making group members give grades to each other works wonders

But is also a bit like pointing the finger after the fact, when your group project didn’t score as well as it could have.

The biggest problem with group work here is that students are very NICE to each other, so that they don’t really resent doing somebody else’s work for them if they feel like it’s “helping” them.

I’ve found this to be the case more often than not in CS as well. If you are the one who helps others, you naturally feel good about being the “expert.” Plus, you never know when your roles will be reversed.

Oh sure, I have to learn to deal with people in the real world, yadda yadda. Please. I’m not getting paid to teach these kids. You are.

I’ve always thought this was a stupid argument that teachers make. If you want to teach social psychology too, fine; but it better not affect my personal grade.

Voluntary group work is slightly different because the groupmates that I choose are responsible and hard-working.

“3) I am the one to form the groups. They count off, we form groups by eye color, shoe color, where they work, what cars they drive, etc. I’ve found that if I let them form groups of their own, everyone gets in a rut.
4) I always remind the students to INTRODUCE themselves when they are in a new group. “Remember, it is always polite to introduce yourself when you meet someone new.” (okay, this is silly, but it does break the ice a bit with students that are shy)”

Oh. My. In calculus class? Please tell me you’re teaching genius seven year olds. Shoe color?
“okay, this is silly, but it does break the ice a bit with students that are shy”- Actually, I think it harms your credibility as a teacher. Most human beings introduce themselves with their names. If those students want to get to know each other, they’ll do it themselves.
“everyone gets in a rut.” – You mean, those who don’t understand and would’ve leeched off of those who do…those groups are in a rut.

The biggest problem with group work here is that students are very NICE to each other, so that they don’t really resent doing somebody else’s work for them if they feel like it’s “helping” them. I really have to work at explaining that letting somebody latch on to your group and not contribute — and allowing them to copy and hand in your work as their own — is not “helping”. I think this is an unintended consequence of the so-called “disposition” that the education schools want preservice teachers to have.

As a prof in a related subject (CS), I feel that I must assign group work in some capacity, despite the problems with assessment. Why? Because 50% of the time computer programmers are working in groups. Learning how to deal with other personalities and people who don’t pull their weight is something people have to do as professional programmers.

From an assessment perspective, making group members give grades to each other works wonders. Sure, you might get someone who grades a group member low simply because they don’t like the person. More often, when a group member is lazy and the rest of the group isn’t, the whole group will nail the lazy one. In groups of 4 or more, you can clearly separate those who didn’t do their fair share from the occasional personality conflict. And group members knowing they will be graded by other group members often is motivational in any case.

The bottom line for me is that group work in many subjects (math, history, philosophy, English) is probably of little value. In subjects where the career entails significant group work (business, computer science, engineering), I think there is value, though you do need to account for the group leeches that inevitably appear in projects.

In any case, blanket pushes by administration to add more group work in all disciplines is misguided.

I disagree with this. I am not particularly confident and clever (one could say) and talking to other students at times makes me feel “thick”. I am the most weirdest person on the planet, for I always talk and discuss problems and maths with my lecturers as opposed to students. Most people tend to get “intimidated” by lecturers, but I think students can be more intimidating.

When you talk to lecturers they understand your thought process better than students, and hence give better guidance and help us to develop our ability (rather than giving the answer). I couldn’t understand induction for quite some time (rather embarrassingly), and when a question once arose (during group work) the other students dismissed my queries with comments such as “this is so easy”, “you just do this, and then that….. and there’s the answer!” Students who understand a topic, can’t understand why someone else is finding the same topic difficult. (Well I feel that this is the case for most students). They try to explain things in an “obvious” manner with all the jargon, which has led me to stop asking. (Maybe this shows the difference between students who are able to “teach”?)

Sorry for going on, but after approaching my lecturer about the induction problem, I feel like a different person!! (He still regrets that day, for since then he is the first person I tend to bug!) Maybe it is just me who gets intimidated by students, but my friends don’t (most don’t like talking to the lecturers). I don’t mind working in a group once I have understood a concept, but why would you share your mathematical questions once you have an understanding? Surely there is some joy associated with grinding the solution out yourself.

{Semi-rant over; sorry!! I am actually drafting a post like this, but this seemed to be the opportune moment!}

I record grades for homework, quizzes, tests, and portfolios. I also give them feedback on their presentations and group work (part of the process of learning the math). It seems to be working thus far.

The problem was that I never learned how to work in a group effectively, so when I got to college and really needed the help of friends, I didn’t know how to work with people on challenging stuff. I would either let myself be dragged along, or else just give up and try to muscle it out on my own.

By the way, I fully support your ideas here — I have always weighted my grades such that at least 75% of the grade derives from individual test and quizzes. But I also wonder how to teach effective and efficient group work strategies, and if they even exist for mathematics. Now that is probably heresy to ask in the face of modern educational trends.

I have less of a problem with voluntary group work because then I can choose to collaborate with people who care. But I can see how group assignments do not accurately assess the individual’s progress.

When I was in school, I was always the one doing the work.

Yup, me too. There’s a post here …