How to Do Group Assignments

This article is about how to go about addressing the requirements of a group assignment that could be a group presentation or preparing a group report on some given topic. It is very important to form a right group for doing this assignment as instructed by the lecturer.

Getting Started: Once the group has been formed, member shall form a communicate structure within which they would interact with each other. They should exchange each other’s phone numbers and email ids as required. They should plan from the whole group meetings as required. Each group member is expected to have thoroughly read the assignment before the meeting and should understand what they are expected to do. Students need to frame some standard ground rules that would discipline the whole group. If they need assignment help or not clear with anything, they should discuss among each other and approach their lecturer as required.

Members should negotiate each other’s roles in the group and distributes the tasks required to do.

It is also important that there is sufficient diversity in the group that is formed to do the group assignment.

Group Roles and Dynamics:

Normally there are 4 to 6 students group for doing a group assignment. Group members shall decide the different roles like project manager or chair person, Innovator or evaluator, Investigator, Completer, Record keeper, Completer as defined by Belbin (1993).

Group dynamics are very important to understand for effectively working in groups. Group goals should be given priority than individual goals. Individual dominations, cynicism, aggression and blocking of decisions should be avoided in any group work. Group members shall adhere to their responsibility and authorities. Members should keenly listen to each other and speaking freely should be encouraged.

If any meeting schedule or task requirements need to be changed, it should be done with the consent of everyone.

Brainstorming and Mind Mapping:

Group members should use techniques like brainstorming and mind mapping to understand different perspectives, explore and evaluate alternatives. All ideas should be recorded and evaluated keeping in the mind group objective and resources available.

Group members can use flip charts or Post-Its for noting down the different ideas coming out from the brainstorming.

Handling Disputes and Conflicts:

While working in a group, disputes and conflicts are quite likely to happen. This is generally that some group member is not turning up for the meeting, not doing his/her work or not letting the group go forward. These kind of problems should be amicably addressed, discussed and resolved. Negative environment should be created with regard to such problems and at the same time, these problems should be timely and immediately addressed.

Group Presentation or Report:

Finally group should prepare the presentation or report meeting all the requirements of the group assignment. Slides or report should be prepared in the prescribed format. In the case of presentation, group should do a rehearsal of how they would be giving presentation.

Work should be well structure, coherent and should meet the requirements of the group assignments.

Also ensure that there is no academic misconduct like plagiarism in the group work you submit.