Mankind wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for the collective effort of all the people, working tirelessly to solve rising questions. A single-minded approach towards learning may not be significant. Increasing studies have suggested that ‘group work’ helps students deal with stress and form bonds that help students perform better in the long run. As humans, we are always looking for newer ways to learn and grasp things and ‘group work’ may prove to be more efficient. It instills in students positive attitudes towards the division of labour and teaches them to be interdependent while having specialized skill sets. Even though we are alienated from the product of our work in today’s society, working in groups can also bridge that gap. Here are a few ways you can ensure that your students work well in a collaborative environment.
- It is very important that students communicate. As they say, communication is key, interacting with one another will make students more informative about various subjects. That way groups get a better understanding of the whole process. They gain more wisdom in the subject matter and that makes the work process smoother for the entire team working on it.
- Establishing the terms of contract between pupils is key as they need to respect one another for their approaches. Accolades from team members help boost confidence. Less participating and socially awkward students get a chance to establish their voices and make their voices heard. This way, no one person becomes dominant. Everybody gets a chance to speak and everybody drives the team with their own dynamic approaches.
- Discussing the ideas students raise can be an important way of making them feel heard and respected. It develops in them a certain tolerance for people with varied worldviews and faith. It exposes students to diverse courses of action and encourages them to come up with innovative solutions to each unique problem. Even if you feel ideas are hideous, one needs to praise the students for coming out with the idea in open, risking it all to present it in front of esteemed guests. That requires an enormous amount of strength. Great breakthroughs often come from people thinking their ideas are too average. All ideas must be heard never the less.
Students need a platform to express themselves. By giving them a team to work with, one gives them the power to discover the true potentials that lie within them. Group work is also a great way in which students can work on their personalities and develop them. There is a saying that ships weren’t built by one person. Rockets aren’t made by one man. Everything requires a team that collaborates, communicates and comes together to solve problems. Hence, group work is important at so many levels. Teaching and introducing students to group work early on from pre-primary to primary levels help them get through the problem by having people to discuss it with in the first place. Students develop a comprehensive understanding while working on projects.