Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Which project team do YOU want to be a member of?
Most courses nowadays have one or more projects to be done by student teams. Sometimes I assign you to a team. Other times, I let the class divide itself into teams. Which do you prefer your instructor to use? There are pros and cons to each. Assigning you to a group means you'll meet some people you've had little or no contact with, broadening your social skills. Letting you choose a team means you can get with a group that has a schedule compatible with yours, so you can meet easily. I've used both, and lean towards assigning you to a group. When you choose your team members, there's a tendency to pick your friends rather than those who will best complement your own efforts. And it's a lot harder to come down hard on a free rider (someone who doesn't do a fair share of the work) when he or she is your friend.
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I would much prefer that a team be chosen for me-I learn more from other people that way. I feel more open to listenin to what others say and in turn find it easier to speak my opinion. To be honest, I think its because when talking to a bunch of people that I dont necessarily know it is significantly easier to stay on task! Yes, the scheduling issue does indeed become a problem, but thats simply the nature of group work while in college. Scheduling is a problem whether the people in your group are friends or not.
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