Effective Group Work in Online Classes

Effective Group Work in Blackboard

Lisa Bunkowski, Ph.D. & Robert Worley, Ph.D.Texas A&M University Central Texas

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Agenda

Topics: Reasons for using Groups and Group ToolsCreating shared student workspaces in

BlackboardExamples of Group Activities & Grading Rubrics Getting the most out of your studentsChallenges & Suggestions for surmounting

themDiscussion, Q & A

Effective Group Work in Blackboard

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Reasons for using Groups and Group Tools

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Reasons for using Groups and Group Tools

Create online learning communities

Facilitate Team, Groups, Peer Review, and similar assignments

Foster “connected” learning styles

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Notes:

As suggested by Steven R. Aragon in his essay 2003 essay “Creating Social Presence in Online Environments,” my course begins with a welcome message and includes discussion threads as well as a more structured, collaborative learning activity to “increase learner-to-learner interaction.”

Steven R. Aragon. “Creating Social Presence in Online Environments.” New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education Winter 2003: 57-68.

Notes:

Elizabeth Hayes and Daniele D. Flannery have noted that much of the literature on women and learning concludes that “women tend to prefer learning in ways that allow them to connect new concepts to personal experience; to integrate cognitive and affective learning; and to engage in communal as opposed to solitary knowledge-building.”

Elizabeth Hayes, and Daniele D. Flannery. “Adult Women’s Learning in Higher Education: A Critical Review of Scholarship.” ERIC Speeches/ Meeting Papers; Information Analyses 1995: 1-14. ERIC Digest.

Notes:

Online courses, according to David M. Anderson and Carol J. Haddad “permit – and often encourage – dialogue and connectedness,” and thus they complement this “connected” learning style. Of particular importance is their assertion that the online course environment provides students “with opportunities for self expression that role socialization may inhibit in the face-to-face environment.”

David M. Anderson, and Carol J. Haddad. "Gender, Voice, and Learning in Online Course Environments." JALN March 2005: 3-14.

Creating shared student workspaces in Blackboard

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Creating Groups

Making use of the Blackboard LMS

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Setting up the Group Parameters

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Select the Group Tools & Members

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Alvarez, TaylorBunkowski, Lisa (Instructor)Cook, PhilippaLopez, SarinaMatthews, DavidSmith, JohnZeng, Michael

Add the Group link to the Course Menu

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Examples of Group Activities & Grading Rubrics

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Group tools used:DiscussionCollaborateFile ExchangeEmail

Sophomore-level Course:

History & Culture of Latin America

Collaboration on a Research Project

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Collaborative Research Project:

• Each group will research the independence movement of a specific country in Latin America.

Your group will work together to produce a multimedia presentation and text component. This presentation will be shared with the class during Week 8.

You group will moderate a discussion of the project.

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Each person will work on a different aspect of the topic. Your grade is based on your contribution. You will NOT be penalized if others in your group fail to complete their assigned tasks.

Each person is responsible for the following: Five-page examination of their part of the topic (decide as a team, which

members will cover which portions). This material will be shared with the class during your Collaborate presentation.

Two (2) images that illustrate your topic, to include in the Collaborate presentation, properly cited.

Three (3) annotated sources for the group bibliography which will be shared with the class. (You may use web resources, but the must be academic/scholarly sources).

Use the group File Exchange to share your completed individual work, and use your group discussion forum to discuss the project.

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Grading Criteria/Rubric for the Project

Participation in Group Discussion (10 pts possible): Discuss assignment of individual topics, share work, compile completed group project for instructor to share with class.

Presentation Contribution (40 pts possible): Content and format of your presentation materials, relevance of the information you included, proper format (grammar, punctuation, spelling, originality, full citation information, annotated sources), posted in time for group members to review (no later than Sunday of Week 6), participation in Collaborate session by discussing your portion of the project.

All Class Discussion (10 pts possible): Respond to student questions about the project, and actively participate in discussion of the other student projects.

Total Possible: 60 points

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Graduate-level CoursePeer Review of student

workGroup tools used:

DiscussionChat (now

Collaborate)File ExchangeEmail

Examples of Group Activities & Rubrics

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Notes:

Criteria discussed in the Peer Review:

The student's discussion of author's thesis: clarity, importance

The student's discussion of the author's use of evidence: relevance, strength, credibility

The student's organization of their critical review essay: clarity, arrangement of ideas, guiding the reader

Mechanics of the student's essay: spelling, grammar, punctuation

Overall effectiveness of the student's essay. What did you learn from reading this critical review?

Getting the most out of your students

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Challenge Your Students

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

More complex, challenging tasks can be accomplished by a group effort

Challenge Your Students

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Students can find engagement with each other, the course materials, and the instructor through group activities

Challenges & Suggestions for surmounting them

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Challenges and Suggestions

Playing Referee!Students working in groups

can generate conflict – making you feel like a referee.

Suggestion: make sure you are enrolled in each working group. Monitor their progress, and step before it becomes a crisis. Often just knowing you can see their progress will help the less active to step up their game.

Have a clear grading rubric!Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Notes: The “slacker”

I occasionally find that a student will “slack” while others do the work. His or her peers will often tattle on the offending student.

Notes: The “slacker”

By being enrolled in each working group, they all know that I can see what is going on – who participates in the group’s discussions and other activities – and who does not.

There is no need for them to “tattle” – and the grading rubric makes it clear that these folks will not negatively affect the grade of their group, nor will they benefit from work they have not done themselves.

Challenges and Suggestions

Putting out Fires!Things do not always

go as planned.Suggestion: be

prepared with a Plan B; be creative and flexible! Monitor group progress and step in with the new plan, the back-up files, or the creative solution before it becomes a 3-alarm fire!

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012

Notes: The site is down!

My example: I had a class working with an external web site of WWII memoirs. The site is based out of Russia.

While I was attending a conference, the site went down and students could not access the database to work on their projects.

Notes: The site is down!

I turned to the Internet Archive to find a cached copy of the web site. I copied their research materials, and posted these as pdf’s to the file exchanges of each group.

This was a serviceable work-around to keep the groups on track until the site came back up.

Lisa M. Bunkowski, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Historylisa.bunkowski@ct.tamus.edu

Robert M. Worley, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Thank you for joining us!

Texas A&M University Central Texas. Texas Blackboard Users Group Conference. 10-26-2012