Students as Partners is a pedagogical partnership program that aims to bring student voices and perspectives into large lecture courses at the University of Iowa. Undergraduate student partners provide feedback to instructors and work collaboratively to create welcoming and engaging learning environments.
Emma Koprek – a student pedagogical partner – was asked by her faculty partner to learn more about how students were experiencing group work within the course. Emma shares what she found from observations and interviews with other students in this article. The names of students interviewed have been changed and these ideas are shared with permission.
Rachel
Rachel, a student partner, former learning assistant, and current student in the College of Education shared observations on how students engage in group work.
"During my experience observing both group work in discussion sections and during lecture, I’ve seen students be apprehensive to work with each other, largely because they don’t know each other and are afraid to be the one to take the first 'step'. One way I’ve seen willingness to work in a group improve is when teachers model the behavior they want to see. Acting silly, putting themselves out there, and appearing brave when talking with students either in front of the class or on a group level seems to help students feel empowered to engage in their group.”
Rachel shared that they have heard students’ complaints of group work firsthand during focus groups conducted in their role as a student partner. The concerns shared are quite similar to those I heard from students I interviewed. Collectively, students shared that they cannot see behind the scenes of course planning; therefore, instructors may consider sharing their reasons for asking students to do group work in order to increase student buy-in.
Wyatt
After interviewing Wyatt, a second-year microbiology major on a pre-med track, it was fascinating to learn how they find group work varies across contexts even within STEM departments, and how their feelings about it also differ in these assorted contexts. They said it can be frustrating to be graded on someone else's efforts, especially in a competitive environment, such as STEM. Everyone is essentially “fighting” for the best grade, and this feeling seems amplified for those who are pre-med.
Group work can also undermine the individualism of students’ work because not everyone works in the same way. “Sometimes, my writing style doesn’t mesh well with other people’s writing style,” Wyatt shared. They explained that this can cause tension between group members as they try to find a collective compromise. Despite these frustrations, they shared that working in groups during lab sessions is preferable because instructions in lab assignments can be complicated, and it’s helpful to have other people there as support.
I asked Wyatt if they had any ideas on how to improve group work. They suggested that shared grades shouldn’t be given for group work. While it can be beneficial and perhaps necessary to work as a group, each member could be assigned a task beforehand and be graded individually on their contribution.
Syd
Another interviewee, Syd, who was recently diagnosed with ADHD, spoke about their personal experience taking a class in a large lecture setting. They shared how they became distracted and sidetracked easily.
Student Suggestions for Group Work
How can students feel that their contributions to group work are well represented and balanced? How can instructors make sure that the experience is less stressful all around? Here are a few ideas from Iowa undergrads:
- Students want to know how group projects are being graded.
- Many students prefer individual grades over group grades.
- Transparency around why a particular activity is being assigned as group work and how this benefits learning increases student motivation to do group work.
- Students appreciate it when instructors explain the behavior you want to see and be clear on what it means to “work together.” Are we dividing different tasks or are we all working together on a shared task?
- Social dynamics can play into student attitudes about group work. Students will naturally complete tasks differently, and this may complicate the collaborative process. Instructors can build flexibility into the process, such as opportunities to shift group composition.
- Many students struggle with attention and focus. Breaking up long classes with varied instructional approaches – large groups, small groups, pairs, and independent work – helps students stay engaged.
Syd suggested breaking up lecturing and group work with short, focused activities such as answering questions on platforms such as TopHat, as one way that makes it easier to stay focused, engaged, and on track.
Assigning, overseeing, and participating in group work is an important part of creating a rich, engaging, and effective learning environment. Working with others provides practice with communication, collaboration, and compromise, all of which are significant transferable skills students will need in their future careers. For instructors and students, group work shouldn’t feel scary or dreadful. Understanding instructor and student perspectives and being transparent about the rationale for working with others can help remove the dread from group work and allow students and instructors to get the most out of the experience of teaching and learning together.
About the Author
Emma Koprek (she/her/hers)
Student pedagogical partner, Center for Teaching
Peer mentor, First-Gen Hawks