Friends,

Effective teamwork is critical in nearly all walks of life. As students, many of us have participated in group projects with varying degrees of enthusiasm. As instructors, we are often required to organize and facilitate group work among our students. As professionals, we may need to work with colleagues in labs, conferences, and other collaborative environments. Working effectively in these groups can have an enormous impact on our quality of work, our motivation, and our overall quality of life. In the discussion that follows, we will address some of the benefits of teamwork, as well as popular strategies to reap these benefits. We will also discuss popular methods to implement collaborative environments as instructors.

Group work, particularly in a learning environment, is shown to have numerous benefits. Laal and Ghodsi suggest that group learning is associated with numerous social, psychological, and academic benefits (Laal and Ghodsi 487), including:

• Development of social support systems
• Development of diversity understanding
• Reduction of anxiety
• Promotion of critical thinking skills
• Improvement of classroom results

[Image description: Against a pink background emerge the words: “Teamwork Makes Dreamwork”]

Pictured: Teamwork Makes Dreamwork

Group work helps students (including graduate students) prepare for a lifetime of working in teams. Nearly all employers value collaborative skills, and with effective team management, we can have a positive outcome on the education of our students. Additionally, teamwork is important for all the roles we assume as graduate students. For an in-depth analysis of the psychology behind working in small groups, I refer interested readers to the text “Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices” (Beebe and Masterson). The internet is also packed with self-help guides for working in teams such as University of New South Wales' "Guide to Group Work" and University of Waterloo's "Working Effectively in Groups." Most sources include the following pointers for effective teamwork:

• Communicate effectively with group members. In my opinion, this is the most important tip for effective group work. To go along with this, it is important that groups meet regularly, discuss openly, and remain reachable for other group members. In my own experience as an instructor, the most common complaint I get from groups is that “student x won't respond to our group chat” or “student y doesn't attend our meetings.”  Communication is key in any professional relationship. The more people in a group, the more important it is to maintain effective communication.
• Agree on clear objectives. Everyone in the group needs to agree on a timetable of deliverables.
• Define roles. Split up the group work, and clearly articulate the division of tasks.
• Acknowledge all members of the group. This is particularly important if group members are meeting for the first time. Some people are more outgoing than others, and it is important for everyone to feel like they have a voice in a group setting.
• Practice good conflict management. Is important that any conflicts within a group are addressed promptly via direct, respectful conversation.

We have reviewed the importance of teamwork, as well as how to be good group members. But what if we are leading groups? This is very often the case for graduate students, who manage collaborative in-class exercises. Luckily, there is a rich body of research in this area. Before any actual teaching, Dr. Alison Burke of Southern Oregon University recommends that instructors consider two aspects of collaborative work: group size and group assignment (Burke 89).

The optimal group size depends on the situation, teaching materials, and nature of the project. Many sources, however, agree that a group size of 3-5 works well. Projects that occupy less time should have fewer students per group, so that all students have a chance to actively participate. Dr. Burke is an advocate for random group assignment, which is advantageous from a diversity perspective. Random assignment maximizes the expected heterogeneity within each group and allows for more creative discussion. I have found that students often prefer to self-select their groups. This method saves the instructor time and possibly reduces problematic groupings.  However, studies have shown that self-selection may lead to self-segregation, which can have a negative impact on a group's creative engine. Moreover, self-selected groups may spend more time socializing than working on a class project. Therefore, I tend to agree with Dr. Burke, and I randomly assign groups in my classes.

Once groups are assigned, Dr. Burke emphasizes the importance of teaching students ahead of their group work. Instructors should ensure that students understand their assignment and any embedded learning objectives. This helps students feel comfortable with the objectives and guarantees that the group members will work towards the same end. Monitoring group progress is also important. In group-based labs that I have taught in the past, I typically have groups submit a lab report each week. This helps keep all group members engaged throughout the course. Moreover, keeping the same groups all quarter allows students to develop working relationships with their colleagues, which improves academic results.

[Image description: A group of four individuals in an office setting jump together to share a simultaneous “high-five”]

Pictured: Group High Five

What if group members don't work well together?

This is a common problem, especially when groups are assigned randomly.  Sometimes, group members have personality conflicts or lack motivation. The effect of such dissonance is typically a reduction in productivity.  Occasionally, one or two group members will absorb the majority of the work, which not only results in undue stress, but also defeats the purpose of working in teams. Dr. Burke advocates that we resist the urge to break up groups in such cases. Members of a dissolved group will need to join other groups, and this reassignment can throw off the within-group dynamics.  Sometimes, reassignments are necessary.  However, there are many steps we can take to reduce the probability of group dissonance:

• First, we can reduce the size of groups. Smaller groups necessarily require more from each group member. Thus, group members are less likely to shirk their duties.
• Second, we can encourage groups to have assigned roles. The idea here is that we tend to procrastinate things that are obscure or poorly defined.  If group members are all on the same page about their responsibilities from the beginning, they will be less likely to have disagreements about who should do what task throughout the project.
• Finally, we might need to work directly with groups to resolve disagreements. This can help the students work through differences without negatively disrupting group dynamics.

Collaborative work can be intimidating, both from the perspective of group members and group organizers. However, the benefits of effective teamwork merit a conscious effort to work well with others in all situations. Try some of the suggestions above! They may have a positive impact on your teaching, learning, and professional development.

Works Cited

Beebe, Steven, and John Masterson. Communicating in Small Groups: Principles and Practices. Glenview, IL, Scott, Foresman, 1986.

Burke, Alison. Journal of Effective Teaching, vol. 11, no. 2, 2011, 87--95.

Laal, Marjan, and Seyed Mohammad Ghodsi. “Benefits of collaborative learning.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 31, 2012, pp. 486-490.