The Advantages of Group Work Far Outweigh the Disadvantages of Group Work - Literature review Example

Running Head: The advantages of group work far outweigh the disadvantages of group work Customer Inserts His/Her Name Customer Inserts Grade Course Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name 12, 08, 2010 Introduction In our daily academic studies and beyond, both private consultation and group discussions are part of our lives. This discussion however will focus on the relevance of group discussions especially in our studies. It is somewhat obvious that there are a number of advantages of group work and its disadvantages (Wageeh 2009). In order to establish the option that has more weight, it will be of essence to discuss the merits and demerits of each option. Many English speaking schools both local and international have adapted group discussions as part of their curriculum, the main reason for this development was mainly to promote student interaction which improves their language skills in both writing and talking (Long 2005). In most cases, students improve their writing and speaking of English as a result of symposium with other students. This is evident in most English speaking countries as compared to Asian countries. This discussion is thus aimed at bringing out the option that has more weight as compared to the other. Benefits of group work Given the fact that each individual has their own strengths and weaknesses when grasping facts in classroom, discussing issues learned from class gives us an opportunity to get what we missed and also give others what we have. This opportunity will pass by if regular discussions are not done. A good example in this case is mathematics discussion, since mathematics require practise and further reasoning, it is always recommended to discuss mathematical assignments once assigned in order to increase our understanding scope (Trotzer 2006).The other advantage of a group discussion is the fact that one is able to learn new ideas and new approaches on several academic issues imperative in class performance. According to Zastrow (2009) it is also in discussion groups that we gain confidence in our ability and also strengthen our communication skills which will be in practice after completing our University studies. The department of marketing in any company or institution requires good command of communication skills, communication skills are acquired from practise and involvement of group discussion over a period of time. Private and independent studies are not enriched with communication skills, idea sharing and co-ordination common in organizations outside the college life. These facts prove that school and college discussions provide us with skills necessary in facing our everyday lives (Gee 2005). The other vital merit of group discussions is the fact the individuals can be assigned different tasks creating what can be called specialization, this is not there in individual study. In the outside world, as an example, the manufacture of a computer is as a result of combined efforts from different individuals, the hardware and the software part of the computer manufactured in different areas. Microsoft Corporation is the main manufacturer of computer software products such as the Ms Office, the Operating System such as Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. On the other hand, computer hardware parts such as the processor are manufactured by Intel Corporation. The Motherboard and the processor are all mainly manufactured by Intel Corporation. This example shows how specialisation which was started in schools plays a critical role in the field (Liebmann 2004). This explicitly shows how cooperation that developed from discussions plays a critical role in uniting different companies to develop the same product; this could not have been possible in a situation where individuals worked individually. Demerits of group work There are a number of demerits that are brought about by group discussions; one of the major disadvantages is time wastage. More time is normally spent discussing issues that could otherwise be decided in a shorter time in the case of individual study. Time wastage is as a result of several contributions that contradict in most cases (Melvin 2006). The time taken for the discussion depends on the individuals in the group, in a school setting, different students have different abilities, and this implies that the time taken in the discussion process will be longer than usual as a result of these involved people. Students with lower grasping power will slow the entire process because of the time that they will take to catch up with the rest of the group. The other demerit of group discussion is that some issues require thorough private studies before discussions; in this case, discussions can be very discouraging given the abilities of different individuals. In some cases, group discussions require a lot of resources in terms of the discussion venue, logistics involved or computer network if the discussion is to be carried out online (Weaver 2005). Getting involved in discussion groups can sometimes lead to laziness especially in class work as individuals tend to rely on other people in personal work that they could have otherwise finished on their own. Analysis From the discussion above, it is evident that there are more benefits in group discussions than there are demerits. Some of the most fundamental benefits of group discussion are; one is able to gain adequate communication skills, new ideas, confidence and what one missed while in classroom. Communications skills are gained through frequent interactions of people with different approaches, from this perception, one will learn to listen at the right time and talk at the right time (Melvin 2006). New ideas are gained from people simply because in general people tend to differ in the way that they approach issues. As one communicates within a classroom setting, confidence level develops, confidence is necessary in our daily lives as we face the world challenges. According to Bender (2003, pp.25) studies that were conducted in Asian countries revealed an interesting statistics about the language learning in Asian countries, unlike native English countries, most Asian countries do not participate on group discussions, this factor contributes to the poor language learning skills. This is not the case in private studies; one will not be able to gain more ideas and new approach of ideas (Zastrow 2009). Given the fact that co-ordination and group work are necessary in the outside life especially in organizations, the benefits of group discussions cannot be over-emphasised. An individual who has been involved in more group discussions is more likely to succeed in life career compare to an individual with less group discussions. This is mostly because there are more skills of organizational behaviour gained in group discussions than there are in private studies (Harnack 2008). As critically discussed above it can never be over-emphasised that the positives of group discussions far overweigh the demerits of a discussion groups. The positives of collective actions ahead bring forth individuals with pertinent communications skills mandatory in the running of everyday activities in the organization. This implies that an individual with more exposure to group work is highly likely to give positive results in an organization as compared to an individual with less exposure of group discussion (Lucado 2009). Secondly, the positives ahead as a result of group discussions leads to maximum social integration and the ability to give appropriate leadership traits that are necessary not only in organisations but also in life related issues. In a family setting, communication strengthens the relationship that exists between partners in a relationship or parents and children. This is so because through discussion groups, people learn to interact with each other through negotiations learning to agree and disagree positively without resorting to fights and negative emotions as a way of solving family problems. Thirdly, group discussion brings forth inventions due to the combined abilities of individuals in within an organization. These positives are not possible in private discussions because of the need to combine efforts in everyday life. According to Liebmann (2004) in the scientific fraternity, inventions are brought about by combined efforts, in most scientific laboratories; there are a number of scientists working on the same project. This is usually done in groups because of the combined abilities of different people. Conclusion As discussed in this analysis, it is evident that group discussions far outweigh the demerits of group discussions; this is evident from the applications of group discussions in our everyday lives. Most developments and innovations that the world has experienced are mainly attributed to technological developed contributed by different people as a result of group discussions. The manufacture of computer was done by different companies, the hardware and the software is usually produced in different places, the synchronization of the software and the hardware is usually as a result of discussions about the different needs of the hardware and the software. Microsoft Corporation and Intel Corporation are examples of different manufacturers of software and hardware respectively (Melvin 2006). The advantages of group discussions in schools level far outweigh its disadvantages as shown in these two corporations. English development through speaking in Asian countries is behind as compared to schools in European countries simply because of lack of discussion groups in Asian schools (Harnack 2008).The other major advantage of group discussion is the fact that it leads to better management of families and parenting process as a whole. The only demerit of group discussion that is relevant in this case is the time wasted given the different abilities of different people involved in the discussion process. This however does not overweigh the merits that are accrued as a result of group discussions. References Read More