It will be virtually impossible for you to complete your Webquest if you do not work as a cohesive group. We will undertake a couple of activities to help you start working as a group but before we do so, consider the following information.

The benefits of Group Work

Group work :

• can develop attributes such as the ability to work in a team, communication, negotiation, project management, conflict resolution or problem solving, all of which are valued by employers

• can allow students to gain experience in projects that are too large for a single student to complete but may be closer in size and scope to "real world" projects

• can encourage students to learn from the different perspectives that others bring to the group

• can emphasise students' autonomy and their capacity to assess their own work and that of others

• can allow greater flexibility for students - for example individual students could work on different task components

University of Technology, Sydney. “Student Groups: issues for Teaching and Learning.” 1999. http://www.clt.uts.edu.au/Student.Groupwork.html (15 June 2003)

How does a group work together?

Consider:

Communication patterns: Who talks the most? The least? How does the team ensure that all voices are heard? Do people interrupt one another? Does anyone mind interruptions? How is the agenda set for what topics are discussed? Can new topics be introduced in the course of the discussion?

Task assignments: How does the team decide what needs to be done? Once tasks are identified, how are they divided up? How are deadlines determined? What happens if someone doesn't meet a deadline?

Leadership and other roles: How is a leader or facilitator of the team determined? What other roles do you find team members playing? 

Problem solving: How has the group gone about solving problems (both related to tasks and to the maintenance of the group)? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How can you improve on your ability to solve problems?

Decision making: How are decisions made in your group? By consensus? Through voting? What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision the group has made?

Conflict Resolution: Have you had a serious conflict in your group? Assuming you resolved it, how did you do so? If you haven't worked it out, how is it affecting your ability to get work done? What will you do to resolve the conflict?

Breslow, Lori. "Teaching Teamwork Skills, Part 2." Vol. X. No. 5, March/April 1998.

http://web.mit.edu/tll/published/teamwork2.htm (15 June 2003)

A team functioning well

A team that is working well together will be:

Listening: 

Actively listening to each other.

Piggybacking on each other’s ideas.        

Questioning: 

Questioning each other

Interacting, discussing, and posing questions to all members of the team.  
                                                    

 Persuading: 

Using persuasion.

Exchanging, defending and rethinking ideas.

 Respecting: 

Showing respect for the opinions of others.

Encouraging and supporting the ideas and efforts of others.

Helping: 

Helping each other   

Participating:   

Participating

Contributing to the project.

Bellingham School District.  ‘Observation of Teamwork Skills: 5^th Grade Technology Performance Assessment. http://www.bham.wednet.edu/technology/TmWrkRub.htm    (15 June 2003)

Journal

Read the information on the following pages and make some notes in your journal. Be prepared to discuss your thoughts and findings with the class.

Process Guide #2: Building Consensus –   http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/consensus.html

Process Guide # 7: Time Management - http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/tpss99/processguides/time_manage.html