Making Group Work Work in an Intercultural Class

[Coming soon]

There is one type of assignment that every student and instructor would have a lot to say-may that be over-the-moon positive, down-in-the-dumps negative, or a mix of both. Yes, you’ve guessed it-it’s group work. We have 6 aspects for you to consider if you are thinking about redesigning or tweaking a group work assignment. 

1. Consider the rationale for group work assignments:
   • Do the objectives of this assignment require students to draw on each other’s knowledge and/or experience within the group?  You may determine this by asking yourself the following questions (“Implementing Group work in the Classroom”, n.d.): 
     • What are the objectives of the assignment?
     • How will the objectives be furthered by asking students to work in groups?
     • Is the activity challenging or complex enough that it requires group work?
     • Will the project require true collaboration?
     • Is there any reason why the assignment should not be collaborative?
     • How can students’ diverse cultural background and experience contribute to the objectives of this assignment?
   • Within the group, do students have different skill sets to contribute to the goals of the assignment? You may determine students various skill sets by :
     • Asking students to fill out a Skills Inventory document.
     • Using the results of your diagnostic assessment(s) if applicable.
2. Design group work assignment by incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles:
   • Devote time specifically for teaching group work skills.
     1. Emphasize the value of strong group work skills academically and professionally by using case studies or personal anecdotes.
     2. Provide strategies on implementing effective group work.
   • Establish ground rules by asking students to fill out group contracts.
   • List milestones of the project and write clear goals of each milestone (e.g., deliverables and due dates, etc.), as well as consequences for neglecting them. 
   • List a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section in your Course Section Information (CSI) to: 
     1. Articulate the benefits of intercultural group work to encourage domestic and international students’ participation. Articulate that intercultural group work can “create opportunities for peer learning and interaction among diverse learners” (Dimitrov, Dawson, Olsen, &Meadows, 2014). 
     2. List Negative and/or inaccurate preconceptions about group work which may derive from students’ previous group work experience; 
     3. Alert students to common pitfalls of group works, such as underestimating the amount of time required for group meetings, meeting space, and research skills, etc.). 
   • Allow sufficient time for groups assignments. Start group work early in the semester, if possible, so group members can have time to get to know each other and work on the assignments 
   • Allow students to use different means (writing, video, presentation, and/or portfolio, where applicable) to express their learning  
   • Here are some helpful tools for designing group work.
3. Group size and division:
   • 4-5 members per group to balance the diversity and participation-the less skillful the group members are, the smaller the groups should be. 
   • For in-class activities, you could leave it up to the students to decide. 
   • For graded group assignment projects, assign the groups intentionally–gather student data at the beginning of the course and design groups to include students from diverse backgrounds. 
4. Introduce group assignments:
   • Share your rationale of this group assignment. 
   • Emphasize the benefits of intercultural group work and guide students to work on documents such as  Skills Inventory document as a group. 
   • Walk students through the instructions, including milestones with time estimations throughout the process. 
   • Guide students to read the “FAQ” section in their assignment instruction and allow time to ask questions. 
   • Articulate your high expectations and confidence to your students. 
   • Model your expectations by sharing exemplary work done by previous students. 
5. Facilitating group assignments:
   • Use different means (face-to-face conversations and emails, etc.) to follow up with students on their progress, challenges and milestones and offer assistance where applicable.
   • Offer guidance and direction, rather than direct answers, to students’ questions.
   • Using different ways such as face-to-face conversations, emails, one-on-one meeting, or group meeting, etc. to provide feedback.
   • Tailor feedback to intercultural students as they may have different levels of linguistic ability-paraphrase your message if necessary and avoid jargon and idioms. 
6. Assessment of group work:
   • Assess individual + group learning to motivate students with fairness and discourage free ridership. Individual assessments could include: 
     1. Short essays
     2. Reflective journal entries or discussion board posts
     3. Individual tests and/or quizzes
   • Assess process + product (how students work + the work they produce):
     1. Group evaluation
     2. Peer evaluation
     3. Self-evaluation
   • Provide clear rubric for group assignment can effectively guide students toward your expectations and avoid misinterpretation of the assignment. 

Dimitrov, N., Dawson, D. L., Olsen, K. C., & Meadows, K. N. (2014). Developing the Intercultural Competence of Graduate Students. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 44(3), 86-103. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1049386&site=ed-live&scope=site

Implementing Group Work in the Classroom (n.d.) Retrieved from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/alternatives-lecturing/group-work/implementing-group-work-classroom