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Guidelines for Using Groups Effectively

Compiled by Chad Hershock and adapted by Stiliana Milkova, Center for Research on Learning and Teaching

Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the processing of information.  One way to involve students in active learning is to have them learn from each other in small groups or teams. Research shows that students working in small groups tend to learn more of what is taught, retain it longer than when the same content is presented in other instructional formats, and appear more satisfied with their classes (Davis 1993, Barkley, 2005). But not any group activity or task would promote learning. In order to be productive, a group assignment needs to be designed so that it leads to collaborative learning (Michaelson et al, 1997). Groups function most successfully when mechanisms for individual and group accountability inform group interactions. Effective management of group activity before, during, and after further maximizes student learning. Below are strategies for creating and managing group activities or assignments.

Strategies for Designing Effective Group Activities and Assignments

Choose tasks that are appropriate for groups..

Assignments should include work that is best done in groups : brainstorming, problem solving, making a specific choice, planning and designing, forming strategies, or debating an issue.  Avoid activities that can be accomplished individually or subdivided and parceled out to individuals.  In particular, avoid writing assignments because writing is an inherently individual activity and this skill is also best developed individually.  However, groups may be effective for brainstorming writing topics or peer-reviewing drafts of student writing.

Align activities with learning goals.

First, clearly identify your learning goals (See outline learning objectives in Strategies for Effective Lesson Planning . ). Next, ask yourself, “What does this activity ask learners to do?” Then, decide whether completing the activity will result in the achievement of the learning goals. For example, if your goal is to foster critical thinking skills, select an activity that cognitively requires application of concepts to unfamiliar situations, analysis, problem-solving, synthesis, evaluation, or questioning the premise of the problem itself, rather than an activity that only requires recall or comprehension of facts.

Phrase assignments to promote higher-order cognitive skills.

The best questions for engaging groups are open-ended and have no single correct answer, or are controversial and have a variety of perspectives/viewpoints. To promote higher-level thinking, challenge students to engage in analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and/or questioning the problem’s premise or assumptions. For example, ask students to make or defend a specific choice.  Closed-ended problems with one correct answer should be difficult enough that individuals cannot solve them easily and should require learners to identify and apply relevant concepts.

Successful group activities have a highly structured task.

Provide written instructions to your students that list (1) the task (i.e., brainstorming, strategies, choosing, solving); (2) the expected product (i.e., reporting back to the class on ideas, handing in a worksheet, presenting a solution to the class); and (3) the method of “debriefing” or “reporting out” (i.e., sharing group results, sharing pros/cons, discussing group ideas, noting consensus and diversity of ideas). Communicate milestones so groups can monitor and reflect on their progress and performance. Always set a time a limit for the activity and periodically inform students about how much time remains. 

Promote group cohesiveness.

Choose tasks that foster the positive interdependence of group members. Select tasks that encourage discussion and maximize student interactions. Activities should require input from all group members and group agreement. Encourage team-building activities to foster social cohesiveness such as icebreakers (so students know each other), choosing a group name, or periodic group- or peer-evaluations. Provide students with immediate and unambiguous feedback on their group products and process. Logistics can be an impediment to group learning that occurs outside of class. Consider setting aside class time for group work, team building, and feedback from the instructor.

Have students do individual work before entering their group.

Require students to work individually first (i.e., have them complete a worksheet or assignment, answer questions, or make a choice) so that each member has something to contribute to the group. An individual assignment/assessment completed before class could be used as each student’s pre-requisite “ticket” into the group activity.

Ensure both individual and group accountability.

A variety of teaching strategies can provide both individual and group accountability, whether or not group work is graded. If you decide to grade group work, a grading system should include (1) individual performance/products; (2) group performance/products; and (3) each member’s contribution to team success (e.g., peer evaluation). Be sure to plan in advance how you will evaluate each of these three aspects and how you will communicate your expectations and/or grading criteria to students. One way to ensure accountability without grading is to call randomly on selected students to present their group’s progress or final product. It is best to establish and explain the procedure at the beginning of class to set the tone and expectations for group work.

Select a debriefing mechanism that promotes high-energy class discussions and reflections.

Minimize the lecture mode of group sharing (i.e., a series of group presentations). Keep the groups’ output for class discussion simple and focused on essential data. Select a mechanism whereby groups share their essential results simultaneously in a highly visible way. Then, provide time for groups to digest, process, compare and contrast, and evaluate the output of other groups prior to the whole class discussion.

Effective group activities are interesting and relevant.

Aim to create a problem that is engaging, complex, realistic, relevant, and builds on prior knowledge. Problems should be impossible to complete without understanding the basic course concepts, otherwise the activity may be perceived as irrelevant.

Checklist for Managing Group Work Effectively

What to do before the activity/assignment:.

• Set guidelines for student-student and student-instructor interactions during group work and associated class discussions. Provide guidelines and solicit student feedback and suggestions for additional guidelines.
• Provide written and verbal instructions, including time limits and deadlines. Check for understanding of instructions and clarify confusion before starting the activity.  Clearly set expectations for individual and group preparation, attendance, products and deliverables, and performance (including grading criteria, if applicable).
• Explain the motivation and learning goals for the activity.  Explain why it is important to spend time in on this group activity.  Provide a meaningful context for the activity with respect to course content or real-world applications or relevance.
• Establish accountability for both individual and groups.
• Provide students with the necessary resources to succeed. Teach any new content or skills that are required to complete the activity and provide any resources (e.g., readings, video clips, lab equipment) needed to prepare for the activity.

What to do during the assignment/activity:

• Actively engage and monitor groups. Check for understanding frequently and clarify instructions or confusion.  Visit all groups regularly.  Facilitate, assist, mediate, intervene, and redirect groups as needed.
• Frequently provide feedback to groups and individuals.

What to do after the assignment/activity:

• Debrief the activity with the entire class. Revisit the learning goals.  Summarize and synthesize the main lessons.  Connect the learning to previous knowledge, real-world applications or motivational contexts. 
• Assess student learning informally or formally. Use non-graded classroom assessment techniques (e.g., minute paper/muddiest point) or graded group or individual products to assess student learning.
• Provide feedback to individuals and groups regarding both group process and products.
• Provide students with opportunities to reflect on their learning as well as teamwork.

Allen, D., Duch, B., & Groh, S. (1996). The power of problem-based learning in teaching introductory science courses. In L. Wilkerson and W. Gijselaers (eds.), Bringing Problem-Based Learning to Higher Education: Theory and Practice . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Barkley, E., Cross, P., & Major, C. (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No.1. Washington, DC: The George Washington University, School of Education and Human Development.

Davis, B. (1993). Tools for teaching . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Heller, P. & Hollabaugh, H. (1992). Teaching problem solving through cooperative grouping. Part 2: Designing problems and structuring groups. American Journal of Physics . 60(7), 637-644

Michaelson, L.K. & Black, R.H. (1994). Building learning teams: The key to harnessing the power of small groups in higher education. In Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education , Vol. 2, pp. 65-81. State College, PA: National Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment.

Michaelsen, L. K., Fink, L. D. & Knight, A. (1997). Designing effective group activities: Lessons for classroom teaching and faculty development. In D. DeZure (Ed.), To improve the academy: Resources for faculty, instructional, and organizational development (Vol. 16, pp. 373-397). Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

Oakley, B, Felder, R.M, Brent, R., & Elhajj, E. (2004). Turning student groups into effective teams.  Journal of Student Centered Learning , Vol. 2, No.1, pp. 9-34.

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Tips and Strategies for Successful Group Work

• Cultivate course community
• Give clear instructions
• Form groups thoughtfully
• Help groups get established

Set clear expectations

• Support group progress

Planning an assignment or project to be completed by a group of students can raise lots of questions and concerns for an instructor: How should I form the groups? Do I let them choose or assign them? How do I make my expectations, and group member expectations, clear and understood? How do I support team functioning? What if conflicts arise? How do I assess students? While the last question is thoroughly covered in the article Assessing and Evaluating Group Work in Moodle , this article provides tips, strategies, and some tools that can make group work go smoothly.

Cultivate your course community early on

If you are planning to assign group work, consider being very intentional and proactive about establishing a classroom community at the very start of the semester. If students have not interacted at all in your course prior to the group work assignment, they may lack a foundation of knowledge and trust about their peers. Taking steps to create community also communicates that you value having students learn from each other. Some ideas for establishing a sense of social presence and trust in your community include

• Allowing students to introduce themselves at the beginning of the semester to start making connections with classmates
• Using Yellowdig in your course to provide a space for students to start and participate in conversation around course topics. (See the article “Get Your Students Talking with Yellowdig” )
• Assigning lower stakes group work before a larger team project to begin creating a collaborative atmosphere.

Give explicit instruction on and support for teamwork

Short term, lower-stakes assignments (a small activity or a discussion, perhaps like the case study example in the introduction to group work article ), may not require a fully-functioning team. But if you have a larger project planned, students might need support and guidance to develop teamwork skills. This is especially relevant to students if professions in your discipline require a lot of teamwork, and is critical if you intend to assess specific team working skills. In these cases, including these skills in your learning objectives ensures alignment of your objectives and activities. Some ideas include

• Recognizing and reminding students that conflict is a natural part of teamwork (Brigden, 2024)
• York University’s Student Guide to Group Work
• York University’s Student Project Toolkit
• University of Minnesota’s student tutorial for group projects
• Rutgers University’s Guide to Working in Groups
• Encouraging use of project management software and tools like Monday.com, which offers free accounts for students and can help them organize their work. Learn more: Project Management, A Quick Tutorial from Monday.com (video)

Form the groups thoughtfully

• A formal groups, used for assignments lasting from one session to a few weeks
• An informal, ad hoc group used for quick, intermittent assignments such as discussions
• And ongoing group that might last a whole semester and include a commitment to each other’s academic and social well-being
• Let students pick the topic of their project to give them a sense of agency and be grouped with peers who have similar interests. A useful tool for this method of group formation is Moodle’s Group choice activity .
• If you choose to create groups manually, Try to ensure there is at least one strong leader and avoid creating a group composed only of students who are more introverted (Smith Budhai, 2016).
• Diversify groups to expand learners’ knowledge and maximize alternative and forward-thinking solutions to problems and tasks.
• A Google Form survey for group creation , tailored to the skills and knowledge applicable to your assignment
• A True Colors Personality Quiz or Communication Style survey , which can not only help you group students but can give them insight into themselves and their group members to improve understanding and communication
• A Clifton Strengths Assessment or skills inventory with relevant skills listed, to help balance out group skills and abilities
• Keep groups small (3 or 5 members) to avoid scheduling challenges for synchronous meetings, if applicable, and to make sure everyone participates (Smith Budhai, 2016).
• Use odd-numbered group sizes so groups cannot be evenly split on any decision (Smith Budhai, 2016).

Help groups establish themselves

Groups, especially formal and ongoing groups, may need assistance building high levels of trust between group members (Poole & Zhang, 2005; Jarvenpaa et al., 1998, 1999). Online groups need to develop bonds and relationships with each other. Some ways that you can help students develop these bonds include

• Assigning low-stakes, fun activities like selecting team names and mascots
• Assigning relationship-building exercises including ice-breaker and virtual getting-to-know-you activities
• Assigning initial “low-stakes” group activities so students get to know each other and can work better in group assignments

To be successful on any assignment, students need to understand what you expect from them. When they work in groups, it is also important that their expectations of each other are reasonable, clear, and inline with your expectations. Some ways to help ensure well-communicated and agreed-upon expectations include:

• Recording a screen capture of you talking through how to use any new technologies that are required for the group assignment. This helps students see and hear exactly how to approach group work and helps decrease confusion if they are new to the particular learning tool.
• Knowing your group work “why” and communicating it with students to maximize buy-in.
• For more complex or ongoing group projects, having teams create and/or complete a group contract in which students have agreed-upon expectations, roles and responsibilities (De Meyst and Grenier, 2023).
• If appropriate for the project, letting students take on a particular role on the team. See “ Possible Roles on teams ” for ideas 
• Reminding students that they are expected to work out their problems, about positive teaming behaviors, a team-first attitude and perhaps grade interdependence (Dool, 2007)
• Outlining the steps you expect students to take for resolving conflict (Online Learning Insights, 2016)
• Setting benchmarks or milestones that allow for natural times for feedback (Online Learning Insights, 2016)
• Setting clear expectations for any group projects and communicating them to students. In particular, ensuring students understand how they will be evaluated and graded. (See Assessing and Evaluating Group Work in Moodle )

Monitor/support group work processes once they begin

Identify and communicate how you will give feedback to the teams on their work and progress. Maintain a presence to let students know that you are aware of their activity, but don’t be overly active, as this can limit students’ active participation (Pearson, 1999; Rovai, 2007). Consider whether you want their communication and project-tracking to be via a medium that you can see (Moodle Forum, Google file comments, tools like Monday.com to which you are invited), or if you’ll rely on periodic check-ins with group members for reports on team functioning through surveys, team logs, etc.

If conflict arises, go over the contract again, keep everyone on the same page; offer advice and food for thought; mediate, but don’t solve the problem for them and if needed, speak directly with a student (Dool, 2007).

Companion Articles

For more help with group work, see these companion articles:

• Group Work in Moodle – Introduction
• Assessing and Evaluating Group Work in Moodle
• Tools and Technologies That Can Support Online Group Work
• Using Google Apps for Group Work

References / Further Reading

• Brigden, B. (March 5, 2024). The 5 stages of team development. Teamwork.com
• De Meyst, K. and Grenier, J. (May 17, 2023). Assigning Roles to Increase the Effectiveness of Group Work .The Scholarly Teacher.
• Dool, R. (2007, February). Mitigating conflict in online student teams. eLearn Magazine
• Huang, L. (September 20, 2018). Students Riding on Coattails during Group Work? Five Simple Strategies to Try. Faculty Focus.
• Jarvenpaa, S. L. & Leidner, D. E. (1999). Communication and trust in global virtual teams. Organizational Science, 10, 791-815.
• Johnson, D. W. & Johnson, R. T. (2005). Learning groups. In The handbook of group research and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 441-462.
• Online Learning Insights (March 25, 2016). Five Essential Skills Instructors Need to Facilitate Online Group Work & Collaboration
• Pearson, J. (1999). Electronic networking in initial teacher education: Is a virtual faculty of education possible? Computer & Education, 32(3), 221-238.
• Poole, M. S. & Zhang, H. (2005). Virtual teams. In The handbook of group research and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 363-384.
• Rovai, A. P. (2007). Facilitating online discussions effectively. Internet and Higher Education, 10(1), 77-88.
• Smith Budhai, S. (January 29, 2016). Designing Effective Team Projects in Online Courses. Faculty Focus.

Teamwork Skills: Being an Effective Group Member

For groups to function effectively, it's important for students to think critically about the climate within their group and the process by which they accomplish their tasks. Although students can gain many of the skills described below through ad hoc interactions, instructors play a key role in making them explicit protocols.

To hone these skills, students need opportunities to practice and to receive regular feedback. Consider sharing the information below with your students, structure activities for them, and incorporate three components of feedback into your plan: instructor comments (oral and/or written); reflective group discussions and/or peer assessment; and self-reflection (see the reflection prompts in Appendix A for ideas). 

Communication skills 

To function successfully in a group, students need to be able to communicate clearly on intellectual and emotional levels. Effective communicators should be able to: 

• Explain their own ideas; 
• Express their feelings in an open but non-threatening way; 
• Listen carefully to others; 
• Ask questions to clarify others’ ideas and emotions; 
• Sense how others feel based on their nonverbal communication (e.g., facial expressions, tone of voice, diminished participation);
• Initiate conversations about the group climate or process if they sense tensions brewing; 
• Reflect on their group's activities and interactions and encourage other group members to do so. 

Regular open communication, in which group members share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, is key for successful group work. Unspoken assumptions and issues can be harmful to productive group functioning. Students’ ability to communicate openly with one another can help foster a healthy group climate and process. 

Skills for a healthy group climate 

To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion. cohesion emerges as group members: .

• Get to know one another, particularly those with different interests and backgrounds. They are open to innovative ideas and diverse viewpoints. They also listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for cohesion within a group with the need for individual expression. 
• Trust one another enough to share their own ideas and feelings. A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is willing to self-disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as group members demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned. 
• Demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their goals. They cheer on the group and support members individually. They view one another not as competitors but as collaborators: everyone in the group can and should have a role by which they contribute.
• Communicate their opinions in a way that respects others, focusing on “What can we learn?” rather than “Who is to blame?” 

As an instructor, you can use several strategies to encourage students to develop a healthy group climate: 

• Randomize group membership to increase the chances of students encountering peers with diverse backgrounds and interests. 
• Design icebreaker activities that promote awareness and appreciation of inherent differences within a group. 
• Walk students through effective strategies for identifying and overcoming group conflict.  
• Encourage students to participate actively and pose questions to their peers. To encourage listening skills and ensure that everyone in the group speaks, try the “circle of voices” exercise. See the CTE Teaching Tip: Group Work in the Classroom: Types of Small Groups . 
• Devote class time to help students reflect on their group dynamic and overall functioning. You can provide them with prompt questions to consider and/or facilitate a conversation driven by student insights, questions, and concerns. 

Skills for an effective group process 

In addition to knowing how to develop a healthy group climate, students need to exercise key skills to contribute to an effective group process. This process emerges when students: 

• Agree on what needs to be done and by whom. Each student then determines what they need to do and takes responsibility to complete the task(s). They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they hold others accountable for theirs. 
• Give and receive feedback about group ideas. Giving constructive feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviours instead of individuals and offering suggestions for improvement. Receiving feedback requires the ability to listen well, ask for clarification if the comment is unclear, and being open to change and to other ideas. 
• Help the group to develop and use central strategies to move toward their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and manage group conflict in a productive way, rather than approaching the instructor for guidance as the first step.  
• Know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure meeting goals are set, an agenda is created and followed, and everyone can participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so, too. 
• Know which roles can be filled within a group (e.g., facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate roles to maximize their own and others’ group learning experience. 

As an instructor, use some of these strategies to help students develop an effective process within their groups: 

• Design the group task so that the students must rely on one another to produce their best work. Group members will be more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark. If you choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear. See the CTE Teaching Tip: Methods for Assessing Group Work for additional ideas. 
• Invite students to develop a group contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. See the CTE Teaching Tip Making Group Contracts for details. Be sure that groups discuss how they will respond to various scenarios such as absent or late group members and those who do not complete their assigned tasks. 
• Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution and facilitate a conversation with students about these resources in class. The CTE Teaching Tip: Group Decision Making is a good place to start. You may also want to offer yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations but encourage students to work out problems among themselves. 
• Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda. Consult CTE Teaching Tip: Meeting Strategies to Help Prepare Students for Group Work for additional suggestions. 
• Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback and explain the purpose of feedback in your course. For sample methods, see CTE Teaching Tip: Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback . Create an assignment that involves them giving feedback to group members and make it part of their final grade. 
• Help students recognize and make the most of their own and one another’s preferred roles. Outline with them a list of team roles (see the CTE Teaching Tip: Group Roles for examples), have them determine which role(s) suits them best, and give them time to discuss how their role(s) will complement those of other group members. Asking students to rotate their roles helps them to expand their skillset. 

Appendix A: Encouraging self-awareness and reflection in group work 

One of the most important things you can do as an instructor is to have students reflect regularly on their group experiences. Their self-reflection will reinforce and further develop critical teamwork skills. Based on your objectives for the group project, create a set of prompts using the questions below. Have students use these prompts to journal about their reactions to group climate and process. The journals encourage self-reflection and can help students see teamwork issues in new ways and create ideas for resolution. They can also provide a good basis from which students can choose comments to share with their group members in debriefing sessions.

If students submit their journals periodically throughout the term, give them feedback orally or in writing, and to the extent appropriate, discuss any trends that you have identified through observation or in the journals (remember to reassure students that other groups may be facing similar challenges). Also, requiring all students to submit a final reflective report after the group project can help them to see the value of the teamwork expertise they have developed through practice. 

• What have you enjoyed the most/the least about getting to know your group members? 
• How is your attitude towards your group members demonstrated in how you function within the group? 
• How do you demonstrate trust and openness towards the other members and their ideas? 
• How much do you feel you can rely on your group members to complete the required task(s)? 
• How do you make sure that group members feel supported, encouraged, and appreciated for their work? 
• How does the team ensure that all voices are heard? 
• Do you participate willingly in discussions? If not, why not? 
• Do others appear to understand your ideas? If not, why not? 
• What do you do if another person’s ideas are unclear? 
• What do you focus on when others speak? How could you improve your listening skills? 
• How do you respond to others’ ideas? How do they respond to yours? What could be improved? 
• What are your group’s ground rules and goals? What changes to these rules and goals might improve the functioning of your group? 
• How is everyone encouraged to stay accountable for the tasks they have been assigned? 
• To what extent do you and others follow the feedback methods laid out in class? How could you and your group members improve the way you give and receive feedback? 
• To what extent does your group reflect on how well its goals are being achieved? How would more (or less) discussion about goals help or hinder your group’s functioning? 
• How are decisions made in your group? Who is involved and in which ways? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How could your decision-making processes be improved? 
• What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision made by the group? 
• What conflicts have arisen within your group? How (if at all) have the conflicts been resolved? What role do you play in resolving these conflicts? What could you (or others) do to improve your group’s ability to deal productively with conflict? 
• How do your meetings typically proceed? What do you accomplish and in how much time? What is effective about your group functioning during meetings? What changes would improve your meetings? 
• Who has emerged as the leader in your group? Which other roles do you see team members playing? Which role(s) do you play? Which role do you prefer and why? 

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help. View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact. 

References 

• Bosworth, K. (1994). Developing Collaborative Skills in College Students. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 59. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 25-31. 
• Breslow, L. (1998). Teaching Teamwork Skills, Part 2. Teach Talk, X, 5.  
• Burke, A. (2011). Group work: How to use groups effectively. The Journal of Effective Teaching, 11(2), 87-95. 
• Hills, H. (2001). Team-Based Learning. Burlington, VT: Gower. 
• Lang, J. M. (2022, June 17). Why students hate group projects (and how to change that). The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-students-hate-group-projects-and-how-to-change-that   
• Shier, M. (2020). Student Success. Victoria, BC: BCcampus. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/studentsuccess/  
• UWaterloo’s  Student Success Office  
• UWaterloo’s  Office of Academic Integrity  

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