elearning reflections

Some initial thoughts on group work ..

Group work is something we can’t avoid in life – either in formal learning, at work, in community, and many other areas. Yet, it is something that is difficult, complex, and very challenging. There is much literature on group development and dynamics, some of which I have studied as part of my postgraduate studies, but when it comes to it knowing the theory does not make much difference to the participation and negotiation involved in group work.

I think group work highlights that social learning is very complex as it involves a group of diverse people coming together to achieve a learning outcome – each with a different approach, learning style, learning objectives, level of knowledge, and commitment to the learning process. Working with such diversity requires good communication skills, awareness of power structures, and an ability to be self-reflective and open to challenging one’s own attitudes and habits.

I think group work truley challenges us to work with diversity and even though it is something that we can easily say we practice it is actually very difficult to do in a fair and just fashion. There is the needs to truly share and let go of the need to control the learning process and see that there is learning in the process that is highly valuable.

To be truly inclusive in group work is difficult in an assessment context if one if fixed on a particular outcome rather than the process.

Tags: groupwork

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