Reading Reflection 4 - Groupwork ch. 4-5

One section of chapter 4 (Preparing students for cooperation) concerned establishing the norms for group behavior (p. 53). This section is all about using certain strategies to ensure equal participation from group members. Of these, 'Prevention of dominance' (p 53 - 55) seems to me to be the most critical to establish. Cohen discusses a research study in which effectiveness of training students to work together is demonstrated. Results from the 'shipwreck survival' scenario and follow-up activities showed that norms for equal participation became established: students normally outspoken would be less dominating and behave equally - i.e. allow others to speak and contribute. In the scenarios used, the 'high-status' students (i.e those who would normally dominate) behaved more equitably, because they had learned that their usual behavior would hurt the group effort.

To me, these training strategies are useful, but I don't think they should be the sole method used to show students the importance or necessity of equal participation. They should be augmented with a class discussion on the benefits of establishing norms to students' achievement of gaining not only content knowledge but socially-responsible and caring behaviors. There would be emphasis placed in the discussion on these being standards of behavior that are valued in society and the work place. Students should realize there is value to collaborative learning besides enhancing an understanding of a content standard.

Many times in my student teaching observations, and in student surveys, a comment I heard or was told from the so-called 'high-status' students was that they didn't like group activity because they ended up doing all the work and the 'dumb' kids didn't do anything. This is indicative of the quality of the group work that had been organized for them - norms hadn't been established. In science lessons,this type of response is common because frequently group work is aimed at solving a set of calculations requiring content knowledge acquired in earlier lessons, content which perhaps only the high-achieving students had understood. If students were made aware of the benefits to themselves as well as their lower-achieving peers of collaborative group work they would be more willing to participate as group members rather than going it alone.