Making groups better
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol7.iss10.1828Keywords:
Group work, group work issues, group work preparationAbstract
How can we best prepare students for careers in our competitive environment? This paper examines how group work or cooperative learning is beneficial in the learning process. It examines certain areas of learning that lend themselves to cooperative learning. Cooperative learning leads to benefits and potential problems in working with groups. We examine ways to prepare successful groups for a project. The paper suggests ways to monitor group work in the classroom. Finally, it reports on a group work study taking place over many semesters in an introductory accounting class. Results include a very successful semester. While subsequent semesters provided good results, results were mixed. What can we do to enhance our students’ success in group work projects? The research points to several problem areas that can be addressed. What factors can we consider to improve our results? The research points to ways to prepare students for group work. This paper adds to the research by exploring ways to make group work more successful.
References
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Bruffee, K. A. (1978). The Brooklyn Plan: Attaining Intellectual Growth through Peer-Group Tutoring. Liberal Education, 64(4), 447-68.
Cohen, E. (2014). Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom. (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Columbia Un.
Congleton, A. R., & Rajaram, S. (2011). The influence of learning methods on collaboration: Prior repeated retrieval enhances retrieval organization, abolishes collaborative inhibition, and promotes post-collaborative memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 140(4), 535.
Cossey, R. (1997). Mathematical computation: Issues of access and equality. Unpublished dissertation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Delucchi, M. (2007). Assessing the impact of group projects on examination performance in social statistics. Teaching in Higher Education, 12, 447-460.
Dewey, J. (1943). The school and society (Rev. ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Drouin, M. A. (2010). The group-based formative summative assessment relates to improved student performance and satisfaction. Teaching of Psychology, 37, 114-118.
Durling, R. & Shick, C. (1976). Conceptual attainment by pairs and individuals as a function of vocalization. Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 83-91.
Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, Vol. 7 (No. 1), 22-30.
Gorvine, B. J., & Smith, H. D. (2015). Predicting student success in a psychological statistics course emphasizing collaborative learning. Teaching of Psychology, 42, 56-59.
Johnston, C. G., James, R. H., Lye, J. N., & McDonald, I. M. (2000). An evaluation of collaborative problem solving for learning economics. The Journal of Economic Education, 31(1), 13-29.
Kester, L., & Paas, F. (2005). Instructional interventions to enhance collaboration in powerful learning environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(4), 689-696.
Klaus, P. 2010. “Communication Breakdown.” California Job
Journal 28:1-9.
Koçak, R. (2008). The effects of cooperative learning on psychological and social traits among undergraduate students. Social Behavior and Personality: an International Journal, 36, 771-782.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). Excerpt from high-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 19-34.
Lazonder, A. W. (2005). Do two heads search better than one? Effects of student collaboration on web search behavior and search outcomes. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36, 465-475.
Mitchell, G. W., L. B. Skinner, and B. J. White. 2010. “Essential Soft Skills for Success in the Twenty-First Century Workforce as Perceived by Business Educators.” The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal 52(1):43-53.
Nealy, C. (2005). Integrating soft skills through active learning in the management classroom. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 2(4).
Neville, C. (2018). Making Groupwork Work. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐sa/2.0/uk/.
Perkins, D. V., & Saris, R. N. (2001). A “jigsaw classroom” technique for undergraduate statistics courses. Teaching of Psychology, 28, 111-113.
Peters, J. M. & Armstrong, J. L. (1998). Collaborative learning: People laboring together to construct knowledge. New directions for adult and continuing education, No. 78, Fall 1998, 75-85.
Piaget, J. (1926). The language and thought of the child. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Rutherford, M. L. & Daniel, F (2018). Collaborative quizzes: Impact on student performance and attendance. Unpublished paper.
Schroeder, C. M., Scott, T. P., Tolson, H., Huang, T., & Lee, Y. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of National Research: Effects of Teaching Strategies on Student Achievement in Science in the United States. Journal on the Research of Science Teaching, VOL. 44,( No. 10), 1436–1460.
Shibley Jr, I. A., & Zimmaro, D. M. (2002). The influence of collaborative learning on student attitudes and performance in an introductory chemistry laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 79, 745-748.
Slavin, R. E. (1996). Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know. Contemporary educational psychology, 21(1), 43-69.
Smith, K. A. (1996). Cooperative Learning: Making groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (No, 67), Fall 1996, 71-82.
Smith, M. E., Hinckley, C. C., & Volk, G. L. (1991). Cooperative learning in the undergraduate laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 68, 413-415.
Soller, A. L. (2001). Supporting social interaction in an intelligent collaborative
learning system. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 12,
40–62.
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering,and Technology: A Meta-Analysis.
Review of Educational Research, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Spring, 1999), pp. 21-51.
Stein, C. H., Cislo, D. A., & Ward, M. (1994). Collaboration in the college classroom: Evaluation of a social network and social skills program for undergraduates and people with serious mental illness. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 18, 13-33.
Stains, M., Harshman, J., Barker, M. K., Chasteen, S. V., Cole, R., DeChenne-Peters, S. E., ... & Levis-Fitzgerald, M. (2018). Anatomy of STEM teaching in North American universities. Science, 359(6383), 1468-1470.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Terenzini, P. T., Cabrera, A. F., Colbeck, C. L., Parente, J. M., & Bjorklund, S. A. (2001). Collaborative learning vs. lecture/discussion: Students' reported learning gains. Journal of Engineering Education, 90, 123-130.
Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P. (1991). Collaborative learning: A guide to research. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 33(4), 231-243.
Treisman, U. (1992). Studying students studying calculus: A look at the lives of minority mathematics students in college. The College Mathematics Journal, 23(5), 362-372.
Tsay, M., & Brady, M. (2012). A case study of cooperative learning and communication pedagogy: Does working in teams make a difference? Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10, 78-89.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychologi-cal processes. (M. Cole et al., Eds.). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Weldy, T. G., & Icenogle, M. L. (1997). A Managerial Perspective: Oral Communi cation Competency Is Most Important for Business Students in the Workplace Jeanne D. Maes. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 34(1), 67-80.
Woodzicka, J. A., Ford, T. E., Caudill, A., & Ohanmamooreni, A. (2015). A successful model of collaborative undergraduate research: A multi-faculty, multi-project, multi-institution team approach. Teaching of Psychology, 42, 60-63.
Bruffee, K. A. (1978). The Brooklyn Plan: Attaining Intellectual Growth through Peer-Group Tutoring. Liberal Education, 64(4), 447-68.
Cohen, E. (2014). Designing Groupwork: Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom. (3rd ed.). New York, N.Y.: Teachers College Columbia Un.
Congleton, A. R., & Rajaram, S. (2011). The influence of learning methods on collaboration: Prior repeated retrieval enhances retrieval organization, abolishes collaborative inhibition, and promotes post-collaborative memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 140(4), 535.
Cossey, R. (1997). Mathematical computation: Issues of access and equality. Unpublished dissertation, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Delucchi, M. (2007). Assessing the impact of group projects on examination performance in social statistics. Teaching in Higher Education, 12, 447-460.
Dewey, J. (1943). The school and society (Rev. ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Drouin, M. A. (2010). The group-based formative summative assessment relates to improved student performance and satisfaction. Teaching of Psychology, 37, 114-118.
Durling, R. & Shick, C. (1976). Conceptual attainment by pairs and individuals as a function of vocalization. Journal of Educational Psychology, 68, 83-91.
Gokhale, A. A. (1995). Collaborative learning enhances critical thinking. Journal of Technology Education, Vol. 7 (No. 1), 22-30.
Gorvine, B. J., & Smith, H. D. (2015). Predicting student success in a psychological statistics course emphasizing collaborative learning. Teaching of Psychology, 42, 56-59.
Johnston, C. G., James, R. H., Lye, J. N., & McDonald, I. M. (2000). An evaluation of collaborative problem solving for learning economics. The Journal of Economic Education, 31(1), 13-29.
Kester, L., & Paas, F. (2005). Instructional interventions to enhance collaboration in powerful learning environments. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(4), 689-696.
Klaus, P. 2010. “Communication Breakdown.” California Job
Journal 28:1-9.
Koçak, R. (2008). The effects of cooperative learning on psychological and social traits among undergraduate students. Social Behavior and Personality: an International Journal, 36, 771-782.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). Excerpt from high-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities, 19-34.
Lazonder, A. W. (2005). Do two heads search better than one? Effects of student collaboration on web search behavior and search outcomes. British Journal of Educational Technology, 36, 465-475.
Mitchell, G. W., L. B. Skinner, and B. J. White. 2010. “Essential Soft Skills for Success in the Twenty-First Century Workforce as Perceived by Business Educators.” The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal 52(1):43-53.
Nealy, C. (2005). Integrating soft skills through active learning in the management classroom. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 2(4).
Neville, C. (2018). Making Groupwork Work. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by‐nc‐sa/2.0/uk/.
Perkins, D. V., & Saris, R. N. (2001). A “jigsaw classroom” technique for undergraduate statistics courses. Teaching of Psychology, 28, 111-113.
Peters, J. M. & Armstrong, J. L. (1998). Collaborative learning: People laboring together to construct knowledge. New directions for adult and continuing education, No. 78, Fall 1998, 75-85.
Piaget, J. (1926). The language and thought of the child. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Rutherford, M. L. & Daniel, F (2018). Collaborative quizzes: Impact on student performance and attendance. Unpublished paper.
Schroeder, C. M., Scott, T. P., Tolson, H., Huang, T., & Lee, Y. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of National Research: Effects of Teaching Strategies on Student Achievement in Science in the United States. Journal on the Research of Science Teaching, VOL. 44,( No. 10), 1436–1460.
Shibley Jr, I. A., & Zimmaro, D. M. (2002). The influence of collaborative learning on student attitudes and performance in an introductory chemistry laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 79, 745-748.
Slavin, R. E. (1996). Research on cooperative learning and achievement: What we know, what we need to know. Contemporary educational psychology, 21(1), 43-69.
Smith, K. A. (1996). Cooperative Learning: Making groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, (No, 67), Fall 1996, 71-82.
Smith, M. E., Hinckley, C. C., & Volk, G. L. (1991). Cooperative learning in the undergraduate laboratory. Journal of Chemical Education, 68, 413-415.
Soller, A. L. (2001). Supporting social interaction in an intelligent collaborative
learning system. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 12,
40–62.
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering,and Technology: A Meta-Analysis.
Review of Educational Research, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Spring, 1999), pp. 21-51.
Stein, C. H., Cislo, D. A., & Ward, M. (1994). Collaboration in the college classroom: Evaluation of a social network and social skills program for undergraduates and people with serious mental illness. Psychosocial Rehabilitation Journal, 18, 13-33.
Stains, M., Harshman, J., Barker, M. K., Chasteen, S. V., Cole, R., DeChenne-Peters, S. E., ... & Levis-Fitzgerald, M. (2018). Anatomy of STEM teaching in North American universities. Science, 359(6383), 1468-1470.
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257-285.
Terenzini, P. T., Cabrera, A. F., Colbeck, C. L., Parente, J. M., & Bjorklund, S. A. (2001). Collaborative learning vs. lecture/discussion: Students' reported learning gains. Journal of Engineering Education, 90, 123-130.
Totten, S., Sills, T., Digby, A., & Russ, P. (1991). Collaborative learning: A guide to research. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 33(4), 231-243.
Treisman, U. (1992). Studying students studying calculus: A look at the lives of minority mathematics students in college. The College Mathematics Journal, 23(5), 362-372.
Tsay, M., & Brady, M. (2012). A case study of cooperative learning and communication pedagogy: Does working in teams make a difference? Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10, 78-89.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychologi-cal processes. (M. Cole et al., Eds.). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Weldy, T. G., & Icenogle, M. L. (1997). A Managerial Perspective: Oral Communi cation Competency Is Most Important for Business Students in the Workplace Jeanne D. Maes. The Journal of Business Communication (1973), 34(1), 67-80.
Woodzicka, J. A., Ford, T. E., Caudill, A., & Ohanmamooreni, A. (2015). A successful model of collaborative undergraduate research: A multi-faculty, multi-project, multi-institution team approach. Teaching of Psychology, 42, 60-63.
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How to Cite
Thomas, J., & Lutey, M. . (2019). Making groups better. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 7(10), 816-826. https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol7.iss10.1828
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