Making Group Work Work. In good math classes students talk about math and engage in problem solving.

Group work is a great tool for getting students to talk about math. In recent years, group work has become a buzz phrase in the mathematics education community. Engaging in group work during mathematics instruction is recognized as an effective strategy for learning mathematics and developing problem solving strategies. Recent research suggests that groups are more effective at solving problems than individuals, and that when members of the group have to solve subsequent problems without the group, they perform better than those without the group experience (Barron 2000). Making group work work is not an easy task. If you already use group work structures in your classroom, or if you are thinking about trying it, these group work rules can help. Group Work Rules for Students: Rule #1: Always ask your group members a question before asking the teacher. If a group asks a question, it should be because no one else in the group knows the answer. First and most importantly, this rule gets students talking to each other about the math. Second, it helps students get quick answers to questions regarding instructions or directions that their groupmates can answer just as easily as the teacher. Third, this rule affords the teacher more time to actually observe the students working with one another and assess individual students understanding. Reinforcing this group rule is simple and essential to success: whenever a student asks a question or raises their hand, without hesitation ask the another member of the group what the question is, if the group has been following the group rules the student will know. Rule #2: If someone asks a question, you have to help that person. You may finish what you are working on, but then you must stop and help them. Again, this is about fostering dialog between students about the math. When working in a group it is expected that some students will progress more quickly than others. Whether a student is working faster or more slowly than their groupmates, this rule insures that all students are seen as resources. Students who have worked far ahead of their class will often want to ignore other groupmates and ask the teacher a question about a challenging problem further along in the assignment/project. By directing such questions to other groupmates, this rules forces even those students who are behind to stop and consider where the assignment is leading them. Rule #3: It is the responsibility of the group to make sure each and every person in the group understands the task at hand. Groups should not begin the task until everyone understands what the task is. If a student is not working because they dont know what to do, then the group is responsible. The onus of getting everyone started on the group. It also forces students who think they understand the task to be articulate about exactly what it is they supposed to be doing. This rule is especially useful in multi-step tasks and projects.

Rule #4: If you finish and check your work, you should ask people in your group if they need help. Using a concept or completing an activity is easier than explaining how to do it. Those who finish first are placed in a situation that pushes their understanding of the concepts and the procedures required to complete the activity by working with those who are having difficulty with it. Giving students an opportunity to explain their mathematical thinking to someone who doesnt understand a concept pushes their conceptual understanding in a way that writing assignments and problems cannot. Rule #5: Discuss different answers and try to agree upon one. You should be able to explain groupmates answers as if they were your own. This rule holds students accountable for understanding any solutions groups agree upon. In order to check if groups are following this rule, the teacher should walk up to a group and ask a student at random to explain their solution to a problem or how they completed a task. If you want to push a group, take one students solution and ask another person in the group to explain it. This rule also forces students who disagree about problems to engage in a dialog about them and come to an agreement, a difficult task regardless of age or situation. Rule #6: No talking to other groups. If a teacher is going to have their students work in groups and talk about math, then one must accept a certain level of noise in the classroom. If one is trying to get students to talk about their mathematical thinking and the room is silent then one can be sure that no discourse is taking place. Still, there is no reason to have students yelling across the room. There is one caveat to this rule: if an entire group is stuck on a problem or task, have someone from another group go and help the struggling group as an academic ambassador. Just because one establishes that these rules are to be followed doesnt mean they will be. It takes a long time for students to internalize them. Have them posted on the wall and refer to them often. Make it clear to students that they are graded on how well they follow these rules and be honest about how and why each rule can help groups work effectively. Philip Dituri December 23, 2007 Works Cited Barron (2000). Journal of Educational Psychology. 92(2) 391-398.