Documentation:Supporting Critical Thinking Online/Group Work

Group Work

In her presentation: Teaching in an Online Environment:Group work for Critical Thinking, deChambeau suggests that effective group work can promote critical thinking practice in the following ways:

• Working in peer groups makes the thinking process public. When thinking publicly students tend to spend more time working to express themselves clearly.
• If critical thinking is the intentional application of higher order skills such as analysis, synthesis, inference, evaluation, problem recognition and problem

solving, then appropriate exercises for groups can specifically enforce practice of these skills.

Tips for Effective Group Work

• Be very clear in describing the task and how it relates to the broader learning goals/ objectives you have identified.
• Use examples of good work from previous classes
• The issues students struggle with as a group can be complex, but the assignment itself should be simple
• Give enough lead time for students to test out the technology they will use to support their online group work.
• Consider ice breaker exercises for groups to build trust and camaraderie before starting an actual assignment
• Clarify your role in the process and make yourself available as a resource
• Consider using contracts and/or peer-evaluation mechanisms to support the work.

• Group work resources for learners: Groupwork Toolkit on LEAP
• Group work resources for faculty: Technology Enhanced Collaborative Groupwork- University of Wisconsin-Madison.