SoHP503 Group Work Lecture - December 9th PDF

SoHP503 Group Work Lecture Attendance Code: SI-YJ-MR Dr Matthew Mesley Learning Development Advisor (Faculty of Health and Human Sciences) [email protected] I’ve been asked to come in and talk to you about Group Work! I’m a Learning Developer… – what does...

SoHP503 Group Work Lecture Attendance Code: SI-YJ-MR Dr Matthew Mesley Learning Development Advisor (Faculty of Health and Human Sciences) [email protected] I’ve been asked to come in and talk to you about Group Work! I’m a Learning Developer… – what does that mean? Not a subject specialist; instead I’m there to help with strengthening/improving your assignments.  Today’s Session: All about group work…! This will include some more More generally, this session general suggestions and tips, We’re going to be talking is an opportunity for you along with some practical about what you can do to talk about and vocalize any ideas. Part of the discussion best prepare for group work. frustrations or anxieties you will also be about if have about group work. something goes wrong… I have two hours with you today! But don’t worry there will be a break… There will be questions for you/interaction throughout. And space for some Q/A too. And one final thing… While this session isn’t going to be a magic wand… hopefully this will give you more confidence surrounding group work. This is a lot of information too… so do remember to return to this PowerPoint in the future. https://liveplymouthac.sharepoint.com/sites/x70/S itePages/Learning-resources.aspx  1-2-1s with Writing Mentors - either in person or in an online space. The Writing Café + You could use this both for your individual work and your group work! Digital Writing Café Both the Writing Café and the Digital Writing Café are open 1-4pm every weekday. You also don’t have to book!  Three Questions: - 1/. What one word or emotion sums up how you’re feeling about the group components of your SoHP503 assignment? 2/. Completely normal to feel anxious or apprehensive about group work. Normal too to not always like the idea of having to rely on other people. But being aware of this at the beginning of the process can help. It means you can think of strategies that can make your group function effectively. Avoidance behavior is very common too: don’t put your head in the sand, but equally recognize that people might do this because they are anxious. Clear communication and preparation is often key! What are the benefits of group work? You can pool your ideas, resources and perspectives as a team. You’ll hopefully be able to explore your topic with more breadth and depth. You can improve the following skills: delegation, editing, feedback, communication, organisation etc. Very relevant to the workplace; in the future you’re often going to be working in a team.  Fair Collaborative Reliable Group Good Work Flexible The ideal! Communication Engaged Cathartic to know that everyone has complicated feelings towards group work. We don’t need to aim for perfection; most groups will be better in some areas than others – that’s normal. Real life can be messier; but that’s why it’s worth being prepared so you can deal with any bumps along the road.  Module Handbook and your Learning Support Don’t forget assignment instructions. all your other guidance too. Marking Criteria/Rubrics Any other resources/checklists [Under Research Proposal tab] on the DLE for SoHP503!  I’m going to tackle group work with a number of themes! What we’re It isn’t an exhaustive list as I’ve got limited time with you today. But at the end if there is doing now! something you want guidance on feel free to ask. I’m going to start with some of the basics. Things to keep on your radar! Then in the second half you’re going to choose what you want to do/listen too. After each section I’ll try to stop for questions. And there will be some interaction throughout too. What is the most important thing you should do as a group first? [Have a think, and then put an answer into the chat.] Meet up to organise, ensure understanding, and set goals! Communication: - You’re going to need to stay in regular contact. That means working out how you’re going to contact each other (emails, WhatsApp etc). Consider setting up some ground rules. Replying in 48 hours for example. Using emails specifically for work. Consider too when you’re going to have some meetings. Schedule in some future meetings when you first meet! Goals: - You already have some particular deadlines on this course (see Project Milestones on DLE and the next slide) Ensure that everyone knows when these are. You will need to have some of your own group deadlines too. This will allow you time to work through what others have done. Group Work: Fairness At an early stage, it’s important that everyone approaches group work collectively. Don’t simply parcel things out from the start. You need to be able to understand the research project, its methods and data collection collectively. That doesn’t mean you can’t parcel out writing particular sections of the project eventually (we’ll come back to this), but at the beginning you need to have a shared understanding. Work on shared goals or targets related to your project milestones. WHY might parceling everything out immediately be a problem?  You have everyone writing their individual sections without any knowledge or understanding of the other sections. Lack of fairness (it becomes clear later Problems that on that a particular section requires much more work than another can arise… section). Much more difficult to bring this work together in a coherent way. Some sections may not flow, or they may contradict each other. Some sections might be more analytical; other might be more descriptive… What can help?? Group Editing: – This allows you to become aware of the work of others in your group. It also puts the emphasis on trying to make your work coherent, consistent and collaborative. Feedback: You should try to provide feedback on each other’s work. Peer review can really help improve the overall quality of a piece. Factoring in time for both: Again this means considering your deadlines and the time you will realistically be able to give to this. You don’t want to simply cut and paste and then submit. And finally… Keeping a record is important. This avoids any confusion/misunderstandings later on down the road. Try to ensure one person is nominated (for each meeting) to note down any collective decisions. It might be worth emailing this to the group after each meeting. “We decided that we would aim for…” “By the 14th March we will have…” Q/A Any questions?  Poll 2: Discussion/Slides: When things go wrong/trouble shooting…. Video: On Giving good/constructive feedback. Series of quick videos: Practical tips that will help your group work Slido Q/A. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND What if things go wrong…  Two Questions: - 1/. Why do you think some groups struggle to work effectively? 2/. How can you ensure your group is effective? (try to be specific) What has worked in the past? If you’ve set some ground rules and made sure you have active lines of communication there will be less chance of things going wrong… However, it is normal sometimes for issues/problems to arise. The important thing is that you ensure you communicate any problems, and that you do so in a professional and considerate way. Don’t assume the worst! Be respectful/polite, and give everyone an opportunity to talk in your group meetings. Being able to negotiate and compromise is important.  Scheduling a meeting (on Outlook or Teams)  Track changes and Comments  Final Menti (I promise!...) 1/. What do you think you’ll pay more attention to with group work moving forward? 2/. Most importantly… what will be your team name?!  Stepping up to Level 7 Writing in the context of your Substantive Professional Project Dr Matthew Mesley Learning Development Advisor (Faculty of Health and Human Sciences) [email protected] https://forms.office.com/e/mKDS85JEJi