Roberts, T. S., & McInnerney, J. M. (2007).
Seven Problems of Online Group Learning (and Their Solutions).
Educational
Technology & Society, 10 (4), 257-268.
Problem #1: student antipathy towards group work
Can lead to apathy and even hostility
Problem #2: the selection of the groups
Discusses potential value of heterogenous goups - whether less able can benefit
Problem #3: a lack of essential group-work skills
Quotes Burdett (2003: p179) ‘group work can be hard work emotionally and intellectually; and that this fact is sometimes overlooked by group work advocates and practitioners’ (Burdett, J. (2003). Making Groups Work: University Students’ Perceptions. International Education Journal, 4 (3), retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles/v4n3/Burdett/paper.pdf ).
Problem #4: the free-rider
Problem #5: possible inequalities of student abilities
P262 ‘ the need to temper the individual students’ needs with those of all the students in the group’ Winkworth and Maloney (2002) (Winkworth, A., & Maloney, D. (2002). An exploration of apathy and enthusiasm in task-focused groups:
implications for task design and supervisor intervention, retrieved October 15, 2007, from
http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au/conferences/teach_conference00/papers/winkworth-maloney.html ).
Problem #6: the withdrawal of group members, and
Problem #7: the assessment of individuals within the groups.
Addressing problem 1 – make students aware of the generic skills that they will aquire
Levin (2002a: p5) a minimal list of generic skills (Levin, P. (2002a). Teamwork Tutoring: Helping Students Working On Group Projects To Develop Teamwork,
retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://www.teamwork.ac.uk/MGS_teamwork_tutoring.PDF.)
indicated that, when it came time for them to partake in real world employment, students involved
in group learning would have developed the skills of…
• developing rapport with others
• negotiating a framework for working with others
• generating and sustaining motivation and commitment to working together
• standing back from the hurly-burly of teamwork and
• making sense of what is going on in one’s team
• coping with stressful situations that arise
• evaluating the working of one’s team
• recognising and making the most of individuals’ dispositions to prefer particular team roles
• building up one’s teamwork expertise.
