Okay, this is what’s on my mind this week. After being dealt the syllabus for my first couple classes, I’ve realized that already, among a ton of incredibly long readings, seminars and lectures, I’m going to be asked to perform a most dreaded task: Group work. And not just group projects, but group presentations and group essays, too!
Group work might just be the thing I hate the most about university school work. I’ve always been a team player, but when it comes to university work, there is nothing worse than a 6-member group assignment on which 40% of your mark is dependent.
It’s been my experience that most of the time, university generally encourages an individualistic approach to academics. University tends to be ultra-competitive by reinforcing the importance of individual performance and damning most kinds of collaborative work under the title of ‘academic fraud’ or ‘plagiarism’. This is something I understand. However, what I’ve found is that professors then justify assigning group work by suggesting that it mirrors the nature of real-life work.
Sort of a double-edged sword, no? Remember that Ryerson student that was being charged for sharing academic info on Facebook? Whatever happened to him anyway?
Beyond the difficulties that usually arise when different personalities have to mesh together for a good grade, there are also schedule conflicts, dominance or slacker issues, and general feelings of awkwardness when you’re thrust into a group of unknown people and immediately have to depend on them knowing full well that there is a possibility that one or many members could:
- Become “ill” and not be able to fulfill their portion of the work
- Drop the class halfway through the semester without telling you, leaving you with extra work to hand-in around exam time
- Refuse to co-operate (those oppositional types who get a kick out of constantly playing ‘Devil’s advocate’)
- Be a work hog (the team members who insist on doing all the work their own way)
- Be a deadbeat group member
I just don’t think that university academics is the place to force group interactions. For the most part, group projects are wildly inconvenient, time-consuming and frustrating! Many times, I’ve felt like I’ve done more than my share of work, or worse, felt that I could receive a better grade if I could only go it alone.
I understand the value of learning to work in groups, with people you might not usually work with, but sometimes I can’t help but think that group work is assigned to lighten the prof’s load, and not entirely for the sake of a real-life experience.
That’s my bit…
Comments (3)
Bad. I always got better marks on the things I did on my own. And I ended up always having to take the lead, doing most of the work too. Personally, I do not find it is appropriate to base a large portion of your overall mark on group work. It really is a bad indication of not only your smarts but your ability to even work in a group. It only takes one shit member to ruin it for the rest. And I don't think it is a good comparison to the real work world either. By the time a person makes it to the professional level that work is required by a group/committee/whatever...usually everyone involved takes it a tad more serious.
Hey Kate!
Nice post! I couldn’t agree more! I too find it somewhat ironic and humorous that many professors take such an individualistic perspective on learning and then, at the same time, assign group work assignments under the guise of simulating the real working world.
My biggest problem is that university group assignments also introduce additional challenges. For instance – this semester I have a full course load (five courses). Each of these courses have term assignments that are to be completed by groups of 4 or 5 individuals. One presumes that most of these individuals are also working part-time and have other commitments.
Under these conditions, actually assembling a group of people for a couple hours is a significant feat in itself, much less completing a project (and doing it well!)
I'm going on my 2nd year of being finished school now and i saw "Group Work" and groaned to myself outloud.
Since high school (or earlier than that) I HATED group work. Like you said everyone says it prepares you for the real world...that is complete BS.
University students may have a better attitude towards education and grades than high school students, but comparing a task/presentation in school (esp. first year students who are adjusting still) to jobs/work where you there are the issues of getting paid/fired are apples and oranges.
This is all im going to say because I could complain for hours about how wrong and bad an idea it is. Not to mention unfair.
Glad I'm a photographer (in school we just asked each other to help with projects because in turn you'd help someone else down the line, and you actually learn from each other). Silly electives.
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