Individual and Group Work in Teaching, Learning and Assessment - Research Paper Example

? Individual and Group Work in Teaching, Learning and Assessment Unit Unit views on individual and group work in teaching,learning and assessment Introduction Data was collected from five foreign students studying in the United Kingdom (UK). The students interviewed had previously studied in their native countries before moving to study in the UK. In this interviews and assessment, the educational values of individual and group work are explored. The paper also investigates the differences between individual and group work in three levels: teaching, learning and assessment. The study is based on international educational experiences of learners studying abroad; their opinions on the individual work and group work especially in the cultural diverse learning institutions also discussed. A comparison approach is used to define the different impacts of individual or group work in different settings internationally. Students from different backgrounds from the UK and abroad give their opinions on the importance of group and individual work. The students interviewed come from various countries namely: Poland, Kenya, Australia, China, and France. Previous research Students noted frustration with joy riders in group work especially in open-ended evaluation piece (Shumow, 2001, p. 35). Despite this, small group work in problem based learning was rated the best in promoting learning. The negative attitude towards group work among students developed from those learners who did not participate sufficiently to their collaborative groups (Skinner, 2010.). According to this study, another issue raised involved students who did not seem attuned to the educational value of listening to what other group members had to contribute during sharing and discussion. The students were or pretended to be unaware that group members or their findings could be used as resources. This research also revealed that students were anxious about the sit-in classroom examinations; it appeared as if they needed more direct guidance. The recommendations given in this study included integrating the problem based learning throughout the semester to better the results of the students. This could be achieved through letting students solve problems as homework and individual assignments. Another way to achieve this is through using four problems as a unifying platform for each quarter of the course. Class discussions, tutor presentations and media shown in class could then be attached in the problem. A third possible way is to alternate group work with individual work during the course. And a last way is to let each group work on a different problem; the groups then present their answers in class while the class assesses the group’s work (Shumow, 2001, p. 36). The problem of joy riders could be solved through collecting notes and checking them in each class session to ensure that all students are participating in group work(Joughin, 2009).Nevertheless, this problem is bothersome and really challenging to handle since more resources are used in supervision. Moreover, joy riding suggests that the students could be unreliable workers in the potential market. According to Townsend, Long, & Trainor, 2011, group supervision and peer learning in social work field can be beneficial in other contexts such as professional, social, cultural, economic and political frameworks locally and internationally. Townsend, Long, & Trainor, 2011 studied teaching, learning and supervisory relationships that support group work and group assessment especially in field work. They had a lot of relevance in the Australian contexts. Group learning is vulnerable to group dynamics whereby different personalities and individual needs may affect the learning experience (Arfield, 2013). Furthermore, more dominant individuals in the group may inhibit on the ability of passive individuals to meet their own personal goals. Group work in learning requires the group members to be accountable and to minimise the group size (Light, Cox, & Calkins, 2009). Additionally, the members of the group should be chosen selectively since some students’ learning styles may be incompatible to those of others. This incompatibility will define the type of supervision to be used in assessing group works (Lynn & Nisivoccia, 2008). Group work has lost its prominence in many social work curricula; nevertheless, group work theory and practice has its position in the area of social work field education especially in the Australian and Pacific contexts (Turner, 2005). Social work students need to be equipped for field education with skills in establishing relationships in group settings when in supervision groups, networking or task teams. Seminars for social work field education are necessary to provide theoretical resources and learning case examples to prepare the students for the practicum (Light, Cox, & Calkins, 2009). Townsend, Long, & Trainor, 2011, assert that students should be encouraged to use the seminars as a forum for practising and exploring their group work skills including developing skills in leadership, facilitating, mediation and role definition, p. 336. Thus, the students will be empowered with skills necessary in group work. The Research The research involves interviewing a range of students from different international backgrounds, both postgraduate and undergraduate. The students are engaged in an interview to share their own international educational experiences and opinions on individual and group work in teaching, learning and assessment. Research Questions Semi-structured interviews are devised and carried out to address the different views that a student has for group and individual work in teaching, learning and assessment. The questions designed will address aspects and importance of individual or group work in classroom work and assignment; the preference between individual and group work in presentations (which one works best?), learning and assessment; comparison between the previous and present place of study in terms of lectures, tutorials, seminars and presentations; assessment in either individual or group settings. Description of the Research Semi-structured interviews involving ten questions (see appendix 1) were carried out in Southampton University. The students interviewed were directly contacted from within the university. The students that accepted the interview were from a variety of nationalities and enrolled for different courses. The ten questions guided the interviews which took less than 10 minutes per person. The interviewing process was recorded electronically and written manually. Results and analysis The data collected from the interviews revealed that most students from abroad encountered new educational experiences in the UK in teaching, learning and assessment. Most students contended that both group and individual work are importantin their academic development and preparation for the market. Nevertheless, individual work was most preferred in teaching and assessment. On the other hand, most students claim that group work in learning is best. Student X from Poland asserts that individual and group work should be integrated when working on assignments and learning.With regard to presentations, student X prefers giving them individually. This student learns better individually, but supplements with group work for more ideas and understanding. Drawing comparison between the home country and the UK, the student notes the differences in terms of lectures and seminars. In the UK lectures and seminars are more practical; discussions, presentations and working in groups. In the home country, the lectures and seminars concentrate more on learning individually and less on group working. There is minimal difference in the way lecturers teach and interact with the students. Assessment: the student prefers individual assessment to group assessment; however, group assessment is preferred in presentations. In group work, some students put more effort while others put little effort or do not bother at all. Most students’ assessment experience (particularly from Kenya) before coming to the UK higher education involved: testing learning through examinations only, they never heard of group work and presentations. The students just needed to pass examinations showing that they mastered syllabus content. This implies the students were required to produce what is in the textbook and assessed only on a detailed syllabus. Most examinations were high speed tests. Individual and group work Teaching With regards to teaching, lecturers are considered more interactive and embolden active learning. In the UK lecturers use more resources in class such as videos and power points. The practicality of the theories is taught with clarity and comprehension is enhanced. The students noted that the lecturers teaching international students are very helpful and supportive in aiding learning. The lecturers also enhance interactions through discussions and question asking. Giving time for sharing of opinions and enquiring for clarifications during lectures is a positive among the international students. The methods of lectures are different from their home countries: involves lectures without visual aids and involvement of student during the class session. The student interviewed pointed out the educational value and importance of their own opinions. This suggests that the students are reflective learners, autonomous and defy the stereotype that international students are submissive, passive and dependent. Most of these students are English Second Language (ESLs) hence have language difficulties which render them vulnerable to stereotyping (Brownlie, Feniak, & McCarthy, 2004). Most students argued that in the UK the teaching style are more active and free; this makes the lectures more attractive. The active learning comes in handy where independent opinions are required since the learners are used to discussions and involvement class. Most students agreed that in the UK, they enjoyed the greater freedom during the lectures and are not spoon-fed. The lecturers show the students the way to the answer instead of giving them the answer. Most students expressed this preference as it gave them an opportunity to do the research for the answer themselves; this enhances better learning and understanding of concepts. Learning and Assessment Group work enhances learning; objective group work promotes profound learning and better retention of knowledge. Group work allows learners to discuss with their peers hence clarifying and refining their understanding. Student X says that, “I learn better on my own, but when I need some ideas then I like to in a group; people can come up with ideas; it is more effective”. Another student says, “I learn better when we work in a group; discuss and share opinions….” According to the foreign students, the UK Higher Education emphasizes more on group work than individual work as compared to the institutions in their home countries. With regards to assessments, students preferred group assessment in field work projects and presentations. Most students favoured specific educational contexts in which group assessment could be done. Such contexts involved group work in which the student did not have to talk a lot; language barriers was mentioned as the main impedance. Nevertheless, most students were comfortable working in groups because of its magnificent importance. They understand that group work allows them to share opinions and develop their own ideas in a supportive environment. Group work also enables the international students to practice speaking the English language with native learners. The interrelation between teaching and assessment during teacher-led interaction in the classroom is enhanced by the role of the teacher’s intentionality and group cohesion in whole class discussion (Fulcher & Davidson, 2013 ). Group assessment plays the role of making interaction more accustomed to students’ developing abilities. According to Fulcher and Davidson 2013, group and individual assessment use similar procedures; however, in group assessment dynamic assessment mediation is geared towards the group Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The students are also aware of the other advantages of group work which include: working closely with learners from diverse social and cultural backgrounds; helps the students develop communication skills necessary for their employability; enables the students discover their particular strengths in team working; provides learners with the environment to make new friends and learn dealing with challenges and conflicts; and also develops skills such as time management, team working and problem solving. Most students believe that in group working others do more work than others. This poises a great challenge especially when assessment is involved. One student says, “… I prefer individual assessment … I don’t like group work assessment because same marks are awarded to each group member and yet some individuals work more than others”. Hence, some group members consider group assessment and feedbacks to be unfair. Nevertheless, most students think that marks should be awarded according to the contributions an individual gives to the group work. Additionally, group produces higher performance due to a various reasons: groups involves more manpower and are more productive than lone individuals. When groups are managed well, collection of data, citations, reading and others are done more and in suitable time. Groups also can work on complex projects effectively and exhibit more creativity than individuals. Thus, students prefer working in groups to tackle more challenging tasks and produce more solutions, more elaborate analyses and take into account a wider scope of issues. Influences of Studying Abroad Most students’ opinions on individual and group work are influenced by their studying abroad. These students are gradually adapting to the education system in the UK. Despite the differences with the education system in their home country, the students are determined, focused and willing to learn in the new system. Their views are also influenced by the fact that English is their second language and they are learning together with the natives. Most of them think that the group work learning system will help them a lot especially in enhancing their communication skills and improve their language. Recommendations Group work has come closer than any other activity in the undergraduate curricular to prepare students for the market (Bennett & Wilson, 2009). Assessment is increasingly becoming the major driver for learning. The assessment strategy to be used should be designed and communicated to the students for proper learning strategy. Assessment should be given a central role in designing the course (OECD, 2013). This will help to define whether group assessment or individual assessment is appropriate to grade the students. Since assessment classifies students for the suitability of potential employers, the institution or even the students themselves, it should be accurate and fair to avoid frustrations. According to Brown, 2004, since assessment is a part of learning process; hence, assessment should be student-centred p. 83. Assessment techniques should be designed in such a way that they focus on substantiation of accomplishment. The methods should practice-oriented to ensure the employability when the students graduate. The assessment should also measure how the learner puts into practice what he or she has learnt. To eliminate the unfairness in group work assessment in terms of rewarding marks, the assessment should be made such that it produces appropriate student t behaviour. This is because individuals will see that their effort will be rewarded and their lack of participation punished (Gibbs, 2009). Clearly, a student who did not put enough effort in the group should not score well on the individual assessment. This implies that group work and individual work are integrated. For this to be possible the students undertake group work with formative remarks but no marks are allocated. A separate assessment such as an individual report based on the group work ad marks allocated exclusively to individuals. Dynamic assessment (DA) should also be employed. It involves an interactive alternative type of assessment that integrates assessment and instruction. Dynamic assessment targets gauging and enhance the learning potential of individual learners and coming up with suitable educational strategies. DA improves the understanding of what the student is able to do in a specific learning context. It puts more stress on the learning process rather than the final product or answer. In DA, mediation promotes better performance especially in students with difficulties. This solves the issue of unfairness in education. It is based on sociocultural theory, especially on Vygotsky’s notion of ZPD. DA is applied typically to second language contexts (Fulcher & Davidson, 2013 ). Creating opportunities for interaction and discussion among international students and the native students is crucial. The native students and the staff can provide a supportive environment for the foreign students to adapt the UK educational system which is new to them. Experiential learning for the students can help them understand the importance of the group and individual work in the UK (Carroll, 2008). Moreover, the tutors in the UK should try and familiarise themselves with the learner’s previous educational experience. This will enable the students develop confidence to try new techniques of showing their knowledge. Their adjustments will involve the students taking risks in learning even when there are consequences of disappointment. Conclusion Individual and group work in teaching, learning and assessment poises challenges among the international students in the UK. The foreign students coming to the UK find group working challenging and take some time before they cope with the system. This is because previously they studied in institutions that did not focus keenly on group work. The students readily embrace group work in learning and even teaching, but reluctantly agree to group assessment. Some students, though few, do not like the group work due to availability of individuals and time management. The main reasons group work in assessment is not accepted is due to the fact that some individuals do more work than others and yet same marks are rewarded to them all. References Arfield, J. H. 2013, Flexible Learning in Higher Education. New York: Routledge. Bennett, S., & Wilson, I. 2009, Assessment in Higher Level Chemistry Education. In I. Eilks, B. Byers, R. S. Britain), & E. C. Network, Innovative methods of teaching and learning chemistry in higher education (pp. 215-228). Cambridge, UK: RSC Publishing. Brown, S. 2004, Assessment for Learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 1, 2004-5, 81-90 Available at http://www2.glos.ac.uk/offload. Brownlie, F., Feniak, C., & McCarthy, V.2004, Instruction and assessment of ESL learners: promoting success in your classroom. Winnipeg: Portage and Main Press. Carroll, J. 2008, Assessment Issues for International Students and forTeachers of International Students. The Enhancing Series Case Studies: International Learning Experience, Available at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/. Fulcher, l., & Davidson, F. 2013, The Routledge Handbook of Language Testing. New York: Routledge. Gibbs, G. 2009, The assessment of group work: lessons from the literature. Assessment Standards Knowledge Exchange. Joughin, G. 2009, Assessment, learning and judgement in higher education. Dordrecht: Springer. Light, G., Cox, R., & Calkins, S. (2009). Learning and teaching in higher education: the reflective professional. London: Sage Publications. Lynn, M., & Nisivoccia, D. 2008, Group Work Approaches and Methods. In R. S. Alex Gitterman, Encyclopedia of Social Work with Groups (pp. 59-102). New York: Routledge. OECD. 2013, Synergies for Better Learning. Paris: OECD Publishing. Shumow, L. 2001, Problem-Based in an Undergraduate Educational Psychology Course. In B. Levin, Energizing teacher education and professional development with problem-based learning (pp. 23-38). Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, cop. Skinner, D. 2010, Effective teaching and learning in practice. London: Continuum International Pub. Group. Townsend, R., Long, N., & Trainor, R. 2011, Learning Opportunities of Social Work Group Supervision And Peer Learning. In C. Noble, & M. Henrickson, Social work field education and supervision across Asia Pacific (pp. 321-346). The University Of Sydney, N.S.W.: Sydney University Press. Turner, F. 2005, Canadian encyclopedia of social work. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Appendix 1: Semi-structured questions for the interview 1. What are your views on individual and group work? 2. What do you prefer, individual or group work? Why? 3. Do you prefer working presentations individually or in a group? Why? 4. Do you learn better by group or on your own? 5. Compared to where you studied previously studied and currently studying is there difference in teaching seminars lecture? 6. Is there difference in the way lecturers teach in your country and in the UK? 7. Do you prefer individual assessment or group assessment? Explain 8. Do you think some individuals in a group do more work than others? 9. Does studying abroad affect your views on individuals and group work? 10. Do you have more abilities when working alone or in a group? Read More