Case Study

Abdo Malki

Inventive Teacher Seminar

10/26/2001

I. The Background

Some mathematics departments, as well as other departments, strongly insist that students work in groups in the classroom. I tried group work for several semesters; at some point during the lecture I would write a problem on the board and ask students to work on it by working in groups. A few minutes later I would go from one group to another to check their work and perhaps offer ideas, partial or even complete solutions.

II. The Reaction:

The following are some of the reactions to group work students told me privately:

a) One student politely but firmly stressed that she did not want to work in a group, and if required to do so she will drop the class, as she had done the semester before when required to work in a group.

b) Some A-students complained that they are doing all the work in their groups while others in the group have nothing to contribute, which they felt was unfair. (This reaction I heard also from students working on group projects in other departments.)

c) Several C-students commented that they do not have confidence in the ideas of the other students in their groups, and would prefer to listen to a lecture instead.

III. The Questions:

a) How do you ensure that all types of students benefit from group work?

b) Is group work always better than a lecture?

c) How do you adequately cover the required material when group work consumes so much of the lecture time?

d) What is the evidence for the benefits accrued by group work and has it been critically evaluated?

e) Group work is supposed to foster active involvement of students in learning, but is that the only, or best, way to do that?