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Many courses include learning outcomes that relate to students’ skills working collaboratively with others in team settings.  Often, this is because our students require these skills to be successful in professional settings. Some examples of learning outcomes that include a group or team component include:

English 1100: Plan, analyze, revise, and edit writing in response to instructor and/or peer feedback.

Foundations in Design 1100:  Collaborate effectively in team-centered activities.

Biology 1110: Cooperate with group members to complete tasks in a shared learning environment.

Trades: Shared responsibilities for workplace learning.

When we think about our goals for a group project, making the connection between the project and the course learning outcomes it serves is a helpful first step in considering how we design the project task and facilitate student learning.  As you think about the goals of a group project in your course, consider:

(1) Is the project’s primary purpose to fulfill content learning objectives, or

(2) Is the project’s primary purpose to fulfill objectives related to group work skills, or

(3) Does the project include a combination of product and process goals?

When designing projects, we want to connect assessment to the learning objectives of the project. If developing group work skills is an intended outcome, we want to shape the project design and assessment to reflect this.  We also want students to clearly understand the purpose of working in teams.

Strategies to Help Students Understand the Objectives of Group Work

Here are some examples of content you might share with students to help them understand the purpose of group work.

1. Many workplace environments require strong teamwork skills. The Conference Board of Canada lists a number of teamwork skills as key to employability.  These include the ability to recognize and respect diversity, the ability to share your expertise, and the ability to manage conflict when working in a team (Conference Board of Canada, n.d.).
2. Cooperative teams can be used to develop constructive and supportive relationships that prepare you to work in a multicultural or global context. Intercultural skills are highly valuable in the global business world. KPU’s diverse student population provides an excellent learning place for developing these skills, but you must proactively work to develop relationships with classmates whose experiences differ from your own (Adapted from A. Macpherson, 2017).

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