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Group work: Getting started

Getting off to a strong start is one of the keys to successful group work. This page will guide you through the initial stages of group assignments.

Here’s a guide to help you through the initial stages:

The first steps

Initial meeting goals

Introduce yourselves to each other. Discuss your strengths and hopes for the group.

Brainstorm the task

Share your understanding of the assessment goal. Aim to reach a consensus on the requirements.

Planning and organisation

Develop an agenda

List topics, actions required, responsible members, and deadlines.

Define research tasks

Decide on tasks and allocate them among members.

Create a timeline

Set deadlines for specific tasks.

Communication and meetings

Decide on communication tools

  • Options include Google Docs, a wiki, email, instant messaging, etc.
  • Exchange contact details.

Schedule meetings

  • Arrange dates, times, and locations that suit everyone.
  • Record the meeting details.

Establish a group charter

Agree on principles and expectations for group behaviour.

Assign roles

Groups usually have a number of set roles to help them fuction well and it is best to assign these roles at your first team meeting. They include:

Group leader

Responsibilities include:

  • facilitating (not dominating) discussion in the group
  • keeping discussion at meetings on track and to the point
  • making a final decision when group cannot resolve issues
  • calling on the support of a lecturer or tutor to mediate unresolved conflict
  • ensuring that meetings follow the agenda
  • assuring that notes from meetings are sent to group members
  • maintaining an overview of group processes.

Note-taker

Responsibilities include:

  • taking notes of items discussed at meetings, actions decided on, and people responsible for those actions
  • writing out the group's understanding of the assignment task
  • making a list of the allocation of tasks and the due date
  • keeping a list of contact details of group members
  • distributing these notes via agreed communication channels
  • sending out the agenda before meetings.

Reflector

Responsibilities include:

  • identifying and raising issues that are affecting the group
  • acknowledging areas of conflict in the group
  • maintaining an overview of the groups' progress
  • speaking up about possible problems regarding projected time lines.

Information gatherer

Usually, this will be done by more than one person, and it can even be done by each person in the group. It involves:

Editor/proofreader

This role can be done by one or more people. It involves:

  • checking the completed assignment or sections of the assignment for spelling and grammatical errors
  • looking for inconsistences in format and layout
  • identifying areas that could be expressed or explained more clearly
  • making sure that all of the criteria from the assignment instructions have been met.

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