• Explain to students why this group project is important to their learning.
• Tell them what skills they will learn and why they need these skills.
• Break down the project into smaller parts and give each part a separate deadline.
• Explain how each part builds toward the larger project

Ask yourself:

• Does this Assignment Need to Involve Group Work?
  • If the work doesn't break down easily, maybe it's worth considering a different type of assignment.
  • Evaluate whether the nature of the work lends itself to collaboration and whether students can contribute meaningfully.
• Does the Project Include Learning Objectives that Relate Clearly to the Course Learning Objectives?
  • Ensure that the project's learning objectives are explicitly connected to the overall course goals. This alignment helps students understand the relevance of the project and how it contributes to their broader educational experience.
• What are the Intended Student Learning Outcomes?
  • Think specifically about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes you want students to gain from the project. An effective group project should foster the development of various skills and perspectives, encouraging students to collaborate and learn from one another.
• What Resources Will Students Need to be Successful?
  • Don't forget to include information on the stages of team development, how to create a group video, how to deliver a good class presentation, or other resources that help students succeed. Make sure all content is accessible to all students.
• When Will Students Work on Their Group Work?
  • In an on-campus class, consider allowing some class time for students to pan and organize their group work.
  • Consider using Padlet (external tool in Assignment type) or the Group feature (in People section) in Canvas to manage students' tasks and submissions.

• Create clear instructions for the group project. Students require clear, specific directions, and an explanation of 'why' they are doing an assignment. When possible, supply details and requirements for each group member.
• Provide accountability tools. Ask students to complete a group charter, keep group meeting minutes, and/or submit a peer evaluation of their group work. A good group project makes individual students accountable for the work of the group.
• Create your groups in Canvas to provide students with tools for collaborating and communicating. Encourage group members to make contact early and discuss how they will communicate throughout the project.
• Start with smaller pieces of the project to give students time to work through the first rough stages of team performance.
• Monitor each group's progress if the project is layered or takes the full term. Consider meeting with each group at some point during the project to check on progress.
• Provide a rubric so students know how they will be assessed.

Group Size: Limit the group size to three to five members. Success using larger groups may vary depending on the structure of the group work being assigned, and if there are too few members and someone doesn't participate effectively, the workload becomes too heavy for the remaining group members.

Questions to Consider: Will you assign groups or will students choose their own groups? Will you have ad hoc groups for different days, weeks, or small projects or will you have long term groups for the duration of the course?

Ways to Effectively Group Students

• Random assignment - try this Random Group Generator or let Canvas assign groups.
• By geographical location or where they grew up.
• By skill level where appropriate.
• By interests - let students choose their topic or a group with the same interests.
• Rotating groups - ideal for ad hoc groups.
• Creative survey.

Always design your group assignments with assessment in mind. The more you prepare up front, the less work grading will be for you later.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What product do you expect students to create? Consider giving students choices in their product. Could they create a podcast or video? Would a marketing campaign or grant proposal be a more realistic product than a paper? Make sure you give your students the resources to be successful with the product you require.
• Will you assess the group process or just the product?
• Will the product be one full grade or will you provide separate grades in sections or parts?
• Will there be a group grade, an individual grade, or a combination of both? Canvas does allow for individual grading even if the assignment is a group assignment.
• How will you assess the product(s)? Consider providing a rubric for the students for how the assignment objectives will be measured.

• Lack of goals or purpose.
• Lack of individual accountability
• Lack of effective communication.
• Lack of conflict management skills.
• Lack of understanding of the stages of group development.