Reading Reflection 3 - Designing Groupwork ch. 1-3

Ch. 1 Groupwork as a strategy
The premise of well-designed and -planned group activities is that you learn more (on a topic, or in developing certain skills) when you can talk, explain, and argue with other people. This is in part because of active involvement and engagement (compare with passive involvement in, for example, listening to a teacher-centered lecture), the mistakes and struggles and eventual understanding when overcoming a problem.

Ch. 2 Why groupwork?
Groupwork is a very effective method for conceptual learning, developing creative problem solving skills and higher-order thinking skills, as well as helping understanding and retnetion of information. Students have the experience of "discovery" for themselves, having argued and reasoned through a problem or situation together. The group activity also provides the setting for developing communication skills - students need to reason together, communicate their ideas and step-by-step solutions to problems.
'Discovery' or 'gaining understanding' through hands-on activity, discussion and argument is something we do all our lives - as kids and adults. Just think of kids figuring things out by playing together with their friends (of course, there are often unequal interactions and hierarchies in these activities too).

Ch.3 The dilemma of groupwork
Chapter 3 introduces the concern of "unequal interaction" among group members, solutions for which are discussed in subsequent chapters. The unequal interactions/contributions stem from the perception of "status" among the participants, based on academic ability, reading ability, race, and social status. The 'most popular' students, or those with the perceived high academic ability would tend to dominate the group, whereas the shy or unpopular students, or newcomers, or the second-language learners, might not participate fully or at all. Hence, in poorly-designed or ill-conceived group activity, the prejudices and stereotypes prevalent outside of the classroom are maintained within the classroom and the group activity.
Addressing this inequity is part of what being a good teacher is all about, and is the main focus of this credential program. We need to be really careful in planning our classroom activities not to perpetuate these inequalities and divisions. Don't just think that because you've decided to do a group activity, you can implement it and have good outcomes for all students without very careful consideration and planning.