What did I learn? I learned a lot about myself. I found that the less response I felt from the group members, the more I tended to take over and try to do it myself. Not good. Each member of the groups I was in did participate and gave good input. However, my current experience is with a stable team, and that's different.
The experience took me back to the first group projects I worked on, and to the sense of ownership I had over my one part. I didn't want it changed. It was MINE! To give up control and allow changes to happen is very difficult. But I now feel that group projects work best when there is give and take among everyone involved. So, I can change your piece, you change mine, and we end up with a product that is better than either one of us could do alone. Unfortunately, that's difficult to achieve unless the work group has time to develop cohesion and and group vision.
Groups have development cycles, starting with forming - getting to know one another. From there, a storming period, where personalities and ideas clash usually occurs. Next, progression can occur to what is called norming. Here, the group interacts well and real working together can begin. Finally, the group hopefully reaches the performing level. This is where inventiveness and experimentation occur. The team trusts each other well enough to allow true collaboration.
So why was I surprised that these papers were so hard?
You make a very interesting point, and I agree. It is very hard to work with a group where people rarely communicate with each other. In some sense, if you are a person that wants to get work done, you will want to take control because you see that no one else is doing so. It would be easier if we all had groups that work well with each other, and have one main goal, and is willing to cooperate with each other. There must be a bit of give and take for team work to actually work, but there also has to be a group work environment for it work. I understand sometimes, when people slack off within a group, it makes you panic and want to just complete it yourself. But sometimes people just need a little nudging or nagging, whichever way you would want to take it.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with this line: "I found that the less response I felt from the group members, the more I tended to take over and try to do it myself." This is very true. Being in a group project like this really forces you to do something about your part as well as the entire project as a whole. If someone is slacking in the group, I always feel more inclined to step it up otherwise their part of the project isn't going to be shouldered by anybody else. That is, if the rest of the group doesn't make it a point to them to pick it up. But I totally understand everything about this blog. Good job.
ReplyDeleteWow this post is mad props! It's so real. I agree with you that if someone slacks off, you must take charge or else the assignment is not going to be complete which will bring your grade down. I like this line from you: "I now feel that group projects work best when there is give and take among everyone." I agree with you! For my second major course assignments, sometimes my group mates would share their ideas and thoughts about my part and we edit each others and the argument is much stronger since we conjoint ideas together. Great job!
ReplyDeleteWow im so sorry that you had such a hard time with the group papers. In almost every group project I have had to take over and fix the mess that they have caused. I feel that however I got really good groups. I have really been pleases with how the groups have gone. Im so sorry that you have not had the experience I have had. This last paper however we ran in to some trouble. One group member dropped of the face of the earth and we had to pick up his slack. You really learn a lot about people in these situations!
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