Methods of Group work

Methods of Group work-Baruna Rana-Jyoti PariyarGroup workis a form ofcooperative learning. It aims to cater for individual differences, develop students' knowledge, gernal skills (e.g.communication skills,collaborative skills, critical thinkingskills) and attitudes.Group work

Why work in Group ?????

1.generating a broad array of possible alternative points of view or solutions to a problem

2. giving students a chance to work on a project that is too large or complex for an individual3. giving students a chance to teach each other

4. allowing students with different backgrounds to bring their special knowledge, experience, or skills to a project, and to explain their orientation to others5. giving students a structured experience so they can practice skills applicable to professional situationsEncouraging Ideas

Methods for GroupworkAction planningBrainstorming/ Reverse BrainstormingEnergisersFlipchartGround RulesGo WildGroup ReviewIce BreakersMetaplanningMulti votingRankingRound RobinWorking in pairs or triosThree star ratingStructured problem solving/decision making

This is vital for team success to gain commitment for action and should be a simple technique for team use after any type of team event such as meetings, projects, etc. Usually the items captured are what, when, who with space for a progress to be captured. To ease the assignment of action points, it is sometimes best to leave that part to the end of the meeting/event.Action planning Ground-Rules

At an early stage of the group coming together, it is helpful for the facilitator or meeting leader to get the group to establish some ground rules or team code for the way the group wish to work together.

Go Wild

Using the Go Wild method involves writing down 20 ideas beginning with the phrase wouldnt it be good if. This can really help to push the group to come up with better and more good solutions. To begin with, the statements might be obvious and predictable but will become increasingly creative and wild as you go on.

This is an ideal tool for generating a large quantity of ideas within the group, although there are some fundamental principles that guide effective brainstorming sessions. Reverse brainstorming asks the group to look at how they can make the issue worse which can produce some thought provoking ideas on improving issues. You may find our tips ondeveloping creativilityuseful.Brainstorming/ Reverse Brainstorming

RankingThis decision-making technique helps the group select the most appropriate and relevant idea using a pre-determined selection criteria. You can use brainstorming to generate the quantity of ideas you are looking for but then determine a selection criteria the group must use to guide their personal decision - making process against a numerical scale.

Multi-votingThis technique allows groups to use Brainstorming to generate a long list of ideas, and then narrow these ideas into a manageable size for realistic consideration and selection of the best ideas. It allows the whole group to be involved in the selection Process and ultimately saves the group a great deal of time.

Three -star -rating

A helpful visual group decision making technique using coloured stickers (all the same colour and star shaped). Each participant is given three stars to award against their preferred option or options. The stars can be distributed as the participant wishes. At the end you have a visual record of the preferred option.

EnergisersThese are ideal to raise personal energy levels within the group and can therefore be used at appropriate intervals throughout the day. You can build up your repertoire of energisers by reviewing training manuals, sharing ideas with colleagues and thinking up your own. FlipchartUsing a flipchart during a team meeting can provide a creative yet structured working environment for everyones benefit and bring focus to the group.

Ice-BreakersIce Breakers are ideal to get people interacting early on in the meeting and particularly helpful for new groups coming together. They help take the group members mind off the meeting content whilst concentrating on working with each other in a light-hearted way.

Working-in-pairs-or-triosThis is an ideal method of group working at the earlier stages of a meeting to encourage easy participation and break down any initial barriers. It is also a good way of helping individuals define the issue the group is working on.

Discussions should last about five to ten minutes before bringing the pairs back together to discuss the issue as one group.

Round-RobinThis simple technique aims to raise participation levels or to help define a problem by asking each person in the group to state their views on the issue under discussion without being interrupted by anyone else in the group.

This means that all the ideas and views are raised at one time but the facilitator gets the group to summarise these ideas and views before the group moves on.

Group-Review

Getting the group to review what they have learnt and gained out of the meeting will help facilitate higher performance and only takes five to ten minutes.

Structured problem solving/decision makingThere are many different processes available, but essentially, most stages follow this structure:Define the problemPresent the backgroundGenerate ideasGroup ideasChoose the idea/sCheck commitmentMethods Of Case Work

Stages of Casework

Case study/social investigation/psycho-social studySocial DiagnosisSocial TreatmentSocial case study / Case History

Interview with the client

Interview with the relatives , employers, teachers and friends of the client

Visiting the neighborhood and environment in which the client lives

Social diagnosis

Social diagnosis is an attempt to arrive at an exact definition as possible of the social situation and personality of a given client.

Types of diagnosis

Dynamic diagnosis : It gives an understanding of the current problem of the client and forces currently oprating within the client, within social environment and between him / his environment .

25Clinical diagnosis :It is an attempt to classify the client s by the nature of his or her sickness / problems .It identifies the client personality mal-adaptation and mal-functioning.

Etiological diagnosisThis diagnosis is concerned with the explanation of the life history of the client problems when the client responses are not in accordance with the problem , the past history and its appraisal helps to understand the rigid reaction of the client and make appropriate treatment plan.

Social Treatment

Social treatment in a case work is the sum total of all activities and services directed toward helping the client with a problem. The focus is to relieve the immediate problem and if feasible modify any basic difficulties which precipitated it .Strictly speaking , everything that has been discussed so far is part of treatment .

Methods o social case work treatmentIndirect Treatment (environmental manipulation)Environmental manipulation means changing the social conditions of the client so that he/ she may be relieved from exclusive stresses and strains. For example attempts to change the attitude of the parents, teachers, spouse, employer, friends, and relatives, training and experience in accordance with the needs of the client. Environmental modification is undertaken by the case worker only when environmental pressures upon the client are beyond the client control but can be modified by the case worker 28Direct treatmentIn this case worker exerts influence directly on the client. It is used when the client needs direction because of his ignorance, anxiety and weakness of his ego strength Administration of practical services Providing help to the client to choose and use the social resources afforded by the community. Money medical care, legal aid, helping to get job or admission in educational institutions, aged homes, foster homes, recreational facilities are such type of services that such type of services that any person in problem may need in order to resolve a given problem in his daily living.