5 Essential Strategies for Making Group Work Fair

Any teacher can tell you that making group work fair is no easy feat. The benefits of group work are as well recognized as the many reasons students hate working in groups. Ideally groups would operate smoothly, with group members bringing out each other’s strengths and helping each member shine. In reality, it’s far more likely for group work to fail miserably when members do not get along, or do not pull equal weight in completing a group project. Exactly how should one deal with members of a group not picking up their share of the responsibilities during a group work project? Here are a few ideas for making group work fair.

1. Design a group project in which the students work in phases. For instance, start with a project idea, then move to project development, followed by preliminary project outcomes, etc. Require all students to check in at each phase before delivering the final project. Not only does this help ensure that the groups won’t wait until the final deadline is upon them to work on their project, but it also enables the instructor to touch base with every group to offer guidance, support, or mediation during the process.

2. Develop an element of the project that allows group members to make individual choices. One way to do this is to give students the freedom to choose a topic area that interests them within the scope of the course or that is the most relevant or meaningful to the team members. This decision helps create a sense of ownership and enhances the students’ level of engagement, both of which are crucial for working on large group projects.

3. Require students to submit a little bit of individual work. For example, the project could include a personal reflection piece in which each member individually reflects on the process and product of his or her own portion of the group work. Apart from the pedagogical benefits of learners engaging in individual reflection, it will also inevitably provide insights about the division of labor issues in group work. This process also enables students to gain greater understanding about what worked well and what could be improved.

4. Prepare students to expect the unexpected. Rather than directing their every concern to the teacher, students should be encouraged to become their own problem solvers, not only by identifying problems but also by developing solutions. At the same time, teachers should create and maintain a culture of openness that lets students know they are readily available to provide guidance when groups require clarification or reach an impasse.

5. Lastly, devote a segment during class before all group projects begin to implement the following two important steps:

Step 1: Let students get to know each other. The first 10 minutes or so can be a period for all students to find and meet with the group members they have either been assigned or have self-selected. They should then spend some time exploring each other’s communication styles. Students can share responses to guiding questions or statements, such as “I would describe my communication style/personality as …,” “I tend/prefer to deal with conflict by …,” and “I would appreciate my team members doing/not doing ….”, etc. Guiding questions are especially helpful for groups that are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Step 2: Establish group norms. After the first step, encourage each group to spend some time negotiating its own group norms and ground rules. Members of each group should negotiate and establish responsibilities and expectations, and make these guidelines extremely clear, perhaps by writing and signing a group contract.

Allison Green
Boston Tutoring Services