Group Work: Because You Can't Blame Failure on Just Yourself Anymore!

• Working in a group was more productive than working alone since it allowed us the opportunity to harness each other's strengths to reduce shortcomings in our project. If we had only worked on our own, we would not have had this opportunity. Every single one of us comes from such a varied educational and life experience background.

The creative potential of our infographics is increased because of the fact that we may draw upon those experiences. In addition, the reading materials were understood by every one of us in a completely distinct way. Being in a position to have these contrasting points of view paves the way for the creation of an infographic that is more fully developed.

The other aspect of working in a team is the ability to “divide and conquer”! It is essential to have the ability to analyze the workload and identify areas in which individuals may use their particular talents to positively impact the project as a whole using those strengths. Ultimately, we kept each other accountable by communicating what we needed to keep and what needed to be completed.

Being adaptable is a quality that, in addition to being able to think creatively outside of the box, I believe has been of use to our group. I truly want to have a project that not only assists us in earning the greatest possible grades but also allows me to complete the project with a finished product that I can use in my portfolio. This is something that has been on my wish list for quite some time. Having the mental agility to recognize when it is appropriate to take the lead and when it is more appropriate to follow has also proven to be very beneficial. I usually fill a leadership role in projects and attempt to ensure each voice is heard and valued. To successfully manage the project's ebb and flow, it is vital to have the ability to contribute to the creation of a positive group atmosphere.

One skill I don’t think I used in this project was trying to relay the design in a storytelling vehicle. I find when I am standing in front of a group of people, I am able to easily tell stories for my audience to connect with the material. With an infographic, I really struggled with how to accomplish this. I really dissected the mechanics of the visual design in order to showcase what I’ve been learning, but I think not including the storytelling aspect is where I fell short.

The most challenging aspect of this group project was figuring out the overall objective of the activity in the first place. In retrospect, the instructions were not the problem. My understanding, or lack thereof, of the directives and the goal led me to this conclusion. I really jumped into the deep end with my thoughts for the visual aesthetic of the infographic, rather than looking at the foundation it should be put upon. I know it was a misstep but I plan to correct that for our upcoming project.

I would say that working with this group was more difficult than working with other groups that I've worked with in the past. We were all working toward the same objective of producing a useful infographic, but time constraints prevented any of us from making any progress. In prior teams, a significant number of my fellow players were familiar faces to me. Because of the information you provided, I now have a much clearer understanding of the proper distribution of duties and responsibilities.

It's hard to offer a suggestion for improvement; however, If you want to make it simpler for students to work together effectively in their groups, I would propose putting them in a random sorter so that they don't have much of a choice in the matter. Even while I typically give my students the freedom to choose their own groups, I've discovered that this freedom isn't afforded to people in the real world, either in the workplace or on projects that take place outside of the classroom. As an organization and as individuals, we develop as we push ourselves through the discomfort brought on by miscommunication, critical thinking, and various ways to solve problems.

References:

Malamed, C. (2019, March 21). ELC 054: Do learners understand your instructional graphics? The eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/54/

https://theelearningcoach.com/category/learning/. (2021, September 6). The eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/

Malamed, C. (2015, March 31). Visual Design Solutions: Principles and Creative Inspiration for Learning Professionals.