Group+evaluation

=Advantages=
 * Provides feedback for group dynamics
 * Have all students grade each other to create an average and understanding of group dynamics
 * Students who work in groups generally like their classes more, grading process is important
 * Grade to a set standard and not as a comparison to other members
 * Consider using with a student contract of expectations for the content and the way they interact with each other
 * Using activities that cause others to rely on group members as well as come together to reach a consensus helps groups function
 * Have students create a plan for completing project and assess progress towards goals
 * Makes a project grade more equitable - not every member gets the same group evaluation grade but they receive the same project grade
 * Use with a reflective piece that shows big understandings each person takes away from the project. Will show level of engagement and interaction of student during the work process
 * Can grade improvement in process over time
 * Can use open-ended questions such as: What went well/not so well and why? What have you learned from the experience? What can you do differently the next time? How did you support the process? How did you contribute to the project?
 * Have students provide artifacts - For ex., "Took a leadership role in the group" would require a concrete example of where they did this.

=Disadvantages= >
 * Not all assessments are perfect and may not assess specific aspects of group dynamics
 * Can have students be "too critical" or "too nice" - using an average helps with this
 * Be clear. For example, be sure you identify what "outstanding group interaction" is
 * May lead to conflicts or competition
 * Does not adequately show contributions in a group. Inadequate work on behalf of a group member may not be seen. Does not always see the group dynamics.
 * Grading of "work logs" can be tiresome and difficult to assess (many times I require 2 good sentences each day of accomplishments of individual members in the group). May not be reliable.

Examples: http://www.nclrc.org/portfolio/formCooperativeGroupWork.html http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/tips/rubrics_sec/group_wk.html