classrooms@work - Global Challenge

Peter discusses factors that influence successful student grouping and offers a matrix of considerations that lead to decisions about group size and control of group composition.
What are the questions?	Whenever teachers talk about grouping, it seems the number one question revolves around the size of groups: How large should the group be? Following closely are questions of control: Who should choose the group members? I find the answers to these questions depend on a number of factors, which can be found by answering another series of questions first. Those questions revolve around matters of group function, longevity, workload, interactivity, resources, and external events.
Focus -	What percentage of class time will be spent with the group work versus individual or whole class time?
	In my teaching environment, with 90-minute periods 5 days a week, it pays to schedule some diversity in how the time is spent. One model I adopted when we began the 90-minute block schedule is the idea of quarters. Each day part of our class time will be spent in: small group activities, individual activities, whole class discussion or activities where the focus is on the students, and, a whole class environment where information is coming from me or from another single focus (videotape, for example.) This division of time into different activities helps make use of the 90-minute block without it feeling oppressive or overpowering. It also helps students gather and use information in a number of instances.
Function -	What does the group need to do?
	If the task is simple, smaller groups may be in order. If the task is complex, requiring a division of labor or use of multiple locations (classroom, library, etc.) larger groups may be better. Activities requiring simultaneous reading and "doing," such as following step-by-step instructions to complete a new software task on the computer, work well with pairs or students (one to read, and one to do.) Keep in mind that if you want them both to learn to "do" then build in switch points where they have to exchange roles. Activities requiring discussions, especially where personal opinion and expression are important, work better with threes or more. Activities requiring a number of different activities in an ongoing manner (creating a Powerpoint presentation, for example, that requires checking facts, composing titles, etc.) work in larger groups.
Longevity -	How long will the group be together?
	It seems the longer a group will be working together, the more important it is to have a well-functioning group capable of succeeding in the task at hand. If the group is responsible for a large product (for example, a semester-long multimedia project) the group needs to be large enough to absorb absences, personality conflicts, etc. However, the longer a group will be together the more reluctant students seem to be to actually get into a group and get going (unless they happen to have a group full of friends.)
	It's a good idea to spend time building group unity and purpose, and maintaining it during the course of the project. The biggest frustration is a dysfunctional group; do what you can to identify potential problems and dealing with them (usually by turning the problem over to the students) as they occur. Short puzzle activities that require all group members to participate can help bring a frayed group back together. From time to time I'll use a starter or closing time activity that pits groups against each other for some small reward. In general, I have found that the longer the group project lasts, the more students want to choose their own groups, but the greater the need for me to structure the groups for success and balance.
Workload -	How much is each student expected to accomplish?
	This factor is related to longevity, in that decreasing the amount of time for the project probably means that you'll need to diminish individual workload expectations. It's also related to function, in that you need to structure the entire project in terms of what each group must accomplish, and what each group member must accomplish. Cooperative learning concepts such as positive interdependence and group production need to be kept in mind. Also, what do the content demands and assessment strategies of the particular unit say about each student's workload responsibility. If all students will be tested on each part of speech, but during the activity a student can focus only on adverbs, then there will not be a good match. Decisions about the workload can and should impact grouping decisions.
Interactivity -	How will different groups relate to each other?
	If groups are asked to work completely independent of each other all the time, students tend to fixate on classmates who aren't in their groups who they'd rather spend time with, and on those who are in their groups that they don't particularly enjoy spending time with. When I have extended activities where groups need to truly isolate themselves, I try to use physical space, visual barriers, and structured interruptions to make the most of the focused time together. Structured interruptions could include designing a jigsaw element in the activity, so students can reconfigure groups as they report information they've gathered, or having group "scouts" visit other groups to check on progress. Anything that grants students short breaks from the focused activity can help the focused time become more productive.
Resources -	What tools and materials are available for the groups to work with?
	When using technology, the overriding "resource" factor seems to be the number of computers available. However, the number of one-computer classrooms that make use of multiple groups shows that it's not just a case of numbers of groups = numbers of computers available. You need to consider the entire resource picture when identifying possible group numbers. Rotating students through different activity stations allows you to stretch available resources a bit. (Of course, if there's only one computer available and each group needs to spend a day on the computer to complete the activity/project, then your time spent will be determined by the number of groups you have.)
Composition -	What kinds of group members should there be?
	Heterogeneous grouping is the accepted "ideal" grouping choice, but it's sometimes difficult to determine what a "heterogeneous" group looks like. While I generally try to mix my most motivated, most able students with those who seem to struggle, there's no telling where and when the expected leaders, expected followers, and expected hangers-on will scramble their roles. There are also times when I want to group students homogeneously. Problem-solving activities, for example, can yield some startling and effective results when group members are all girls, artists, honor students, alternative thinkers, shy-types etc. Sometimes allowing a single trait or tendency to dominate a group (especially when it is usually a submissive trait or tendency) can pay off.
External Events -	What other factors may have an impact on the groups' success?
	Anticipated events in a project, such upcoming holidays, sports calendars, dances, homecoming, and other events that you can plan for, have an impact on decisions you will make. Even excused absences can be devastating to smooth progress during extended group projects. (There's no telling when the flu will hit, or when the best friends will become arch-enemies and will no longer be able to work together.)

Student Grouping Matrix for Global Challenge I
Size: How large should the group be? Control: Who should choose the groups?

Consideration	Description	Size	Control
Focus: What percentage of class time will be spent with the groups, as opposed to individual or whole class time?	Much of the research and content can be gained in individual and whole class settings; most planning and computer work will be in groups, though some can be paired. Actual time spent physically grouped can be as little as 25% or as much as 50% depending on how I handle the off-computer time.	n/a	n/a
Function: What does the group need to do?	Fairly complex activity, requiring research, organizing and interpreting data, writing brief reports, learning new software capabilities, evaluating data and presenting findings in written, oral and visual form.	3 to 4	teacher
Longevity: How long will the group be together?	3 weeks, because of size of content unit (Latin America) in relation to scope of entire course. This length seems to be on the verge of "long-term" but will go quickly.	n/a	split
Workload: How much is each student expected to accomplish?	Each student needs to focus on a single country for each of the two first phases of the project. Then, in phase III, each group needs to deal with a manageable sum of countries to evaluate and present, no more than 10; preferably 6-8.	3 - 5	n/a
Interactivity: How will different groups relate to each other?	There's not much interactivity, except for students who will have duplicate countries. The two students who draw Brazil, for example, will be in different groups, lending opportunities for them to work together gathering data and comparing results. There's no reason to keep group work under rules of secrecy, so no reason to keep groups isolated.	n/a	n/a
Resources: What number of tools and materials are available for the groups to work with?	7 classroom computers, class sets of atlas and almanac materials, one internet connection in the room, another in the library. Larger groups will allow faster cycling through resources. 7 or fewer groups allow a dedicated computer for group work.	4 - 5	n/a
Composition: What kinds of group members should there be?	The wide array of skills necessary to complete the project argues for heterogeneous grouping in terms of technological skill level. Need to make sure there is enough expertise in each group.	3 - 5	teacher
External events: Sequence, calendar, etc	This is the first unit and the students' first exposure to high school research, the library collection at the high school, etc. I haven't had a chance to really get a "feel" for skill levels at this point in the semester.	n/a	student

Final Reflection on grouping plan for Global Challenge I
Given the results of this matrix, I feel confident I've got the right size in mind (3-4 students per group) but am less confidant of my initial tendency to let students choose groups. I'd like to let students choose their own, mainly because of the last item, but a number of other items lead me toward choosing the groups myself. However, since at this point my ability to accurately gauge student skills is limited, I may be best off doing a random selection of groups. I'd been thinking of allowing students to choose group members, with the understanding that they can't duplicate group members for the next two challenges. But I doubt that any freshmen on the second day of class are going to bypass their best friends in favor of a stranger and a chance to work with their friends later. Perhaps random this time followed by choosing with limitations in the future.

Final Reflection on grouping plan for Global Challenge I

Given the results of this matrix, I feel confident I've got the right size in mind (3-4 students per group) but am less confidant of my initial tendency to let students choose groups. I'd like to let students choose their own, mainly because of the last item, but a number of other items lead me toward choosing the groups myself. However, since at this point my ability to accurately gauge student skills is limited, I may be best off doing a random selection of groups. I'd been thinking of allowing students to choose group members, with the understanding that they can't duplicate group members for the next two challenges. But I doubt that any freshmen on the second day of class are going to bypass their best friends in favor of a stranger and a chance to work with their friends later. Perhaps random this time followed by choosing with limitations in the future.