Group work is an essential or even compulsory part of the structure of many degree programmes. So it is crucial that group members are able to work well together, for example when writing assignments or giving joint presentations. And it is worthwhile spending time and effort to make your collaboration work, or to get back on track if it has gone wrong.
Your study group is where you can find help to solve academic problems or discuss any questions and doubts. It is an academic community and a social community, and it is important to agree on your expectations regarding collaboration internally in the group. This will help you learn about what the other members expect of you, and what you can expect of them.
It can be helpful to make group agreements when setting up an academic collaboration in a group or during the process if you experience problems along the way. Group agreements serve to ensure that all members of the group agree on what is expected of the group work from the time the agreement is made. Do not cling to the past, but think about how you want to collaborate in the future. If you like, your discussion can result in a written document or a group contract.
If you are a new study group, it’s a good idea to have a meeting to talk about your mutual expectations for the group. Use the list below to talk about what you expect of each other, and how your collaboration is to progress. You may want to write down what you agree on. You will then have a group agreement that you can later revisit as needed.
Inspiration for mutual alignment of expectations | |
|---|---|
1. Expectations
| What are your individual expectations – for yourselves and for the group? It may be a good idea to write them down individually before talking about them in the group. Ask yourselves:
You should also allow time to talk about your level of ambition, work pace and degree of thoroughness. For instance, is it OK sometimes to lower your level of ambition? |
2. Clear framework
| How does the group view members not preparing for or taking part in group work, or their failure to stick to agreements? |
3. Frequency of meetings
| How often will you meet? If possible, find one or more regular weekdays, and plan ahead instead of planning as you go along. Agree on the venue for your meetings: Will you meet at the university, at the library, at home or online? |
4. Logbook
| Do you need minutes of your meetings? Writing a short summary each time you have a meeting will help you remember what you have agreed, and absent group members can be updated. The logbook can be kept in an online document, which everyone in the group can access and edit, and you can take turns to be responsible for the logbook. |
5. Evaluation
| How does the collaboration actually work? Reflecting on your collaboration regularly makes it is easier to prevent things from going awry. For example, consider: Are you satisfied with the collaboration and each other’s efforts? Are you getting everything done? What works really well? What could perhaps be improved? |
You can also download the five points for setting up group work, and take them to a group meeting.
There are a number of free digital services that your group can benefit from. Below is a selection of services:
