Helen Reed - Day 3

Video 1

1. What are some of the problems students might encounter when working in groups on extended, complex projects?

When working on a project, students are going to hit roadblocks. One problem my students experience time and time again is working with those whom they do not like or get along with. When I let my students have choice in selecting their groups, I find this less, with the exception of when I have to add students to groups who didn't have anyone to group with to begin with. Most times, my students can manage working with someone they dislike if the activity is short-lived, but a long-term project is a different story. While monitoring and managing groups with students who do not get along can be tiresome, I also believe there are benefits for everyone. In the real world, you do not get to choose who you want to work with on a project. You and your team are required to work together to get the job done. While you may not like them on a personal or professional level, you are still required to communicate and collaborate with them in order to achieve the common goal. Another problem my students encounter is carrying equal weight in a project. I have not established specific 'jobs' in the past, but I am considering adding it to certain projects this year. The go-getter students will do most of the work, while the less engaged students will fool around instead of completing their work. I believe creating a group contract could help with this. 

2. How can contracts be designed to mitigate these problems?

With a contract in place, students are able to hold each other more accountable. I believe peer accountability is an important skill to have which carries over into the workplace. When students know the expectations and know exactly what they are responsible for, there is less room for guessing.  Also, if a student is struggling to work with their group, the student, group, and teacher could all reference the contract to help hold the student accountable. For contracts to work in my classroom, I would first establish group norms as a class and then have groups brainstorm their contracts. I would want some consistency among the group contracts, but as the students and their projects would all be slightly different, I would be okay with differing contracts.  

3. What checks and balances need to be in place for contracts to be effective?

In order for contracts to be effective the students would need to hold their group members accountable. The contract needs to establish the norms of the group, along with consequences. I also think that the contract should be able to be updated, as needed. If the students find that something is not working for them, the contract should be a working document which would allow them to make the necessary changes in order for their group to collaborate better and become more cohesive. 

Being able to work with a group relates to so many of the world class skills and life and career characteristics of the SC graduate. By participating in PBL, students learn how to collaborate and work as a team.  Students learn how to persevere and establish a work ethic. Especially when students are working on their project, they are going to fail at some point. They must realize that their failure is not because of a lack of effort, but a natural part to learning. I would also associate PBL with 'knowing how to learn'. When students learn through a project, they learn not only about the materials, but also the soft skills that go along with the project. They also learn about how to think and how they learn. Through the projects students complete in PBL, subjects are integrated and numerous standards are being met. Students are able to get more in-depth knowledge about multiple subject areas though PBL. PBL is a natural response to the wondering of how to make the ideal SC graduate.