Student Project Planning Sheets – Just FACS.
STUDENT PEER EVALUATION SHEET. Use the Group Project Plan template with your students to help them. Planning>Group Project.
Six Keys to Creating Effective Group Assignments and Team Projects. Wendy Yost, Lecturer Department of Recreation & Tourism Management. California State University, Northridgewendy. Note: documents on this page can be viewed online using free software: Adobe Acrobat Reader (for .
Microsoft Word Viewer (for . When I first started teaching Recreation & Tourism Management 3. Dynamics of Leadership in Recreation & Human Services, I knew that in order to meet the Learning Outcomes for the course it would be important to include a group project among the class assignments. Yet I also knew, that as a student, I hated group projects. I typically did more than my share of the work to achieve a desirable grade, it was difficult to find time outside of class to meet with my classmates and professors weren't always clear about their expectations for group assignments.
It turns out, two decades later, these concerns persist as a recent study conducted on campus confirmed. Recently 1. 36 students at California State University, Northridge completed a survey having to do with Navigating Conflict in Student Teams.
The students identified five contributing factors to experiencing conflict in student teams: Schedule/Distance differences, Quality/Personal Standards differences, Style/Personality differences, Group Size/Roles and Accountability. More specifically, of the students who responded indicated the following: 1. Communication Problems. Timing, Scheduling Issues. Personality Clash, Conflicting Ideas, Disagreements. Lack of Participation, Slackers, Flakes, Unequal Work. Navigating Conflict in Student Teams.
Six Keys to Creating Effective Group Assignments. Sample Group Project.
Symposium conducted at Faculty Development Series, California State University Northridge, California. My social skills are not all there, I guess. Although, since starting this semester, getting into groups and participating in activities has been fun and great for networking. I don’t feel as uncomfortable as I have felt in the past with previous classes. In it I explain.. Every person in the class deserves your respect. We are all here to learn.
As we move through the semester, you may not always agree with what is being shared. In such cases, please make a point of disagreeing with what is being said without attacking the person who said it. Learning how to give and receive constructive feedback is a cornerstone of leadership. It is also a skill that takes practice. So as necessary, I will ask you to rephrase your opinion or observation in a more constructive way. There are also several things that I have been told by students that I do that help them want to participate in class: I learn each student's name by the third week of class (including in the class of 5.
I welcome and encourage differing points of view as long as they are communicated respectfully, and I encourage students to share things about themselves with the class in low risk ways. For example, when I am returning papers, I ask that the students to share their favorite ice cream flavor, favorite movie, favorite place to eat and so on. I ask the class to pay attention to what is being shared as they might find someone in class that they have a lot in common with.*A small side bar on learning names quickly: I tell the students that it is important that they be known by me and known by each other in this class. I ask about correct pronunciation of any names I have difficulty with again and again. I have the students state their name before talking for the first few weeks. I take notes on my role sheet to help remember key traits.
Project Based Learning Template. In order to provide consistency across Project Based Learning (PBL) professional development and the development of resources for. Free Student Template Video; Student Resources. The Priceline Group; Case 9 – The TJX Companies. The Template instructions are listed below. Action!Plan!Template:!!! StudentProject!Planning!Guide!!! 3.0 Executetheproject*!
I allow myself to make a lot of mistakes the first few weeks, and restate my commitment to learning their names. The students seem to cut me some slack when I mess up given they see that I am trying. I often use appropriate humor to smooth over my mistakes, especially when they occur half way through the semester. There are several systems for remembering names that you can find online. If this is something you would like to work on, I recommend conducting a brief online search and then selecting a process that will work best for you.
A playful facet of creating a conducive environment emerged organically one semester and has stuck ever since. It is my invoking my Best Audience Ever clause. I explain to the students that they are all going to be speaking in front of the class over the course of the semester and therefore they will want to provide a comfortable atmosphere for public speaking.
I then write on the board that a positive atmosphere includes students who are Attentive, Supportive and Smiling. I write the words on the board in such a way that the first letter stands out and then suggest that doing anything other than being Attentive, Supportive and Smiling would leave them being what the initials spell out. It usually gets a laugh and they usually get the point. Acknowledge the Realities of Our Students.
We know that most of the students in our classes work part time, full time or more not to mention other responsibilities they have on their plates. If you have any doubts about this, ask the students in your class. I was surprised to learn how many students were juggling multiple jobs in addition to school to be able to help their family with expenses. I also found that many students have significant responsibilities when it comes to helping to raise younger brothers or sisters or helping with aging parents or grandparents. All of which take time and energy.
By building in class time for the groups to meet, it reduces one of the biggest concerns students have about group assignments and it allows you to observe the groups in action to assess what additional support and/or direction might be needed. There are a couple of things I would like to point out about the Sample Group Project Worksheet. I wait until after the last day to add/drop to assign groups. I found that this minimizes frustration of groups gaining or loosing members. Students can still add/drop after this date, but more signatures are required to do so and it is therefore less common. If a group looses a student after they have started their planning process, I meet with them to discuss how to best adjust their project plan. I also adjust my expectations for how long their presentation needs to be and consider the impact of having lost a member mid- project when calculating their grades.
On the days that they gather in their work groups, I take role and then ask them to get into their groups. I bring various resources that can assist them in the their planning process and I serve as a willing resource until the last group leaves the room. Students are able to use this time to work in our classroom, go to the library, go to a computer lab or go elsewhere on campus that might support their planning process. Sample Group Project Worksheet (DOC, 3. KB) / Sample Group Project Worksheet (PDF, 1. KB)Clearly Communicate Expectations.
At the start of the semester, I let the students know that there will be a group project, and that I am committed to having it be unlike any group project they have experienced before. We talk about what they dislike about group projects and then I provide information about how this group project will be different and ask that they please set aside past experiences and be open to a more positive experience this semester. More specifically, the students know upon reading the syllabus for class at the start of the semester that I am committed to their experience working on a group project being a positive one, that they will have time in class to meet, that they will have access to me if any questions or concerns arise during their planning process, and that they will have a supportive audience when they do their group presentations.
Group Project Assignment Excerpts from Course Syllabus (DOC, 4. KB) / Group Project Assignment Excerpts from Course Syllabus (PDF, 1. KB)Consider Grading Individually for Group Projects. I reserve the right to grade individually.
This lessens some of the concerns students have about mismatched standards of quality or having to do more than their fair share of the work. It does mean that mechanisms need to be created to assess individual grades (i. Peer Reviews, Journal Entries, or the like).
Yet it provides freedom in being able to assign grades that are appropriate for the level of work contributed. This method also allows students to gain important skills related to giving and receiving feedback.
A few words on the samples provided in this section. Each student in class completes a Peer Review Form. I draw names for which students will conduct the peer reviews for which groups the day of each presentation. This process keeps the students engaged in the classes being taught by their peers. If a student feels that there were group members who did not effectively contribute to the planning or execution of their group's project, then they are encouraged to speak up about it in their Student Report (a journal entry) and to submit a Collaborative Learning Form. If I elect to provide different grades for members of a group, that decision is based on corroborating data from the following: Students expressing concern to me, what multiple group members communicated in their Student Reports, any Collaborative Learning Forms received and what was readily apparent to me and to the peer reviewers while watching the group's presentation.
In some cases, I think the sheer possibility of individual grades has encouraged students who might otherwise slack off, to instead step up, knowing that they will not be carried by their group mates. Sample Peer Review Form (PDF, 1. KB)Sample Student Report (PDF, 6. KB)Sample Collaborative Learning Form (PDF, 1. KB)Provide Appropriate Tools, Resources, and Support. The ice- breaker was a great way to get acquainted and find out how to best interact with group members – while having fun! And provide avenues for the students to express concerns with how their group's progress is unfolding.