1. Meet
as soon as possible after receiving the assignment.
At the first meeting
• spend
a few minutes “breaking the ice” by
getting acquainted.
• choose
someone to take attendance and brief minutes
of meetings. The recorder can distribute
the minutes through e-mail.
• agree
on a schedule for future face-to-face meetings—dates,
time, location, and length. If there is a
set schedule at the beginning, you will all
feel more committed to attending and completing
tasks on time.
• make
a list of phone numbers and e-mail addresses
for each member. Establish when you are and
are not available to take phone calls. Decide
whether you want to e-mail completed tasks
to each other prior to meeting in person.
You can choose someone to contact members
before a meeting to make sure their work
is ready.
• spend
some time describing your abilities and preferences
for tasks. Each you will likely prefer some
tasks over others depending on your experience
with group work, knowledge of course content,
expertise in certain areas (e.g., in researching,
organizing information, or revising and editing
papers), and
desire to learn new skills.
• determine
group objectives. Each of you can make a
list of two or three main objectives for
the project (use the assignment description
to give you an idea). Then share ideas and
agree on the objectives you all support.
• establish
a “code of conduct” that spells
out rules for appropriate behaviour, such
as being on time for meetings and not leaving
early, contributing to discussions, listening
patiently to others, respecting differences,
working toward group objectives rather than
pushing your own pet ideas, and completing
tasks on time.
• decide
what to do if a member is having difficulty
with a task. Should there be a special meeting
of the group to brainstorm ideas?
• determine
how you will resolve conflicts (for suggestions,
see the separate
handout “Resolving Conflicts in Group Projects”).
• set
a firm policy about how to deal with slackers,
i.e., people who deliberately miss meetings
or don’t do their work. Will such a
person be “kicked out” of the
group? Check with the professor to see if
someone who has been kicked out will still
receive a grade for the project.
• look
closely at the description of the assignment
and determine what you need to do—research?
develop a draft? revise and edit? wordprocess
the final version? produce visual aids? Develop
a plan and assign tasks according to each
person’s preferences or abilities.
• set
deadlines for completing each of the tasks.
Setting deadlines is extremely important
when tasks must be completed in sequence.
You can each make note of your own deadline,
and the recorder can prepare a master list
of task due dates and e-mail a copy to everyone
soon after the meeting.
• discuss
the work that has been completed. Look for
ways to improve it— should you sharpen
the focus? add, delete, or reorganize material?
• make
a list of what is left to do and reaffirm
deadlines for completing the work. You should
all make note of this information on the
master plan.
• maintain
a positive attitude and contribute your best
so that you can make the final product the
best it can be. Help and encourage each other.
• aim
to finished the project before the due date.
If you are working on a written presentation,
all of you should read through the final
version to check for errors. If you are preparing
an oral presentation with each member speaking,
conduct a “dress rehearsal” so
that you’ll be polished and confident
for the performance.
When the
project is complete, meet to debrief by reflecting
on what went well and what you would like to
improve in future assignments.
