focused on threats to rare indigenous plant species in South Africa. Data were collected using an online electronic questionnaire (n=26) and through the analysis of five group-discussion text-messaging transcripts. Mixed-method analysis was used to analyse the data. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the closed questions in the questionnaire, and qualitative analysis was used for the open questions and transcripts. Ethical protocols were followed, with anonymity and confidentiality maintained. The findings, amongst others, indicate that overall, students agreed that the video promoted their understanding of threats to rare indigenous plants (76.9%); most students watched the video more than three times (84.6%); students had a positive response to the use of text messaging for group discussions (91.6%); and evident in the transcripts was active group engagement. Overall, WhatsApp text messaging facilitated student discussions in the asynchronous group work video analysis task. This reinforces underlying social constructivist pedagogy, which facilitates the integration of course content with group interaction and promotes critical thinking and problem-solving in a post-COVID-19 society.

The Impact of Altruistic Teaching on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Learners’ Emotion Regulation: An Intervention Study

The second language acquisition (SLA) field has recently seen heightened interest in the study and application of positive psychology (PP). Emotion regulation is one of the concepts that has been stressed in PP. Several studies in PP have delved into how controlling one's emotions improves second language learning/teaching. One of the concepts that has slipped the minds of researchers in the field is altruistic teaching. Unlike egocentric acts, altruistic teaching acts are performed to improve others' well-being. Despite their importance in causing positive emotional effects, no study has investigated the impact of altruistic teaching acts on learners' emotion regulation. To bridge this gap, the present study sought to investigate the effect of learners' altruistic teaching on their emotion regulation. The study followed a sequential explanatory comparison group pre-test-post-test design. One hundred forty-one English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners were recruited for this intervention study and were divided into experimental and control groups. Learners in the experimental group performed altruistic teaching by teaching their peers how to write essays in English, whereas learners in the control group did group work tasks on English essay writing. The results of independent-sample t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA showed that altruistic teaching significantly impacts EFL learners' emotion regulation. The results of qualitative data pointed to five themes, including enjoyment, self-esteem, bonding, devotion, and progress. Overall, the results suggested that altruistic teaching impacts learners' emotion regulation by enhancing their enjoyment, self-esteem, bonding, devotion, and progress. The paper has theoretical and pedagogical implications for SLA research and practice.

Impact of resources on the teaching and learning of English Language of learners with visual impairment at ‘O’ Level in an inclusive set-up

This paper explores the impact of resources on teaching and learning of English Language of learners with visual impairment at ‘O’ Level in an inclusive set-up. It identifies various strategies necessary to improve the performance of learners with visual impairment in English Language. A qualitative approach was adopted. Fifteen learners and four teachers were purposively selected for the study. Thematic data analysis was used. The findings revealed that there is a shortage of teaching and learning resources from Musimeki High schools which include Braille books, Braille computers, tape recorders, audiobooks and DVDs. Supplementary reading materials in Braille, such as novels, magazines and newspapers are also not available. Inclusivity has an advantage in that sighted learners read for the VI on printed books since there are no Braille books and on computers, since schools do not have computers with jaws software. The sighted also assisted during group work tasks since they have access to supplementary reading materials. The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is recommended to liaise with press organisations to put information in newspapers and magazines in brailed. Press organisations are recommended to employ VI school leavers without jobs to do braille work.

Research Practices for Managing Group Work Settings with Participant Groups Including Hearing-Impaired Students

This study aimed to assess different methods for managing group work scenarios in actual seminar classes at higher education institutions, utilizing action research techniques and accounting for hearing-impaired students, so that all types of students may progress smoothly. In reviewing participants’ reflections, we found that the speed of group work tasks fell as a result of research team intervention, causing hearing-impaired students to feel more at ease psychologically and other participants to feel constrained by the discussion restrictions and rules. However, participants’ burdens gradually became more intertwined, with other participants becoming more accustomed to the burdens of hearing–impaired students, suggesting that we were moving towards a universal environment.

Translating Member Ability Into Group Brainstorming Performance: The Role of Collective Intelligence

In investigating how member ability is translated into group brainstorming performance, it was predicted that a group’s collective intelligence (CI) would enable it to capitalize on member ability while maximizing process gains and mitigating process losses. Ninety-nine groups were randomly assigned to complete a short brainstorming task using a hybrid (individual-group work) or collective (only group work) task structure. High CI groups were better than low CI groups at translating member ability into group brainstorming performance. Additionally, this hybrid structure was more beneficial for low CI groups than for high CI groups in generating total ideas.

Challenges and perspective with using a group of small combat unmanned aerial vehicles

The article discusses the features of small unmanned aerial vehicles, perspectives, directions for the development of unmanned aerial vehicles with integrated combat units. The development trends of unmanned aerial vehicles indicate the direction of the use of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the group of small unmanned aerial vehicles operating on the principle of autonomous management. The main problems are related to solving management and groupwork tasks in the group, which leads to the use of group intelligence methods. The possibilities of group use of unmanned aerial vehicles are analyzed. One of the main goals of small drone technology is to create energy sources with high energy capacity and power. The exchange of information within a group of unmanned aerial vehicles requires the use of group-based intelligent methods based on self-organized decentralized management. Such methods are based on the self-organization of movement and communication in a group of insects, fish or birds. The analysis shows that the development trends of small-scale drones are primarily driven by advances in micro and nano technology, new approaches to aerodynamics and management, the creation of high-capacity power supplies and engines, creating autonomous micro and nano systems for navigation and communication using agreed integrated concepts. The direction of new technologies for use in the group of small unmanned aerial vehicles based on the principle of autonomous control is revealed. An algorithm for organizing interaction in a group of unmanned aerial vehicles is presented and the relevant tasks are discussed.

Pelatihan Penulisan Comprehension Questions Berbasis High-Order Thinking Skills Bagi Guru Bahasa Inggris SMA/SMK/MA Swasta di Kabupaten Lombok Timur

Critical thinking is a skill which teachers and students need to have in order to be able to solve their problems appropriately. The teachers should incorporate critical thinking in the teaching and learning activities and one of them is through questioning in the form comprehension questions. This social service program was intended to provide teachers with room for improving their capability in generating comprehension questions which are critical-thinking based. This program was held in SMA Islam Al-Badriyah East Lombok and it was attended by 18 English teachers of Private Senior High Schools located in East Lombok district. The activities within this program included presentation, discussion, working in group, presenting group work task and evaluation. From this social service program, it was found that the English teachers participated in all activities enthusiastically, especially, in the discussion and in generating comprehension questions. The questions generated by the participants were not only in the level of lower-order thinking but also in the level of higher-order thinking. Further, the questionnaire result showed that in general the participants appreciated this program and hoped the similar program to come in the future to improve their competency or professionalism in English language teaching.

Implementation challenges influencing the efficacy of group-work tasks that require inductive or deductive reasoning during physical sciences lessons

Implementation challenges influencing the efficacy of group-work tasks that require inductive or deductive reasoning during physical sciences lessons

Collaborative Learning at Engineering Universities: Benefits and Challenges

This paper concerns the cutting edge educational approaches incorporated into syllabuses of the most progressive Russian higher technical schools. The authors discuss one of the active methods in teaching foreign languages – collaborative learning implemented in e-courses. Theoretical and historical aspects of this approach are addressed, as are its suitability for engineering education and possible ways of introducing collaborative learning into e-courses. Collaborative learning technology offers wide prospects for teachers of foreign languages as it enables the use of various patterns of interaction, promotes discussion, opinion exchange, peer assessment and building an e-learning community, fosters the development of e-culture and netiquette, and prepares future specialists for work in their professional sphere under the new conditions imposed by society’s technological and cultural development. This paper describes real pedagogical experience of teaching English to students using the platform Moodle, focusing on the capacity of different Moodle instruments for designing group work tasks. Recommendations are given for their usage and the results of implementing a collaborative learning approach into certain e-courses offered at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are presented.

‘Close Your Book and Open Your Facebook’ : A Case for Extending Classroom Collaborative Activities Online

This study investigated EFL language teachers’ and learners’ evaluation of classroom-based pair and group work activities during an intensive English language program and it sought their opinions on the potential of Facebook to extend such collaborative activities online. Data were collected from 26 teachers and 178 pre-intermediate students using surveys and semi-structured interviews at an international university in Cyprus. The data analysis revealed that despite acknowledging the benefits involved in using pair and group work tasks in their classes, more than half of the participants reported that students developed the feelings of boredom and demotivation toward participating in classroom-based collaborative activities, mostly due to their overuse, poor design, and failure to cater to students’ learning needs and beliefs and their educational and cultural backgrounds. The results also indicated that, under some conditions, Facebook could function as a learning environment to revamp students’ interest and facilitate their engagement in collaborative language learning activities. Both students and teachers suggested specific ideas with respect to the informal as well as formal integration of Facebook into language learning classes.

Students’ reception of peer assessment of group-work contributions: problematics in terms of race and gender emerging from a South African case study

Participatory assessment is increasingly employed in higher education worldwide as a formative mechanism to support students’ active learning. But do students in an increasingly relationally diverse environment perceive that peer assessment of individuals’ contributions to group-work tasks enhances their learning? Recognising the impact of students’ conceptions on the quality of their learning, this study considers students’ perspectives of peer assessment of group-work contributions at a South African university. Questionnaires elicited students’ perspectives of and general attitudes towards assessment of and by their peers. A growing measure of discontent with the process of assessing peer contributions to group tasks emerged, including actual and perceived racial and gender stereotyping, and related rejection-sensitivity. These initial findings were checked against the students’ experiences in a report-and-respond process that enabled probing discussions of the interpretations. This paper examines and explores the implications of such identifications and receptions for learning engagement and group-work curriculum development in the context of a rapidly transforming higher education sector.

Children's science learning: A core skills approach.

Research has identified the core skills that predict success during primary school in reading and arithmetic, and this knowledge increasingly informs teaching. However, there has been no comparable work that pinpoints the core skills that underlie success in science. The present paper attempts to redress this by examining candidate skills and considering what is known about the way in which they emerge, how they relate to each other and to other abilities, how they change with age, and how their growth may vary between topic areas. There is growing evidence that early-emerging tacit awareness of causal associations is initially separated from language-based causal knowledge, which is acquired in part from everyday conversation and shows inaccuracies not evident in tacit knowledge. Mapping of descriptive and explanatory language onto causal awareness appears therefore to be a key development, which promotes unified conceptual and procedural understanding. This account suggests that the core components of initial science learning are (1) accurate observation, (2) the ability to extract and reason explicitly about causal connections, and (3) knowledge of mechanisms that explain these connections. Observational ability is educationally inaccessible until integrated with verbal description and explanation, for instance, via collaborative group work tasks that require explicit reasoning with respect to joint observations. Descriptive ability and explanatory ability are further promoted by managed exposure to scientific vocabulary and use of scientific language. Scientific reasoning and hypothesis testing are later acquisitions that depend on this integration of systems and improved executive control.

Board #242 - Program Innovation Paediatric Preparation Day

Objectives Paediatrics can be inherently stressful for junior doctors, who may have limited Paediatric procedural and resuscitation training. The traditional ‘see one, do one, teach one’ medical approach is no longer acceptable. Technology-enhanced learning is being advocated to improve healthcare quality, patient outcomes, safety and experience. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is developing a national strategy to integrate simulation-based learning into Paediatric training. Embracing this, the Yorkshire and Humber School of Paediatrics delivers four simulation-based courses for Paediatric speciality trainees. However, no such training is available for Foundation and GP trainees, who rotate through Paediatrics sharing equal responsibilities. We have developed a regional free one-day course aimed to smooth the transition for Foundation and GP trainees into Paediatric jobs. Our goal is to teach and provide the opportunity to practice core Paediatric procedural and resuscitation skills to enhance trainee and patient safety in Paediatric clinical environments. Description Core Paediatric procedures and resuscitation skills were identified from the RCPCH curriculum. The course encompasses the following key skills: 1) History Taking; 2) Basic Safeguarding; 3) Neonatal Life Support; 4) Paediatric Life Support; 5) Newborn Examination; 6) Prescribing; 7) Cannulation and Venesection; and 8) Lumbar Puncture. This one-day pilot course will be delivered by a faculty of Paediatric Simulation Fellows at three regional simulation facilities across Yorkshire. The programme includes a variety of teaching approaches including lectures, small group work and procedural task trainers. Following invitation via the speciality eportfolio, four courses catering for 76 candidates are fully booked. All courses are scheduled for up to six weeks in advance of Paediatric rotation commencement. Qualitative evaluation using Likert scales will be employed to facilitate course analysis using a pre- and post-intervention design. Delegates will be asked to complete knowledge-based questionnaires at the start and at the end of the day to objectively assess learning. Conclusion Data will be analysed to identify the difference between candidate confidence and knowledge pre- and post-course. We will be looking for statistical significance using Chi squared test. This course should prepare Foundation and GP doctors for the practical aspects of a Paediatrics job, facilitate quicker and smoother clinical transition and benefit patients and other healthcare professionals. Following pilot course evaluation, we aim to further develop the course and provide regular course availability for all Foundation and GP trainees rotating into Paediatrics throughout the academic year.

Facilitation and groupwork tasks in self-directed groupwork

In this paper we will briefly set out the principles and process of the self-directed groupwork model but our main focus will be on how people are putting the model into practice and changes we have observed in relation to groupwork tasks and facilitation within its application over the past 3 decades. Whilst we have found that self-directed groupwork continues to be practised by a range of professionals it is equally used by self-run groups with no input from a professional worker.

A Study Towards Improving Web-Based Collaboration Through Availability of Group Awareness Information

Group awareness can be broadly defined as consciousness and information of various aspects of the group and its members. It also refers to information received by members of a group about the other group members, about mutually employed objects, and about current group processes, in order to efficiently carry out certain tasks. The group awareness information presented in this paper is designed to capture group member activities and their behaviors in web-based collaborative work. It consists of activity, availability, and commitment/disposition information. The first two parameters appear as a visual display representing cumulative data and changes accordingly when the group begins working together. The last parameter is captured during group work and is summarized at the end of the group work task. This paper reports on the results of a study in a controlled experiment that examined group performance on a given task in a web-based group decision support system with and without group awareness information. In particular, the study examined how group awareness information impacts the quality of the work effort and a given task, group decision making by members in the same group and different groups, the communications among group members during the completion of an online collaborative authoring task, the cohesiveness among group members, and the commitment/disposition of engagement of each member of the work group.

Facilitation and groupwork tasks in self-directed groupwork

In this paper we will briefly set out the principles and process of the self-directed groupwork model but our main focus will be on how people are putting the model into practice and changes we have observed in relation to groupwork tasks and facilitation within its application over the past 3 decades. Whilst we have found that self-directed groupwork continues to be practised by a range of professionals it is equally used by self-run groups with no input from a professional worker.