2. Why the Group Project?
According to K. A. Smith:
Student interaction/cooperation:
significantly impacts how students learn
boosts their confidence, self-esteem
improves levels of engagement/feelings about the subject
facilitates development of positive interdependence
maximise group learning/shared understandings
3. Teacher’s Tasks
Teachers are essential in the careful design of:
meaningful tasks that clarify S. B. A. options
academic/social skills objectives
group composition
clear exposition of tasks
guidelines for positive interdependence
documents for monitoring the learning process
evaluation of student learning/provision of effective
feedback
4. The Teacher’s Tasks
The teacher decides how/on...
...roles given to group members
...which skills are to be developed
...the size of the group
...to evaluate/give feedback ..
... to arrange the classroom
… which resources are required
… to assign students to groups
...the academic tasks to be set... to allocate resources
5. The Teacher’s Considerations
Well-structured
groups ensure
positive
interdependence and
promot interaction
Small groups work
best initially whilst
students develop
collaborative skills
The arrangement
should aid teacher
movement/monitoring
of interaction
A mix of academic
ability and learning
styles is the most
desirable
6. The Teacher’s Considerations
Group Size 3-6 ideally
larger/smaller
than this can be
a problem
comfort level
effective
development of
collaborative
skills
supports the
development of
social skills
group stability
allows bonds to
develop
aim for a variety
of skills and
interests
minimise any
change to group
composition
Group
Composition
7. Suggested Roles for
Group Members
Roles based on abilities:
Chair-leader
Information-seeker
Progress-monitor
Summariser
Planner
Timekeeper
Document
publisher/designer
Depending on group size,
dual roles might be
necessary
Roles should encourage
interdependence
Students will be more
aware of their importance
Empowerment through
individual
responsibility/accountability
8. Ensuring that Group Members
Cooperate and Perform
Clarify from the start that:
the academic task has a
shared group goal
the success criteria is linked to
the shared goal
individual accountability is part
of the assessment of the group
one copy of instructions for
assignments will be given to
each group
time limits for specific tasks
must be adhered to
The teacher is ensuring that the task
process:
develops responsibility for each other’s
success
ensures understanding of the task and
goal
prevents students from “freeloading”
The teacher should therefore provide:
detailed, supportive instructions
suggestions for blog/chat/task
contributions
clear, realistic timelines for task
completion
9. Ensuring that Group Members
Cooperate and Perform
Checks and Balances for Groups:
students and parents must get
guidelines/procedures/timelines
monitoring of blogging/emailing
info as part of formative
assessment
contractual obligations to the team
parent-teacher conferences
It is crucial to outline the
contractual obligations of
group members as all
members are responsible
for the success of each
member’s final grades.
Whatever is drawn up
for the students to
adhere/sign to should
include a section for
their parents/guardians.
11. Group-work Evaluation Criteria:
Blogs
Content
Ideas
Comprehension
Intellectual
engagement
Critique
Reflection
Analysis
Creativity
Data gathering
Design and
admin
Organisation
Appearance
Use of
enhancements
(widgets, etc.)
Management
and
administration
Posts
Writing quality
Relevance of
links/embedded
media
Post frequency
Community
Comments/visits
12. Ensuring that Group Members
Cooperate and Perform
The teacher’s part in
organising roles/task
delegation prior to assigning
tasks:
reduces the need for teacher
intervention during the task
encourages sharing and
interaction
makes time-limit monitoring
easier and reduces inactivity
More than one person per
task – so peer feedback is
feasible
Group size might be
determined by assignment
type – depending on class
size
Avoid putting friends together
– reducing “loyalty” factor
13. The Timeline for
Task Completion – Sample
Group Member Task By Whom By When Resources
Required
Deliverables/Feed
back Time
Research
Topic/Thesis
Delise/Justin Sept 30
th
Text w Net
Articles &
Library Texts
Annotated text
pages & articles
for I/C assessment
Outline of
Assignment
Samuel/Asha Oct 24
th
Syllabus SBA
outlines
Text w reviews
Outline w The/Tsis.
and T. Stncs. for
Summ. Eval.
Textual
References/Quotes
Siobhan/Ruth Nov 18
th
Text w reviews
Discussion
notes and
articles
List of quotations
with notes on
significance/key
text elements – I/C
Page/Cover Design
&/or Concept Repr
Justin/Samuel Dec 8
th
Publications &
Drawing Apps
Cover design or
Conc Repr Rtnle
Final publication w
errors checked and
edited
Asha/Delise Jan 14
th
Laptop editing
software
Copy of S. B. A.
assignment
14. Outreach for Parental Support
It is Difficult to Recommend or Write
Testimonials for
Students Who Have
No Experience of Working on a Team.
15. Outreach for Parental Support
Therefore, parents need to understand that
group assignments:
develop leadership, decision-making, and conflict resolution
skills
foster appropriate behaviour such as taking turns to speak,
active listening, and encouraging others to participate
ensure understanding of the group task and individual roles
assist students in making decisions about what behaviours
should continue/change
This is how teamwork enhances effective learning in the
classroom and helps the students to understand how/why
they become contributing citizens of the future.
16. Initiating Group-work Activities:
Ice-breakers
Name Adjective
Acronym SWOT Analysis MC
Match
Find Your Personality
Pattern Twin Which Book Character
Are You Personality
Profile Quiz
Autobiography
Casting Call
17. SWOT Analysis MC Match
for Literature - Sample
For leisure, I would
read:
Sci-fi
Humour/comedy
Romance
Horror
Mystery
I honestly loathe:
Essay-writing
Large long books
Offering my views on
texts
Researching topics
Group-work
assignments
Studying Literature helps
me:
Appreciate social issues
Understand other people
Recognise what doesn’t
make sense
Ask the right questions
Appear wiser in
conversation
To improve as a Lit
student, I should:
Read a variety of texts
Join book clubs on
syllabus texts
Analyse more of the
You-tube content I
watch
Scope out more classic
films on Netflix
Make greater use of the
dictionary
While pursuing Literature at
O’ Levels, I struggled with:
Writing essays
Understanding poetry
Understanding exam
questions
Completing the texts
Organising study time
1st *********
2nd ^^^^^^^^
3rd “””””””””””
4th >>>>>>>
5th ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
18. Find Your Personality
Pattern Twin - Sample
Choose her hair colour
according to your
favourite type of novel:
Sci-fi
Romance
Humour/Comedy
Horror
Mystery
Choose her t-shirt pattern
according to your reading style:
green&orange plaid – whole
book without stopping
purple&pink polka dots – the
ending then the beginning
blue&grey check – get a friend to
describe it first
yellow&red stripes – skipping
through to the juicy bits
Draw her jewellery
according to your
study style:
Stars for solitary
study
Coins for friendship
study
Triangles for must
have music
Diamonds for the
last-minute
19. 5. What was your favourite subject at school?
English. They say I have an over-active imagination.
Art/Music. I was always better at practical things.
PE. I never pass up a chance to run around, tackling
people.
Maths. It just made sense.
Which Book Character Are
You Quiz - Sample
20. If I were to make a film of my life.....
Rihanna would play me because she shares the
spotlight with no one
Viola Davis would play my mom because she
is more driven than any career criminal
Idris Elba is definitely my father
Autobiography Casting Call -
Sample
22. Beginning With Class Groupings
overview of the text (drama/prose/poet)
discussion of the components of the portfolio (their
notebook on the text)
peer evaluation of presentations/notes compiled
preparation of a handout for home assignment (quiz/word
search/puzzle)
information board collaboration
23. Class Groupings: What To Avoid
Student self-selection
can result in friendship groups which creates
distraction
can leave a ‘remainder’ group, those who
haven’t been chosen by others
24. Disbanding groups which aren’t working well
can leave students feeling a sense of failure
which they carry forward to their next group
doesn’t help students to develop skills such
as conflict resolution, resilience
Class Groupings: What To Avoid
25. The Teacher’s Role:
Avoid verbalising instructions without noting
what should be done
All questions should be discussed within the
group as far as possible – avoid addressing
issues with individual members
Class Groupings: What To Avoid
26. Class Groupings in Practice
Review the options for the SBA in the syllabus
1. Candidates’ interpretation of some aspects of a prescribed play or poem, or
an extract from prose fiction.
OR
2. A critical response to a review of a prescribed play or poem or prose extract.
OR
3. A review of a live performance or a film adaptation of a prescribed text.
OR
4. A review of a prescribed text.
Watch the two film clips of The Taming of the Shrew, paying close attention to:
1. the use of lighting, costuming and stage properties
2. the actor’s movements and delivery of their lines
3. the way these elements are used to highlight themes/issues
Present your views of each one, stating which one was more effective and why