Introduction

Think back on your own educational or work experience. Were you asked to work in groups often? What was that experience like? Did you feel like the work was shared equally? Was everyone’s voice included? Were you able to successfully negotiate group norms and expectations?

“When I die, I want the people I did group projects with to lower me into my grave so they can let me down one last time.” – Unknown

Group work can be a fraught situation in any context, from elementary school to the highest levels of organizations. It can be especially hard if you are navigating in an additional language or a work or school culture that is new to you.

In this section of the module we will explore the benefits and drawbacks to group work in the post-secondary classroom. We will look at some challenges from the point of view of English Language Learners. We will also explore strategies to design and carry out group work in a way that will support the success of all learners.

Self-Evaluation

Answer the following questions about your practice:

If you answered “sometimes” or “always” to most of the questions, you are well on your way to designing effective group work! Read on for some useful ideas!

If you answered “rarely” or “never” to most of the questions, keep reading for some ideas on how to make group work smoother for learners and yourself!

Challenges and Strategies in Group Work

Are there other benefits or drawbacks you can think of? Although group work can pose challenges, it is common in most classrooms. One of the underlying challenges to group work is that many of us have not had any training on how to effectively work in a group. Instructors often put learners in a group, assign them a task, and assume that they will figure out how to effectively achieve the task.

When students are coming from varied cultural and educational backgrounds, additional challenges can arise. Cultural approaches to group management can vary greatly.

Challenges to Cross-Cultural Group Work

Communication Styles

In some cultures, a very direct communication style is often valued whereas in other cultures, indirect communication is used. If learners are not aware of differences in communication styles, misunderstandings or disagreements may result. In direct communication styles, getting to the point quickly and clearly is valued and peoples’ feelings might be seen as secondary. In indirect communication styles, inference and suggestion are used and it is important to protect the feelings of the group. In indirect communication styles, silence is valued and is often incorporated into discussions. Indirect communicators may find direct styles to be abrupt or even rude. On the other hand, direct communicators may find it frustrating to understand what indirect communicators really think.

Approaches to Decision-Making

In some cultures, decisions are made quickly and then revised later. In other cultures a longer process with deeper analysis is needed before a decision is reached. This can be particularly important when trying to come to a consensus as a group trying to complete a task.

Group Dynamics

Some cultures tend to put more focus on the individual and individual success. Other cultures tend to put more emphasis on the wellbeing and success of the group as a whole. When approaching group work, these differing attitudes can create conflict when setting goals and deciding how work will be distributed.

Other considerations

There are a few other factors to consider when approaching group work. One of these is time-orientation. Some cultures believe that time is the most important resource and things should be done as efficiently as possible. Other cultures see time as more fluid. There can also be differences in understanding of what it means to be “on time.” Does this mean 5 minutes early? Exactly on the hour? Within 15 minutes of the specified time?

Other considerations can include what constitutes a comfortable amount of personal space and expectations around eye contact. Clarifying these approaches and expectations can be helpful to group dynamics.

Strategies for Cross-Cultural Group Work

Clear Communication

Be aware, and make learners aware, that there may be differences in communication styles within groups. Have learners openly discuss their preferred communication styles and expectations of what constitutes respectful communication. Allow time for discussion of how conflicts will be dealt with when they arise.

Assigning Groups

While learners often want to choose their own groups, this can lead to some learners being left out or homogeneous groups. Consider assigning groups yourself. Try to include a variety of abilities and viewpoints. However, if possible try to avoid isolating or outnumbering racialized or marginalized learners.

Assessing Group Work

Be very clear about how assessments will be conducted before learners begin group work. Make sure that there are opportunities for self and peer-assessment. Try to include grades for the process of group work as well as the final project.

Group Contracts

Working in groups can be both rewarding and challenging. When students write down and agree upon ground rules, expectations, roles, and responsibilities in the form of a contract or project charter, they can help keep one another on track and accountable. This teaching tip discusses four steps instructors can take to support students in creating group contracts.

Explain what a group contract is and why you are asking groups to develop one:

What is a group contract?

A group contract is a document that a group creates to formalize the expectations of group members. A group contract should contain the following:

• Group members’ names and contact information
• Expectations (ground rules) regarding preparation for and attendance at group meetings, frequency and duration of meetings, and communication. The contract should focus on behaviours that will be expected of all group members and should only include those behaviours that are crucial to the group’s effectiveness.  Groups could aim for five-seven ground rules.
• Assignment of specific tasks, roles, and responsibilities along with due dates. The group can itemize the tasks to be completed for the project and provide a space for each group member to sign up for that task.
• Outline of the specific process for dealing with unmet expectations or other problems that might arise.
• An agreed-upon method for peer feedback during the project so that problems can be addressed before the project ends.
• A place for each group member to sign, indicating their agreement to the contract.
• A place for group members to sign once the project is completed to indicate whether or not they agree that all group members contributed as expected and, therefore, earn the group grade.

Why use a group contract?

Explicitly discussing the benefits of group contracts will help establish good faith in the process among your students. So what are the benefits?

The benefits of small-group learning are well known — group work is associated with deeper learning, strong information retention, and the acquisition of valuable communication and teamwork skills (Oakley, Felder, Brent, & Elhaji, 2004).

On top of this, because group contracts allow students to take an active role in setting the tone for group interaction, group contracts can help “motivate ownership of learning” (Hesterman, 2016, p. 5). Writing group contracts can also:

• Help students identify expectations of one another, communicate those expectations, and practice articulating their expectations.
• Facilitate student reflection on their past experiences and communications practices: important transferable skills for future work and personal relationships.
• Increase a sense of community in the class as students get to know and work with one another.

Identify intended learning outcomes:

Reflecting on the particular pedagogical benefits you would like to see your students reap through group work can help you establish guidelines for the creation of group contracts. For example, Oakley, Felder, Brent, and Elhaji (2004) advocate for group work where groups assign roles that rotate regularly among members in order to provide each student the opportunity to practice important teamwork skills.

Some questions to consider before asking students to draft their contracts include:

• What kind of skills do you imagine students practice within their groups? What roles might students take on to practice them?
• How do you want students to divide the workload? If students choose to “divide and conquer” the work, will they achieve your intended learning outcomes?
• Which guidelines, course expectations, or rules are firm and need to be in place before students draft their contracts, and which concepts, issues, and decisions would they benefit from working through as they discuss and create their contracts?

Provide resources to guide students through the process:

Give students resources for creating a first draft of their group contract, or draw on existing resources and templates to create a guide for your students to follow. These can include:

Creating the contract

• Working Effectively in Groups [PDF] from the Waterloo Student Success Office

Group contract templates

• Team Contract Template from the Eberly Centre, Carnegie Mellon University
• Team Charter from the International Centre at Humber College (PDF)
• Group Work Contract (Activity) from Portland State University (DOC)

Group contract samples

• Sample Group Contract [PDF] from the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Centre, UC Irvine
• University of Waterloo Sample Group Contract [DOC]

Conflict resolution resources

• Group Work: Dealing with Conflicts [PDF] from the Learning and Teaching Office, Ryerson University
• Resolving Conflict from the UBC Learning Commons
• 8 Steps for Conflict Resolution, for the Office of Talent Management, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Give students time in class to write the contract:

By dedicating class time to the creation of a group contract, you let students know that it is an important activity that merits time and attention. First, give students time to individually reflect on and write down what they like and do not like about working in a group. Prompt students to consider their past experiences working in a group. What went well? What didn’t go well? What contributed to the group’s success or problems? What are their strengths when it comes to working collaboratively, and what is something they would like to improve? Next, ask students to sit with their group members and share what they’ve written as a springboard to their discussion of ground rules and roles.

This information has been reproduced from Making Group Contracts. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo under the Creative Commons.