As students we don’t always like working in groups. Yadu Baznath, an associate at the Chapman Learning Commons and former co-host of the podcast in{tuition}, had the opportunity to ask a majority of students around campus about their opinions on group work. Many of the opinions ranged from a few positive responses to an overwhelmingly vocal opposition. Yadu asked their opinions and these were the top five reasons to why students don’t like group work:
- Group members don’t contribute or put in the time to showing up and meeting deadlines
- We have different schedules and meeting up is very difficult
- I don’t get along/like the people in my group
- Group members are confused and working in a group exacerbates the confusion
- We don’t have enough time to complete our project before the deadline
Working in groups can be harder than working on your own. Groups have to communicate, delegate, and depend constantly on each other to complete a task. We all know that group work, especially at its worst, is completely unbearable. You can be the most approachable person, but group work can still be a stressful task. In the professional world, there is hardly a moment in which you are not working in groups or people you are friends with. Having the tolerance and ability to work in groups can also impact your personal relationships. It is important for us to look past the incessant frustrations concerning group work and know that this will one day benefit us all in the long run.
For more information on tips and methods on improving group dynamics, please click on our UBC Learning Commons link for guidance here.
If you are interested in this topic and want to hear some solutions,check out the new episode on our podcast, [in]Tuition.
I’m here because my teacher wants us to write a list as to why we like / dislike group work. 😀
Unless we address the population models, the downturn in enrollment will have predictable results and these events are more the symptom than the problem. Economically, a school that grew from 1200 to 2000 should be able to return to its original size and be viable, but the human cost is terrible. There are, of course, contributing factorsthe rising cost of tuition and student desk, the facilities arms race, and the expectation (and therefore staffing requirements) of concierge-level services. If there are fewer people who require higher education (which should have been predictable as boomers aged), then we will necessarily see a contraction in the market which isn”t a horrible thing if there are other jobs for the displaced peoplebut I fear there are not.
Very interesting comment! The question that you raise up for the economic system and symptoms that we are facing nowadays. Let us know what you think for practical steps to execute the population models!
Thank you! Much needed!
So great that you enjoy our resource!