It’s a favorite assignment in upper-division major courses—have students collaborate on a research project. The rationale is straightforward. Students learn how to do research by doing it. Of course it depends, but in most fields, students new to research find it a daunting process that
I teach online at an open enrollment institution, which means I get students at all levels of writing ability. Many of them are solid writers with a good understanding of the different steps of the writing process. But I also have students who are just
A collection of resources on getting students to read what’s assigned and strategies for developing college-level reading skills
Many students do not arrive in our courses with college-level reading skills. That usually ends up meaning a couple of things. First off, they don’t like
Most faculty require students to present the results of their research and thinking in text form—the ubiquitous “paper” assignment. But in the real world, information is often presented in visual form. Reports are loaded with graphics to represent information. A mutual fund does not demonstrate
Required courses are among the most challenging to teach, and the lack of student motivation is one of the big reasons. Students don’t want to take these courses. Most do not understand the justification for requiring them, especially those in fields that appear to be
Students aren’t all that excited about most of their assignments. Given the chance not to write papers, not to take exams, or not to complete group projects, most students would happily take advantage of the opportunity. But those are all assignments they’re used to, ones
It’s time to hand back the exams, and no one has done well. You’re as disappointed as your students will be when they see their grades. How do you get the class back on track? Offering extra credit assignments is one approach, but will that
I mainly teach undergraduate writing and research methods classes and wanted to share my experiences with mind mapping, also referred to as concept mapping. I’ve found that using it can significantly improve student papers. It’s an excellent innovation that requires student writers to visualize how
Assignments are one of those ever-present but not-often-thought-about aspects of teaching and learning. Pretty much every course has them, and teachers grade them. The grade indicates how much the student learned by doing them. But is this learning something that students recognize? Too often students
It's a favorite assignment in upper-division major courses—have students collaborate on a research project. The rationale is straightforward. Students learn how to do research by doing it. Of course it depends, but in most fields, students new to research find it a daunting process that includes multiple steps: generating a research question, reviewing the literature, designing the study, collecting the data, analyzing them, writing up the results, and then presenting them. Teachers have students tackle the project in groups to make it less overwhelming and to underscore the value of collaboration on big projects.
Sociologist Renee Monson wrote that “almost without exception, instructors claim that group research projects have impressive effects on student learning in research methods courses” (p. 242). Students become engaged with the project, they learn to work together, and they accomplish more than they could if they worked on the project alone. However, Monson goes on to point out that there isn't much evidence that supports these beneficial outcomes, and for instructors, “inspired by the testimonial case studies of this pedagogy,” there isn't much guidance on the design details that make these successful learning experiences. That's why she thought it was important to explore these two research questions: “What group characteristics are associated with groups that earn higher grades on the research project?” and “Does the achievement of a student's group on the research projects predict the student's subsequent achievement on the final paper in the course?” (p. 240).
Monson used 14 sections of an intermediate-level sociology research methods course taught across 11 years, enrolling a total of 257 students, to explore the role of group characteristics and the influence of the group research project on individual learning. As for group characteristics that might influence the outcome, she looked at group size, gender, and racial composition. She used mid-term exam scores to create three- to five-person heterogeneous groups. After completing the research project, her students prepared a final paper formatted as an individual research report, which Monson described as a “comprehensive assessment of the sum total of their learning in the course...” (p. 244).
“With respect to predictors of group achievement on research projects, it is not surprising that a group's overall average midterm exam grade predicts group achievement on the research project...” (p. 248). She found that group size matters and suggested that instructors avoid three-person groups, although that recommendation may be content- and course-specific. The effects of gender were less clear-cut. Racial compositions did not produce statistically significant differences in achievement.
Perhaps more significant were her findings on the effects of the group project on individual learning. Here “the results suggest that group achievement on the research project does predict individual learning as measured by grade on the final research report and proposal, even after controlling for individual characteristics that also predict individuals' final paper grade” (p. 249). On the other hand, the group characteristics considered in the study (size, gender, racial composition, and overall average grade on midterms) did not contribute to individual achievement on the final paper over and above the group's achievement.
This study is noteworthy because it begins to provide evidence that supports anecdotal claims about the value of group research projects. In this case, students learned how to do research by working with other students on a research projects. In addition, it offers some insights as to the effects of group characteristics, such as size and composition.
Reference:
Monson, R. (2017). Groups that work: Student achievement in group research projects and effects on individual learning. Teaching Sociology, 45 (3), 240–251.