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24'Oriental Art and Culture" Scientific-Methodical Journal - (3) III/2020
ISSN 2181-063X
GROUP MEMBER ROLES
Rakhimova Shahnoza Abdusharipovna Ruzmetov Khursand Ravshanbekovich Urgench State University
Abstract: This article proposes deep explanation of group member roles. Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making skills. But without careful planning and facilitation, group work can frustrate students and instructors and feel like a waste of time. Use these suggestions to help implement group work successfully in your classroom.
Key words: group, task, communication, discussion, sharing information.
GURUH A’ZOLARINING ROLLARI
Raximova Shahnoza Abdusharipovna Ruzmetov Xursand Ravshanbekovich Urganch davlat universiteti
Annotatsiya: Ushbu maqola guruh a'zolari rolini chuqur tushuntirishni taklif qiladi. Guruh ishi talabalarni rag'batlantirish, faol o'rganishni rag'batlantirish va muhim tanqidiy fikrlash, muloqot va qaror qabul qilish qobiliyatlarini rivojlantirish uchun samarali usuldir. Ammo ehtiyotkorlik bilan rejalashtirish va yordamisiz guruh faoliyatlari talabalar va o'qituvchilarni ag'darish va vaqtni sarflash kabi his qilishlari mumkin. Guruhdagi ishni sinfingizda muvaffaqiyatli amalga oshirish uchun ushbu takliflardan foydalaning.
Kalit so’zlar: guruh, topshiriq, muloqat, muhokama, ma’lumotlar almashuvi.
Introduction. Group work can be an effective method to motivate students, encourage active learning, and develop key critical-thinking, communication, and decision-making skills. But without careful planning and facilitation, group work can frustrate students and instructors and feel like a waste of time. Use these suggestions to help implement group work successfully in your classroom.
Group work - how it works
Make the task challenging. Consider giving a relatively easy task early in the term to arouse students’ interest in group work and encourage their progress. In most cases collaborative exercises should be stimulating and challenging. By pooling their resources and dealing with differences of opinion that arise, groups of students can
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'Oriental Art and Culture" Scientific-Methodical Journal - (3) III/2020
ISSN 2181-063X
develop a more sophisticated product than they could as individuals. See our teaching tip “Group work in the Classroom: Small-Group Tasks” for some ideas.
Assign group tasks that encourage involvement, interdependence, and a fair division of labour. All group members should feel a sense of personal responsibility for the success of their teammates and realize that their individual success depends on the group’s success. Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (2014) refer to this as positive interdependence and argue that this type of cooperative learning tends to result in learners promoting each other's success. Knowing that peers are relying on you is a powerful motivator for group work.
Allocate essential resources across the group so that group members are required to share information (e.g., the jigsaw method). Or, to come up with a consensus, randomly select one person to speak for the group, or assign different roles to group members so that they are all involved in the process (e.g., recorder, spokesperson, summarizer, checker, skeptic, organizer, observer, timekeeper, conflict resolver, liaison to other groups).
Decide on group size. The size you choose will depend on the number of students, the size of the classroom, the variety of voices needed within a group, and the task assigned. Groups of four-five tend to balance the needs for diversity, productivity, active participation, and cohesion. The less skillful the group members, the smaller the groups should be.
Decide how you will divide students into groups. Division based on proximity or students’ choice is quickest, especially for large and cramped classes, but this often means that students end up working together with friends or with the same people.
To vary group composition and increase diversity within groups, randomly assign students to groups by counting off and grouping them according to number. Another idea is to distribute candy (e.g., Starburst or hard, coloured candies) and group students according to the flavour they choose.
For some group tasks, the diversity within a group (e.g., gender, ethnicity, level of preparation) is especially important, and you might want to assign students to groups yourself before class. Collect a data card from each student on the first day of class to glean important information about their backgrounds, knowledge, and interests. Alternately, ask students to express a preference (e.g., list three students with whom they would most like to work or two topics they would most like to study), and keep their preferences in mind as you assign groups.
Allow sufficient time for group work. Recognize that you won't be able to cover as much material as you could if you lectured for the whole class period. Cut back on the content you want to present in order to give groups time to work. Estimate the amount of time that subgroups need to complete the activity. Also plan for a plenary
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'Oriental Art and Culture" Scientific-Methodical Journal - (3) III/2020
ISSN 2181-063X
session in which groups’ results can be presented or general issues and questions can be discussed.
Try to predict students’ answers. You won’t be able to expect the unexpected, but by having some idea about what students will come up with, you will be better prepared to answer their questions and tie together the group work during the plenary session.
Design collaborative work in multiple forms: pairs, small groups, large groups, online synchronously, online asynchronously, etc. Some students might be better at contributing after they have had time to digest material, while others might be better at thinking on the spot. Other students will defer to others in large groups but actively contribute in pairs. All roles should be valued and included.
Introducing the group activity
Share your rationale for using group work. Students must understand the benefits of collaborative learning. Don't assume that students know what the pedagogical purpose is. Explicitly connect these activities to larger class themes and learning outcomes whenever possible.
Have students form groups before you give them instructions. If you try to give instructions first, students may be too preoccupied with deciding on group membership to listen to you.
Facilitate some form of group cohesion. Students work best together if they know or trust each other, at least to some extent. Even for brief group activities, have students introduce themselves to their group members before attending to their task. For longer periods of group work, consider introducing an icebreaker or an activity designed specifically to build a sense of teamwork.
Explain the task clearly. This means both telling students exactly what they have to do and describing what the final product of their group work will look like. Explaining the big picture or final goal is important, especially when the group work will take place in steps (such as in snowballing or jigsaw). Prepare written or visual instructions (e.g., charts, sequential diagrams) for students. Remember to include time estimations for activities.
Set ground rules for group interaction. Especially for extended periods of group work, establish how group members should interact with one another, including principles such as respect, active listening, and methods for decision making. Consider making a group contract. See Group Decision Making, a CTE teaching tip prepared for students working in groups, and Making Group Contracts.
Let students ask questions. Even if you believe your instructions are crystal clear, students may have legitimate questions about the activity. Give them time to ask questions before they get to work.
Role Perception, Expectations and Conflict
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'Oriental Art and Culture" Scientific-Methodical Journal - (3) III/2020
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Every group has members that serve specific roles. It makes no difference if that group is a formal group in business or a social group - those roles are still present. We have the leaders, the followers, the loafers and just about everything in between. What is interesting is each team member that has one of these roles has a perception as to how the group should function. That is where perception, expectations and conflict can reside.
To help get an understanding of these aspects, let's break them down a little bit more:
Role: We can define role as the part a person plays in a specific situation. For our discussion, that role will be the role someone plays as part of a group (leader, implementer, shaper, etc.).
Perception: How a person views or understands a certain situation or issue. You might have heard that perception is reality. Well, that is very factual in the sense that the way a person perceives a situation is what leads to their thoughts on the reality of the situation - even if that reality is not correct or accurate.
Expectations: Expectations are what we believe should happen given a particular situation. During the holidays we expect to get presents, but that does not mean we will. As it relates to groups, members have expectations of what the group will do, how they will do it and how it will function. That concept leads us to conflict.
Conflict: Conflict is a disagreement or argument based on two opposing opinions of an issue or situation. Thus, we can see how perception and expectations can drive conflict in a group setting. One member might have certain perceptions and expectations about roles and results for the group, while someone else could have a totally different set of perceptions and expectations. When this is present, conflict arises.
Assigning Tasks
HOW you determine which kid will do what is largely a matter of personal reference. I have tried basically two methods. I have assigned the individual tasks to each student, and I've also tried providing a brief description of the roles and allowing students in each group to determine who is going to do what.
Because it serves as a sort of warm-up activity for group work, I prefer the latter approach--particularly near the beginning of a school year. I do strongly believe, however, that individual roles should be rotated after a logical passage of time.
This is because I think that rotating roles is an effective strategy for developing students' skills in group work. Additionally, I'm pretty certain that this rotation strategy tends to encourage shy students as well as curb outspoken or controlling group members. Finally, before individual tasks are determined, I prominently display these general reminders for all to see...
Conclusion
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'Oriental Art and Culture" Scientific-Methodical Journal - (3) III/2020
ISSN 2181-063X
I've found, and perhaps you have too, that many of my students who come to me each year are already familiar with working in groups. However, I have to assume that some are not. As a result, I work with the entire class to establish the rules for successful group work.
Cooperative learning is gaining popularity for a number of reasons. Evidence indicates that it raises achievement, promotes positive self concept, and raises regard for others. It appears to be especially useful for students from racial minority and low socio-economic groups who have not excelled to the same degree as middle income majority-culture pupils in the traditional competitive classroom. The performance of these previously less successful groups tends to rise in cooperative groups, majority culture students seem to achieve just as well as with the individually-oriented style of instruction and learning, often better. Cooperative learning may also help to lessen the fatalistic attitude toward schooling that is often found among students from minority groups and those who have experienced repeated failure in the schools. When these students notice the value of their input and effort, a more internal locus of control and belief in one's ability is fostered. Social and work skills are imbedded.
Implementing full-scale cooperative learning is not a simple task. Teachers may wish to start with periodic lessons or units and build from there. The effort expended is probably well spent as "...what we know about effective instruction indicates that cooperative learning should be used when we want students to learn more, like school better, like each other better, and learn more effective social skills."
References
1. Brookfield, S.D., & Preskill, S. (1999). Discussion as a Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
2. Gross Davis, B. (1993). Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
3. Jaques, D. (2000). Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Improving Group Work, 3rd ed. London: Kogan Page.
4. Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Smith, K. A. (2014). Cooperative learning: Improving university instruction by basing practice on validated theory. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 85-118.
5. Race, P. (2000). 500 Tips on Group Learning. London: Kogan Page.
6. Roberson, B., & Franchini, B. (2014). Effective task design for the TBL classroom. Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 25(3&4), 275-302.
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