Interdependence

Constructing concepts through an exchange of ideas 

Concept maps. Students exchange ideas around a concept and link the ideas to the concept. See how Meme Drumwright uses them Links to an external site. 

Practicing constructive feedback 

Editing. Give the students a paragraph or proof or justification for something – Get them to do a critique by using the words “going forward the author could ……..” 

Translation from negative to positive. You give the students a table of “bad” feedback in the first column and they fill out the second column with more constructive language. (this can also be done to help good reflections). 

Equally working toward a common goal and shared rewards

Lego activity. Construct a complicated piece of Lego and hide it behind a screen. Each team has exactly the right number of pieces to reproduce the construction.  

The team allows one member to go up at a time to look at the construction, then they come back and build part of the construction. 

Variations: Students are not allowed to talk. Only one person, who does not go up to the construction is allowed to construct. The other group members just have to give instructions on what to do. Give them a very short period of time  Make it a competition. 

Equal agency in contribution of ideas and division of labor 

Building a resource. As a team build a table or proof or concept map etc. in turn, each person adds an extra idea. 

Reflect on a process. After an activity similar to the Lego activity ask the students to reflect on who came up with ideas, did everyone participate, why not? Did everyone help to build? This is not an evaluation or a critique but just a record of who was dominant or who was passive. It gives the group a chance to talk to each other to work toward more equal agency. 

Synthesis of work into a group product. 

Clues to solve a mystery. Give each student a clue to a mystery (what element is this, which country is this, which theorist is this?) Could get students to write their own clues and give to another group 

Variation, put the answer on a hat or on peoples’ backs. Each of the team members have to give a clue until the person guesses the answer. 

6 faces of a cube.  Students can see only one face of a cube. There is a clue on this face that they share with the other group members. They have to guess what is on the face that is flat on the table. Mary Poteet used this in her Geoscience class. See instructions here and cube template This activity can be adapted to concepts in many different disciplines. 

Constructively using feedback from group members 

Progressive editing. Give students a badly constructed passage to edit. In turn one member of the team gives constructive feedback, something has to be changed, the group changes it. Compare the original and the final to reinforce the benefit of constructive feedback. 

Variation, same activity, but one person argues why it shouldn’t be changed or group decides if it should be changed 

Case scenarios. Students read these case scenarios and think of ways they would give an evaluation to help the person have some strategies to be a better group member 

Coaching. Helping students to give feedback that enhances strengths not pointing out weaknesses.  

Developing a sense of belonging by: 

This is where building well-formed groups is important. Before the course think about strengths that are needed for the team assignment. 

Leveraging strengths 

Taking tests. Take different “tests” to find strengths, see a few here and  here 

Discuss how much these should be leveraged 

Discuss the “burden” of strengths and bolstering “non-strengths” 

Helping team members keep to expectations 

Benchmarking. Get students to learn how to use a Gant type chart https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/gantt-chart-excel Links to an external site.  

Project management skills. Introduce students to a project management software like Trello Links to an external site. 

Producing something better than the sum performance of individuals 

Jigsaw. Each student in the team reads a different piece of literature around the same topic. They jigsaw Links to an external site. the content by teaching each other the main points of the article. Then they produce something that needs each person’s information. Could be a graph, map, picture, poster, video, letter etc.