Example Group Assignments

  • Teamwork where teams report out  
    • Divide students into teams, designating one student as a leader. Have the students apply course concepts to solving a problem and report back to the class. Other groups or students are encouraged to comment on the final solutions of other teams.2  
  • Peer assessment  
    • Students complete an assignment that will be assessed by their peers. This is an effective learning assessment tool when there are no right or wrong answers and when several methods can be used to solve a problem.  
  • Peer editing
    • Students complete a draft of an essay or an oral report, then have peers critique and edit.  It’s valuable to have the assessment rubric available to use as an editing guide.1
  • Reading and collaborative discussion  
    • Students read assigned material and come up with questions reflective of their reading. They can post their questions to a designated Blackboard discussion thread, and work on answering the questions individually or in groups. The instructor monitors, redirects, settles disputes, or adds comment to lead the discussion in a new direction or positively reinforce students.  
  • Jigsaw
    • Use the jigsaw for complex problem solving. First, separate students into expert groups. Each group is assigned a different piece of the concept to present to the class. In the expert group, the students work on ways to present their piece to the larger class so the class understands the concept. The students teach the class the concept. Assess learning through peer review or individual quizzes. This activity ensures individual responsibility while using collaborative learning.1
  • Networking  
    • Students describe someone they admire in their field, contact and interview this person. The assignment is structured so the student learns how to make contacts and report back on their experiences. On a more simple level, students could network with other students in their class to practice networking and learn about what other experiences students are bringing to the class.  
  • Wikis  
    • Wikis help streamline group projects by allowing students to collaborate seamlessly while providing the instructor with a digital footprint of each group member who contributed to the project.

 

  1. http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Papers/CLChapter.pdf
  2. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/developing-assignments/group-work/group-work-classroom-types-small-groups
  3. http://www.uwlax.edu/catl/studentlearning/presentations/collaborativelearningtechniqueshandout.pdf
  4. https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/setting-up-and-facilitating-group-work-using-cooperative-learning-groups-effectively/