This page will help you prepare your students to work in a group setting to complete an assessment.
Group assessments can be challenging, and students come with different levels of engagement towards group assessments. Laying the groundwork and supporting students throughout the process enables them to achieve the assessment outcomes and improve their employability skills. It also helps in addressing barriers/issues that may arise within the groups. Make sure your students are aware that group assessment does not mean they will do less work. Evidence must allow each student to show that they have met the Learning Outcomes (LOs). Canvas must (where possible) be the repository for all group assessment evidence submitted by students.
Preparing your students for group assessment
Create buy-in for group assessment by clearly explaining the approach you have taken to form and resource the groups e.g.
- explaining your rationale on group set up, size and mix
- describing the support you have provided to promote successful group interactions
- explaining how issues that arise will be addressed
- talking through expectations on group behaviour, both face to face and online
- going through the assessment in class to ensure everyone understands, including the rubric, and especially the difference between individual and group contributions
Initiate activities and processes to help the group members to get to know each other including:
- allowing time in class to swap names, backgrounds, contact details especially if they work outside formal class time for group assessments
- an informal short ice-breaker activity within class for the groups
- creating Canvas discussion groups and/or Microsoft Teams sites to provide a good forum for online interactions, when supported by the resources you put into Canvas. You can use them to track individual student contribution to their group assessment
Get group feedback on their understanding of the purpose of the group assessment and assessment requirements. Guide your students by actively sharing helpful tips on getting different aspects of group work right, e.g.
- how to get the most out of their group meetings
- planning out their group work time management
- strategies to manage problems in the group
Provide your students with resources such as the one below on working in virtual groups
Emphasise the benefits of good group work for assessment outcomes and developing employability skills. Encourage groups to set up ground rules by discussing amongst themselves. This will enable the group to take responsibility for the progress of their assessment.
Goals a group may agree to could include:
- attending a schedule of meetings
- grades they are aiming for
- how tasks would be shared
- modes of communication
- criteria and deadlines for individual and group task completion
Check regularly on whether all group members have a clear understanding of the task/assessment, including:
- the output as required by the assessment – report, presentation, etc.
- the time available and workload/scope-start and end dates, number of tasks, and how much time each task would take and so on…
- learning outcomes that are being assessed
Provide support for your students during group assessments
- schedule regular feedback meetings at key stages of the group assessment during class time with each group
- encourage use of online tools to document assessment related evidence e.g. Canvas group discussion forums
- observe how the groups are working
- assist and stimulate group engagement and participation of all group members
- remind the group of assessment tasks and the group’s objectives