Group Work

“…group work encourages the development of collaborative skills (both communication and
teamwork), so that students can become effective ‘team members’ and better employees.”
(Witney & Smallbone, 2011, p. 102)

Getting started
Some assignments may require you to work as part of a group. Once the group is formed, all
members should meet to introduce themselves, share contact details and set group
expectations. Be an active team member.

Group expectations
● What is the assignment task?
● How much time is available to complete the task?
● How often and where will group members meet?
● What are the negotiated rules of the group?
● What role will each team member be responsible for?

Roles and responsibilities

Ensure that each group member has a role. For larger groups the roles will need to be
doubled-up and for smaller groups members may need to take on more than one role.
Roles:
● Facilitator – leads the discussion, making sure that all group members are contributing
to the discussion.
● Secondary Facilitator – all group members act as secondary facilitators ensuring that the
group works well together.
● Scribe – writes notes from the meetings and send them out to all members.
● Reporter – reports back to the group as a whole on what small groups have been
working on.
● Timekeeper – keeps track of the time and ensures work is completed on time.
● Gatekeeper – ensures everyone is on task.
● Everyone – treat all members with respect, refer to group rules as required, and
encourage others.

Learning and Academic Skills Australia

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All group members should
● Contribute equally to the assignment
● Have a shared understanding of the content of the assignment
● Ensure the task has been address
● Ensure layout and formatting is correct and consistent
● Ensure referencing, punctuation, grammar and terminology are correct
● Feel happy with the final submission

Effective online meetings

● Set a regular time to meet
● Be an active group member
● Reread your messages before sending to ensure your intended meaning cannot be
misinterpreted
● Use audio/visual tools if possible to encourage personal communication.

Witney, D., & Smallbone, T. (2011) Wiki work: can using wikis enhance student collaboration for group assignment tasks? Innovations in
Education and Teaching International, 48(1), 101-110

Learning and Academic Skills Australia

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