Learning Group Agreement

How well a team functions depends on a number of things including:

Well-defined the goals Commitment and composition of the group Authority the team is allowed How and why the teams are organized. Will team members work on an ongoing day-to-day basis for a

long period of time or will they convene for a short duration to accomplish a specific task?

The whole purpose of team building in education is, of course, to facilitate team learning. Team building creates the environment to establish behaviors to be able to share different perspectives and experiences to perform optimally on work tasks (team learning).

There are also disadvantages to working in teams. The decision-making process is usually slower than it would be if done by an individual. There can be more negative conflict.  In some cases, teams fail due to lack of the decision-making power to implement team strategies. Many objections in working in teams in educational settings seem to revolve around uneven workload, recognition of contribution, and grading. Some solutions include keeping track of team discussions, having team members identify the portions of an assignment they contributed, team-member evaluation of all other team members, and evaluation of the team as a whole.  Psychologist B. W. Tuckman identified the following five stages that teams must go through to be successful:Forming: This is a period where the group works on team roles, responsibilities and schedules. The team is in the process of getting to know one another. This is generally a period of non-confrontation. Storming: During this stage, patience can begin to wear thin. Some individuals roll up their sleeves to attack the task, while others tend to hang back in the comfort zone of Stage 1. Teams negotiate how they will work together. Storming can be a stressful period of disorientation and reorientation.  Norming: During this stage, the group becomes established, roles are agreed on, the group task is clear and agreed on, and the team begins working together sharing ideas and information. Performing: Not all teams reach this stage. Teams work together effectively making decisions and taking/changing roles as needed. The group has achieved interdependence and flexibility.Adjourning: This is the point where the team has completed the task and disengages from the group. It is also a time for reflection.

Group AssignmentRead at http://ncssmapchemistry.pbwiki.com a future collaborative assignment called “WebQuest: Evidence for Atoms”.

Today, as a team exercise only, complete the following Learning Group Agreement that will help you plan your group collaboration in completing this future assignment. Post the completed agreement as a reply to the “Learning Group Agreement” posting in the General Discussion Board. Before submitting the final version of the agreement, remove the instructions in red; you may also modify the structure of agreement as needed. Prior to future collaborative assignments, you can use this Learning Group Agreement as a starting point and modify it as needed, depending on the nature of the assignment.

Reference:Katzenbach, J. R. and Smith, D. K. (2003).  The Wisdom of Teams. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.businessballs http//www.businessballs.com website  

Learning Group Agreement WorksheetGroup Members’ Individual ContributionsThis is where group members let the others in the group know their strengths and weaknesses, what they can contribute, what they want to work on, and what they need help with. While students have a tendency to contribute based on areas of strength, it is important as the group stays together to have students eventually take on activities that develop their weaker skills.

 Learning Group Members Names Strengths/Weaknesses Members Bring to the Group

Ground RulesThese are the basic ground rules that each group member must observe. Add more as you see fit, but do not remove any of these.

Learning Group Ground Rules

Members are fully committed to common goal and mission

Members are mutually accountable to one another.

Members respect one another and work collaboratively

All members share in the workload

Members maintain timely communications with other members

  Learning Group Goals: Project assignment goals, group process goals, quality level goals, etc.This is where the group members will list the objectives for completing the assignment. These should be measurable. These can include objectives to complete the assignment, level of quality, and the processes the group will use to achieve the goals.

What are the potential barriers to reaching the goals?The group should identify possible problems and include a plan to address those problems. What conflicts might come up within the group or between group members during this course? How will group members handle group conflicts?

Learning Group Goals Solutions to Potential Barriers

Work must be submitted on time.

Work must be complete.

All members must attend agreed on meeting times or notify other members of conflicts.  

All members must consider other member ideas, opinions, and input. All members must behave in a supportive and encouraging manner.  

All members must contribute equally.  

We will attempt to resolve all problems within our group by contacting members and discussing issues.

List of tasks to be completed: Meeting schedule, attendance expectations, agenda, assignment completion, roles, etc.To avoid frustration and conflict, group members need to establish a list of tasks to be completed with assigned responsibilities and due dates Need to define, as appropriate, also meeting times, central place of discussion, group members roles (note taker, facilitator, meeting scheduler, etc.), posting site and due date/time for finished product.

List tasks to be completed Person/s responsible for completing task Due Date

Other Details Description

Meeting times and dates

Central place of discussion

Group members roles

Location of posting site for finished product

Due date and time for posting of finished product