group assignment advantages and disadvantages

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Many students have had little experience working in groups in an academic setting. While there are many excellent books and articles describing group processes, this guide is intended to be short and simply written for students who are working in groups, but who may not be very interested in too much detail. It also provides teachers (and students) with tips on assigning group projects, ways to organize groups, and what to do when the process goes awry.

Some reasons to ask students to work in groups

Asking students to work in small groups allows students to learn interactively. Small groups are good for:

• generating a broad array of possible alternative points of view or solutions to a problem
• giving students a chance to work on a project that is too large or complex for an individual
• allowing students with different backgrounds to bring their special knowledge, experience, or skills to a project, and to explain their orientation to others
• giving students a chance to teach each other
• giving students a structured experience so they can practice skills applicable to professional situations

Some benefits of working in groups (even for short periods of time in class)

• Students who have difficulty talking in class may speak in a small group.
• More students, overall, have a chance to participate in class.
• Talking in groups can help overcome the anonymity and passivity of a large class or a class meeting in a poorly designed room.
• Students who expect to participate actively prepare better for class.

Caveat: If you ask students to work in groups, be clear about your purpose, and communicate it to them. Students who fear that group work is a potential waste of valuable time may benefit from considering the reasons and benefits above.

Large projects over a period of time

Faculty asking students to work in groups over a long period of time can do a few things to make it easy for the students to work:

• The biggest student complaint about group work is that it takes a lot of time and planning. Let students know about the project at the beginning of the term, so they can plan their time.
• At the outset, provide group guidelines and your expectations.
• Monitor the groups periodically to make sure they are functioning effectively.
• If the project is to be completed outside of class, it can be difficult to find common times to meet and to find a room. Some faculty members provide in-class time for groups to meet. Others help students find rooms to meet in.

Forming the group

• Forming the group. Should students form their own groups or should they be assigned? Most people prefer to choose whom they work with. However, many students say they welcome both kinds of group experiences, appreciating the value of hearing the perspective of another discipline, or another background.
• Size. Appropriate group size depends on the nature of the project.  If the group is small and one person drops out, can the remaining people do the work? If the group is large, will more time be spent on organizing themselves and trying to make decisions than on productive work?
• Resources for students. Provide a complete class list, with current email addresses. (Students like having this anyway so they can work together even if group projects are not assigned.)
• Students that don't fit. You might anticipate your response to the one or two exceptions of a person who really has difficulty in the group. After trying various remedies, is there an out—can this person join another group? work on an independent project?

Organizing the work

Unless part of the goal is to give people experience in the process of goal-setting, assigning tasks, and so forth, the group will be able to work more efficiently if they are provided with some of the following:

• Clear goals. Why are they working together? What are they expected to accomplish?
• Ways to break down the task into smaller units
• Ways to allocate responsibility for different aspects of the work
• Ways to allocate organizational responsibility
• A sample time line with suggested check points for stages of work to be completed

Caveat: Setting up effective small group assignments can take a lot of faculty time and organization.

Getting Started

• Groups work best if people know each others' names and a bit of their background and experience, especially those parts that are related to the task at hand. Take time to introduce yourselves.
• Be sure to include everyone when considering ideas about how to proceed as a group. Some may never have participated in a small group in an academic setting. Others may have ideas about what works well. Allow time for people to express their inexperience and hesitations as well as their experience with group projects.
• Most groups select a leader early on, especially if the work is a long-term project. Other options for leadership in long-term projects include taking turns for different works or different phases of the work.
• Everyone needs to discuss and clarify the goals of the group's work. Go around the group and hear everyone's ideas (before discussing them) or encourage divergent thinking by brainstorming. If you miss this step, trouble may develop part way through the project. Even though time is scarce and you may have a big project ahead of you, groups may take some time to settle in to work. If you anticipate this, you may not be too impatient with the time it takes to get started.

Organizing the Work

• Break up big jobs into smaller pieces. Allocate responsibility for different parts of the group project to different individuals or teams. Do not forget to account for assembling pieces into final form.
• Develop a timeline, including who will do what, in what format, by when. Include time at the end for assembling pieces into final form. (This may take longer than you anticipate.) At the end of each meeting, individuals should review what work they expect to complete by the following session.

Understanding and Managing Group Processes

• Groups work best if everyone has a chance to make strong contributions to the discussion at meetings and to the work of the group project.
• At the beginning of each meeting, decide what you expect to have accomplished by the end of the meeting.
• Someone (probably not the leader) should write all ideas, as they are suggested, on the board, a collaborative document, or on large sheets of paper. Designate a recorder of the group's decisions. Allocate responsibility for group process (especially if you do not have a fixed leader) such as a time manager for meetings and someone who periodically says that it is time to see how things are going (see below).
• What leadership structure does the group want? One designated leader? rotating leaders? separately assigned roles?
• Are any more ground rules needed, such as starting meetings on time, kinds of interruptions allowed, and so forth?
• Is everyone contributing to discussions? Can discussions be managed differently so all can participate? Are people listening to each other and allowing for different kinds of contributions?
• Are all members accomplishing the work expected of them? Is there anything group members can do to help those experiencing difficulty?
• Are there disagreements or difficulties within the group that need to be addressed? (Is someone dominating? Is someone left out?)
• Is outside help needed to solve any problems?
• Is everyone enjoying the work?

Including Everyone and Their Ideas

Groups work best if everyone is included and everyone has a chance to contribute ideas. The group's task may seem overwhelming to some people, and they may have no idea how to go about accomplishing it. To others, the direction the project should take may seem obvious. The job of the group is to break down the work into chunks, and to allow everyone to contribute. The direction that seems obvious to some may turn out not to be so obvious after all. In any event, it will surely be improved as a result of some creative modification.

Encouraging Ideas

The goal is to produce as many ideas as possible in a short time without evaluating them. All ideas are carefully listened to but not commented on and are usually written on the board or large sheets of paper so everyone can see them, and so they don't get forgotten or lost. Take turns by going around the group—hear from everyone, one by one.

One specific method is to generate ideas through brainstorming. People mention ideas in any order (without others' commenting, disagreeing or asking too many questions). The advantage of brainstorming is that ideas do not become closely associated with the individuals who suggested them. This process encourages creative thinking, if it is not rushed and if all ideas are written down (and therefore, for the time-being, accepted). A disadvantage: when ideas are suggested quickly, it is more difficult for shy participants or for those who are not speaking their native language. One approach is to begin by brainstorming and then go around the group in a more structured way asking each person to add to the list.

Examples of what to say:

• Why don't we take a minute or two for each of us to present our views?
• Let's get all our ideas out before evaluating them. We'll clarify them before we organize or evaluate them.
• We'll discuss all these ideas after we hear what everyone thinks.
• You don't have to agree with her, but let her finish.
• Let's spend a few more minutes to see if there are any possibilities we haven't thought of, no matter how unlikely they seem.

Group Leadership

• The leader is responsible for seeing that the work is organized so that it will get done. The leader is also responsible for understanding and managing group interactions so that the atmosphere is positive.
• The leader must encourage everyone's contributions with an eye to accomplishing the work. To do this, the leader must observe how the group's process is working. (Is the group moving too quickly, leaving some people behind? Is it time to shift the focus to another aspect of the task?)
• The leader must encourage group interactions and maintain a positive atmosphere. To do this the leader must observe the way people are participating as well as be aware of feelings communicated non-verbally. (Are individuals' contributions listened to and appreciated by others? Are people arguing with other people, rather than disagreeing with their ideas? Are some people withdrawn or annoyed?)
• The leader must anticipate what information, materials or other resources the group needs as it works.
• The leader is responsible for beginning and ending on time. The leader must also organize practical support, such as the room, chalk, markers, food, breaks.

(Note: In addition to all this, the leader must take part in thc discussion and participate otherwise as a group member. At these times, the leader must be careful to step aside from the role of leader and signal participation as an equal, not a dominant voice.)

Concerns of Individuals That May Affect Their Participation

• How do I fit in? Will others listen to me? Am I the only one who doesn't know everyone else? How can I work with people with such different backgrounds and expericnce?
• Who will make the decisions? How much influence can I have?
• What do I have to offer to the group? Does everyone know more than I do? Does anyone know anything, or will I have to do most of the work myself?

Characteristics of a Group that is Performing Effectively

• All members have a chance to express themselves and to influence the group's decisions. All contributions are listened to carefully, and strong points acknowledged. Everyone realizes that the job could not be done without the cooperation and contribution of everyone else.
• Differences are dealt with directly with the person or people involved. The group identifies all disagreements, hears everyone's views and tries to come to an agreement that makes sense to everyone. Even when a group decision is not liked by someone, that person will follow through on it with the group.
• The group encourages everyone to take responsibility, and hard work is recognized. When things are not going well, everyone makes an effort to help each other. There is a shared sense of pride and accomplishment.

Focusing on a Direction

After a large number of ideas have been generated and listed (e.g. on the board), the group can categorize and examine them. Then the group should agree on a process for choosing from among the ideas. Advantages and disadvantages of different plans can be listed and then voted on. Some possibilities can be eliminated through a straw vote (each group member could have 2 or 3 votes). Or all group members could vote for their first, second, and third choices. Alternatively, criteria for a successful plan can be listed, and different alternatives can be voted on based on the criteria, one by one.

Categorizing and evaluating ideas

• We have about 20 ideas here. Can we sort them into a few general categories?
• When we evaluate each others' ideas, can we mention some positive aspects before expressing concerns?
• Could you give us an example of what you mean?
• Who has dealt with this kind of problem before?
• What are the pluses of that approach? The minuses?
• We have two basic choices. Let's brainstorm. First let's look at the advantages of the first choice, then the disadvantages.
• Let's try ranking these ideas in priority order. The group should try to come to an agreement that makes sense to everyone.

Making a decision

After everyone's views are heard and all points of agreement and disagreement are identified, the group should try to arrive at an agreement that makes sense to everyone.

• There seems to be some agreement here. Is there anyone who couldn't live with solution #2?
• Are there any objections to going that way?
• You still seem to have worries about this solution. Is there anything that could be added or taken away to make it more acceptable? We're doing fine. We've agreed on a great deal. Let's stay with this and see if we can work this last issue through.
• It looks as if there are still some major points of disagreement. Can we go back and define what those issues are and work on them rather than forcing a decision now.

How People Function in Groups

If a group is functioning well, work is getting done and constructive group processes are creating a positive atmosphere. In good groups the individuals may contribute differently at different times. They cooperate and human relationships are respected. This may happen automatically or individuals, at different times, can make it their job to maintain the atmospbere and human aspects of the group.

Roles That Contribute to the Work

Initiating —taking the initiative, at any time; for example, convening the group, suggesting procedures, changing direction, providing new energy and ideas. (How about if we.... What would happen if... ?)

Seeking information or opinions —requesting facts, preferences, suggestions and ideas. (Could you say a little more about... Would you say this is a more workable idea than that?)

Giving information or opinions —providing facts, data, information from research or experience. (ln my experience I have seen... May I tell you what I found out about...? )

Questioning —stepping back from what is happening and challenging the group or asking other specific questions about the task. (Are we assuming that... ? Would the consequence of this be... ?)

Clarifying —interpreting ideas or suggestions, clearing up confusions, defining terms or asking others to clarify. This role can relate different contributions from different people, and link up ideas that seem unconnected. (lt seems that you are saying... Doesn't this relate to what [name] was saying earlier?)

Summarizing —putting contributions into a pattern, while adding no new information. This role is important if a group gets stuck. Some groups officially appoint a summarizer for this potentially powerful and influential role. (If we take all these pieces and put them together... Here's what I think we have agreed upon so far... Here are our areas of disagreement...)

Roles That Contribute to the Atmosphere

Supporting —remembering others' remarks, being encouraging and responsive to others. Creating a warm, encouraging atmosphere, and making people feel they belong helps the group handle stresses and strains. People can gesture, smile, and make eye-contact without saying a word. Some silence can be supportive for people who are not native speakers of English by allowing them a chance to get into discussion. (I understand what you are getting at...As [name] was just saying...)

Observing —noticing the dynamics of the group and commenting. Asking if others agree or if they see things differently can be an effective way to identify problems as they arise. (We seem to be stuck... Maybe we are done for now, we are all worn out... As I see it, what happened just a minute ago.. Do you agree?)

Mediating —recognizing disagreements and figuring out what is behind the differences. When people focus on real differences, that may lead to striking a balance or devising ways to accommodate different values, views, and approaches. (I think the two of you are coming at this from completely different points of view... Wait a minute. This is how [name/ sees the problem. Can you see why she may see it differently?)

Reconciling —reconciling disagreements. Emphasizing shared views among members can reduce tension. (The goal of these two strategies is the same, only the means are different… Is there anything that these positions have in common?)

Compromising —yielding a position or modifying opinions. This can help move the group forward. (Everyone else seems to agree on this, so I'll go along with... I think if I give in on this, we could reach a decision.)

Making a personal comment —occasional personal comments, especially as they relate to the work. Statements about one's life are often discouraged in professional settings; this may be a mistake since personal comments can strengthen a group by making people feel human with a lot in common.

Humor —funny remarks or good-natured comments. Humor, if it is genuinely good-natured and not cutting, can be very effective in relieving tension or dealing with participants who dominate or put down others. Humor can be used constructively to make the work more acceptable by providing a welcome break from concentration. It may also bring people closer together, and make the work more fun.

All the positive roles turn the group into an energetic, productive enterprise. People who have not reflected on these roles may misunderstand the motives and actions of people working in a group. If someone other than the leader initiates ideas, some may view it as an attempt to take power from the leader. Asking questions may similarly be seen as defying authority or slowing down the work of the group. Personal anecdotes may be thought of as trivializing the discussion. Leaders who understand the importance of these many roles can allow and encourage them as positive contributions to group dynamics. Roles that contribute to the work give the group a sense of direction and achievement. Roles contributing to the human atmosphere give the group a sense of cooperation and goodwill.

Some Common Problems (and Some Solutions)

Floundering —While people are still figuring out the work and their role in the group, the group may experience false starts and circular discussions, and decisions may be postponed.

• Here's my understanding of what we are trying to accomplish... Do we all agree?
• What would help us move forward: data? resources?
• Let's take a few minutes to hear everyone's suggestions about how this process might work better and what we should do next.

Dominating or reluctant participants —Some people might take more than their share of the discussion by talking too often, asserting superiority, telling lengthy stories, or not letting others finish. Sometimes humor can be used to discourage people from dominating. Others may rarely speak because they have difficulty getting in the conversation. Sometimes looking at people who don't speak can be a non-verbal way to include them. Asking quiet participants for their thoughts outside the group may lead to their participation within the group.

• How would we state the general problem? Could we leave out the details for a moment? Could we structure this part of the discussion by taking turns and hearing what everyone has to say?
• Let's check in with each other about how the process is working: Is everyone contributing to discussions? Can discussions be managed differently so we can all participate? Are we all listening to each other?

Digressions and tangents —Too many interesting side stories can be obstacles to group progress. It may be time to take another look at the agenda and assign time estimates to items. Try to summarize where the discussion was before the digression. Or, consider whether there is something making the topic easy to avoid.

• Can we go back to where we were a few minutes ago and see what we were trying to do ?
• Is there something about the topic itself that makes it difficult to stick to?

Getting Stuck —Too little progress can get a group down. It may be time for a short break or a change in focus. However, occasionally when a group feels that it is not making progress, a solution emerges if people simply stay with the issue.

• What are the things that are helping us solve this problem? What's preventing us from solving this problem?
• I understand that some of you doubt whether anything new will happen if we work on this problem. Are we willing to give it a try for the next fifteen minutes?

Rush to work —Usually one person in the group is less patient and more action-oriented than the others. This person may reach a decision more quickly than the others and then pressure the group to move on before others are ready.

• Are we all ready-to make a decision on this?
• What needs to be done before we can move ahead?
• Let's go around and see where everyone stands on this.

Feuds —Occasionally a conflict (having nothing to do with the subject of the group) carries over into the group and impedes its work. It may be that feuding parties will not be able to focus until the viewpoint of each is heard. Then they must be encouraged to lay the issue aside.

• So, what you are saying is... And what you are saying is... How is that related to the work here?
• If we continue too long on this, we won't be able to get our work done. Can we agree on a time limit and then go on?

For more information...

James Lang, " Why Students Hate Group Projects (and How to Change That) ," The Chronicle of Higher Education (17 June 2022).

Hodges, Linda C. " Contemporary Issues in Group Learning in Undergraduate Science Classrooms: A Perspective from Student Engagement ,"  CBE—Life Sciences Education  17.2 (2018): es3.

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Facilitating group work to enhance student learning.

On this page:

The importance of group work.

Group work refers to learning experiences in which students work together on the same task. Group work can help build a positive and engaging learning community through peer learning and teaching.

Promoting peer interactions can positively affect learning experiences by preparing students for work beyond the classroom. According to Constructivism, when students work together to solve problems, they construct knowledge together, rather than passively absorbing information. Students learn more effectively working cooperatively in diverse groups as opposed to working exclusively in a heterogeneous class, working in competition with other students, or working alone (Hattie, 2008). Some benefits include:

• Collaborating to break apart and solve complex tasks
• Deepening understandings and clarifying misconceptions with peer support
• self-regulation and self-reflection
• communication and time management
• project management and conflict resolution

Advantages and Disadvantages

While working collaboratively has the potential to improve student outcomes, it requires the instructor to carefully organize, guide and maintain a positive and productive work environment. Despite the substantial benefits group work offers, there are also disadvantages, especially if not implemented effectively.

For group work to be successful, you need to thoughtfully plan and organize how it will benefit your students. Group work must be designed to enhance student skills and abilities towards achieving learning outcomes.

Additional Resources

Designing successful group work.

The suggestions below will help you design a successful collaborative learning experience for your students. Prior to incorporating group work, take the time to consider strategies that can help avoid potential challenges. Remember to teach effective group work just as you teach content knowledge.

• Consider having students create group contracts for high-stakes assignments and complex projects. These are also beneficial when the same group will be working together over an extended period.
• Provide students with guidelines or templates to ensure that they address aspects of collaboration that may alleviate future concerns, such as potential problems with effective solutions.
• Plan appropriate group composition, size and activity duration. Smaller groups of 3-5 students tend to be more efficient.
• Promote positive interdependence where each member of the group feels a sense of respect, accountability and inclusivity. Ask each group to define their expectations, goals, roles and responsibilities.
• Establish effective group structures and communication in which students share their knowledge and skills, motivate themselves and others, and respect multiple perspectives or opinions.
• Give resources and strategies for project development, team building and conflict resolution.

Creating Group Work Projects

Assigning tasks that foster genuine teamwork and simulate real-life scenarios can help to prepare students for professional situations that will require collaboration. To design an engaging and community-oriented classroom, it is necessary to create opportunities for students to work together in your course. Students can accomplish this through:

• authentic assessments that foster autonomy and demonstrate learning 
• discussions that foster critical thinking, equity and inclusivity
• investigations to analyzing problems and identifying solutions
• activities that incorporate active learning
• brainstorming to practice divergent thinking and innovation

The following examples provide you opportunities and ideas to integrate group work successfully into your course.

Authentic Assessments

Design projects that allow groups to demonstrate their learning in a variety of methods and modalities. Authentic assessments allow groups and individuals to show what they have learned and how they can transfer this knowledge and apply their new understandings to specific concepts. Construct group work intentionally and align it to the course’s learning outcomes. Here are some examples of group oriented authentic assessments:

• Case studies
• Designing a textbook
• Presentations
• Experiential learning
• Problem-based learning
• Innovation sprints

Discussions

Discussions are a great way to build collaboration into your course. Discussions allow students to practice higher order thinking skills in a variety of ways and can help students achieve many types of learning outcomes.  Having a structure in place will help ensure that discussions are meaningful, effective and engaging. The benefits of discussions include:

• Deepening understanding
• Developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Learning to navigate difficult conversations
• Strengthening oral communication and active listening
• Applying newly learned concepts and skills to authentic contexts

Group Investigation

Study groups.

Strategies to design successful group projects.

How to build effective collaboration in your course.

Video that helps you move group work to an online environment.

Assessing Group Work

In addition to evaluating the group’s output, determine how groups functioned, how individuals contributed to the group itself, as well evaluate both the process and product. This is not always easy, but these general principles can guide you:

• Instructor assessment of group
• Individual assignments
• Quizzes or individual write ups
• Self-assessments
• Student assessment of group or group members
• Student assessment of self
• Provide criteria for assessment
• Assess process as well as product
• Give group feedback and individual feedback when possible
• Monitor each group’s progress and address issues that may arise

Additional resources

Video series for structuring online groups.

Learn how to assess group work equitably.

Overview of the various methods to grade group work successfully and fairly.

Collaboration in Online Learning

Collaborative online learning activities allow students to support each other by asking critical questions and clarifying misunderstandings. It is through this collaboration that students can learn to listen thoughtfully and value the contributions of their peers. Using appropriate and intuitive technology tools helps create an engaging and supportive learning community. The following are a variety of tools available to connect you with your students and to help your students collaborate with their peers.

UB Learns: Collaboration

Share ideas individually and collaboratively.

Assign students to groups within the UB Learns course.

• How to Create Groups in UB Learns

Group Assignments

Can set assignments for group submissions.

Discussion Forums

See below for detailed information.

Additional Collaboration Tools

Communication tools can support both student and instructor presence whether your class is synchronous or asynchronous.

Store, share and edit documents, spreadsheets, presentations and surveys (among other features). It is ideal for working collaboratively in real time.

Text and chat in real time (individuals or groups).

Create, communicate and collaborate in real time.

Virtual interactive bulletin board.

Record instruction videos.

Create a unique hashtag that students can use to talk about class, share links, etc.

Store, share and edit university-related documents in UB Box.

Video conferencing software for synchronous classes and office hours.

UB faculty shares how you can successfully enhance your course with technology.

Third party digital tools you can integrate into your course to strengthen collaboration.

Discussions are usually an important component of a course regardless of the modality. Online discussions can be conducted in two primary ways:

• Synchronously: All students participate in the discussion at the same time, in the same virtual space.
• Asynchronously: All students participate in the discussion on their own time, but according to a schedule.

In an online course, discussion boards can be a primary point of connection for collaboration among students. They can serve a variety of purposes, including as a place for students to:

• submit assignments for other students to review and give feedback
• ask questions that can be read and answered by peers, the TA and/or the instructor
• communicate with their peers formally or informally
• create posts and responses that can be counted towards participation or homework grades
• discuss a topic with a small group or with the whole class
• collaborate on group assignments

Tips for Using Discussion Forums

• Establish criteria and expectations, both general and specific. Include grading, if applicable.
• Strategically monitor and interact with the discussion board. Guide and prompt students as needed.

Determine the complexity of the discussion questions ( Bloom's Taxonomy ). Use meaningful, open-ended questions and prompts.

Create opportunities for autonomy and incorporate UDL principles . Give students choices such as the question they answer or the delivery method they complete (ex: written or video response).

Uses of Discussion Forums

• Asking questions
• Answering questions
• Comprehension of content
• Ice Breakers
• Introductions
• Jigsaw activity
• Peer feedback
• Reflections
• Sharing ideas and resources
• Small groups and conversations

Building a Discussion Board in UB Learns

A guide to building a discussion forum in UB Learns.

A guide to creating a discussion forum from Brightspace.

A handout that gives an overview of the best practices to consider when designing a discussion board for your course.

Ways to create significant discussions in your course.

How to set criteria and expectations for discussions.

Integrate Student Collaboration Into Your Course Design

• Are there opportunities for the instructor to engage with students?
• Are there class activities that foster communication between students?
• Are there various modalities for students to communicate and collaborate?
• Step 2 : Identify areas where you could further integrate student collaboration into your course design.
• Step 3 : Begin to build or revise a student collaboration activity or project.

Learn how to plan, facilitate and assess classroom discussions.

How to prepare students to engage with and support peers who may share different views and perspectives.

Research article that reviews the changing cultural landscape of higher education classrooms.

Strategies to navigate difficult discussions in the classroom.

Blog that shares the challenges and successes of group work.

Better resources for classroom management.

Set clear expectations for class interactions.

Build and support a learning community.

Create opportunities for collaboration.

Provide opportunities to learn and share from a diverse range of resources.

For further information about group work, see the following readings.

• Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers (1st ed.). Routledge.
• Loes, C., Culver, K., & Trolian, T. (2018). How collaborative learning enhances students’ openness to diversity. The Journal of Higher Education (Columbus), 89(6), 935–960. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2018.1442638

7 Pros and 5 Cons of Working in a Group

Table of Contents

Pros and Cons of Group Work

Working in a group has both positive and negative aspects, whether personally or professionally. Here are the major pros and cons of group work to mention:

Pros of Group Work

Here are the top seven benefits of working in a group and why they’re advantageous:

Diverse Perspectives for Better Solutions

Group work allows the pooling of different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. This diversity sparks innovative and comprehensive solutions to complex problems by considering various angles.

Skill Development through Collaboration

Working in a group nurtures teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Collaborative efforts help individuals improve negotiation, compromise, and conflict resolution abilities.

Shared Workload Enhances Efficiency

Dividing tasks based on strengths and interests enables faster and more effective completion of complex projects. Sharing responsibilities reduces individual workload and stress.

Enhanced Learning and Retention

Engaging in discussions and debates within a group aids in better information retention. Explaining concepts to others reinforces understanding and retention of knowledge.

Improved Decision-Making through Consensus

Group discussions facilitate thorough exploration of ideas, leading to well-thought-out decisions. Consensus-building fosters buy-in and commitment to chosen strategies or solutions.

Exposure to Diverse Ideas and Cultures

Interacting with peers from diverse backgrounds exposes individuals to different cultures, perspectives, and problem-solving approaches, enriching their learning experiences.

Read More: The 10 Importance of Group Work

Mental Support and Motivation

Collaboration within a group provides emotional support, motivation, and encouragement. The shared experience fosters a sense of camaraderie, making challenging tasks more manageable.

Cons of Group Work

While group work is beneficial in many ways, it also has some drawbacks :

Inefficiencies in Decision-Making

Group dynamics often lead to prolonged discussions and debates, delaying decision-making. Consensus-building requires time and effort, which can hinder quick actions, especially in time-sensitive situations.

Unequal Participation and Workload Distribution

Disparities in involvement among group members can arise, causing frustration and conflict. Some individuals may contribute disproportionately, leading to resentment or dissatisfaction within the team.

Read More: The 10 Characteristics of a Group

Conflicting Attitudes and Goals

Diverse academic or personal goals among team members might lead to conflicts. Varying levels of commitment and differing attitudes towards group assignments can create tension within the team.

Potential for Dependency or Passivity

A group setting might encourage passivity or dependency on others, where certain members rely excessively on the work of a few, leading to uneven contributions or lack of personal accountability.

Difficulty in Managing Different Personalities

Group work can involve clashes of personalities, work styles, and communication patterns. Conflicting personalities or dominant individuals may disrupt the cohesion needed for effective teamwork.

Read Next: 10 Importance of Staffing Function

By profession, Sujan Chaudhary is a BBA (Bachelor in Business Administration) graduate, and by passion a blogger. He loves to share his business knowledge with the rest of the world. While not writing, he will be found reading and exploring the world.

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Teaching excellence & educational innovation, what are the challenges of group work and how can i address them.

Unfortunately, groups can easily end up being less, rather than more, than the sum of their parts. Why is this?

In this section, we consider the hazards of group projects and strategies instructors can use to avoid or mitigate them. Find other strategies and examples here or contact the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence for help.

For students, common challenges of group work include:

• Coordination costs
• Motivation costs
• Intellectual costs

For instructors, common challenges involve:

• Allocating time
• Teaching process skills
• Assessing process as well as product
• Assessing individual as well as group learning

Challenges for students

Coordination costs represent time and energy that group work consumes that individual work does not, including the time it takes to coordinate schedules, arrange meetings, meet, correspond, make decisions collectively, integrate the contributions of group members, etc. The time spent on each of these tasks may not be great, but together they are significant.

Coordination costs can’t be eliminated, nor should they be: after all, coordinating the efforts of multiple team members is an important skill. However, if coordination costs are excessive or are not factored into the structure of group assignments, groups tend to miss deadlines, their work is poorly integrated, motivation suffers, and creativity declines.

Instructors should note that coordination costs increase with:

• Group size: The more people in the group, the more schedules to accommodate, parts to delegate, opinions to consider, pieces to integrate, etc. Smaller groups have lower coordination costs.
• Task interdependence: Tasks in which group members are highly reliant on one another at all stages tend to have higher coordination costs than tasks that allow students to “divide and conquer”, though they may not satisfy the same collaborative goals.
• Heterogeneity: Heterogeneity of group members tends to raises coordination costs, especially if there are language issues to contend with, cultural differences to bridge, and disparate skills to integrate. However, since diversity of perspectives is one of the principle advantages of groups, this should not necessarily be avoided.

Strategies: To help reduce or mitigate coordination costs:

• Keep groups small.
• Designate some class time for group meetings.
• Use group resumes or skills inventories to help teams delegate subtasks.
• Assign roles (e.g., group leader, scheduler) or encourage students to do so.
• Point students to digital tools that facilitate remote and/or asynchronous meetings.
• Warn students about time-consuming stages and tasks.
• Actively build communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Designate time in the project schedule for the group to integrate parts.

Motivation costs refers to the adverse effect on student motivation of working in groups, which often involves one or more of these phenomena:

• Free riding occurs when one or more group members leave most or all of the work to a few, more diligent, members. Free riding – if not addressed proactively – tends to erode the long-term motivation of hard-working students.
• Social loafing describes the tendency of group members to exert less effort than they can or should because of the reduced sense of accountability (think of how many people don’t bother to vote, figuring that someone else will do it.) Social loafing lowers group productivity.
• Conflict within groups can erode morale and cause members to withdraw. It can be subtle or pronounced, and can (but isn’t always) the cause and result of free riding. Conflict – if not effectively addressed – can leave group members with a deeply jaundiced view of teams.

Strategies: To address both preexisting and potential motivation problems:

• Explain why working in groups is worth the frustration.
• Establish clear expectations for group members, by setting ground rules and/or using team contracts.
• Increase individual accountability by combining group assessments with individual assessments. 
• Teach conflict-resolution skills and reinforce them by role-playing responses to hypothetical team conflict scenarios. 
• Assess group processes via periodic process reports, self-evaluations, and peer evaluations.

Intellectual costs refer to characteristics of group behavior that can reduce creativity and productivity. These include:

• Groupthink : the tendency of groups to conform to a perceived majority view. 
• Escalation of commitment : the tendency of groups to become more committed to their plans and strategies – even ineffective ones – over time. 
• Transparency illusion : the tendency of group members to believe their thoughts, attitudes and reasons are more obvious to others than is actually the case.
• Common information effect : the tendency of groups to focus on information all members share and ignore unique information, however relevant.

Strategies: To reduce intellectual costs and increase the creativity and productivity of groups:

• Precede group brainstorming with a period of individual brainstorming (sometimes called “nominal group technique”). This forestalls groupthink and helps the group generate and consider more different ideas.
• Encourage group members to reflect on and highlight their contributions in periodic self-evaluations. 
• Create structured opportunities at the halfway point of projects to allow students to reevaluate and revise their strategies and approaches.
• Assign roles to group members that reduce conformity and push the group intellectually (devil’s advocate, doubter, the Fool).

Challenges for instructors

While group assignments have benefits for instructors , they also have complexities that instructors should consider carefully, for example in these areas:

Allocating time: While group assignments may save instructors time in some areas (e.g., grading final projects), they may add time in other areas (e.g., time needed up front to identify appropriate project topics, contact external clients, compose student groups; time during the semester to meet with and monitor student groups; time at the end of the semester to ascertain the contributions of individual team members.)

Teaching process skills: Functioning effectively in teams requires students to develop strong communication, coordination, and conflict resolution skills, which not all instructors feel qualified to teach. Many instructors are also reluctant to devote class time to reinforcing these skills and may be uncomfortable dealing with the interpersonal issues that can arise in groups. In other words, dealing proactively with team dynamics may push some instructors out of their comfort zone.

Assessing process as well as product: Assessing teamwork skills and group dynamics (i.e., process) can be far trickier than assessing a team’s work (i.e., product). Effective evaluation of process requires thoughtful consideration of learning objectives and a combination of assessment approaches. This creates layers of complexity that instructors may not anticipate.

Assessing individual as well as group learning: Group grades can hide significant differences in learning, yet teasing out which team members did and did not contribute to the group or learn the lessons of the assignment can be difficult. Once again, this adds complexity to group projects that instructors often underestimate. 

Find effective strategies to help faculty address these issues in the design of effective group projects .

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Many of us now routinely have to work in groups, either professionally or personally. From classroom learning, through university assignments, to projects at work, group working is becoming more and more standard.

Most of us will also recognise that groups can have both strengths and weaknesses—both for the group, and for the individuals involved. These strengths and weaknesses will vary with the purpose, structure and nature of the group. They will also change over time as the group evolves.

This page discusses both the strengths and weaknesses of groups, and explores some ideas for maximising the strengths, and overcoming some of the weaknesses.

Strengths and Advantages of Group Working

There are many strengths and advantages to working in a group, including making decisions as a group. These include:

The group’s work and decisions can draw on the knowledge, skills and experience of all members. This means that decisions can be informed by multiple perspectives, making them more likely to be based on stronger evidence—and therefore sounder.

Group working encourages members to develop and explore new ideas and perspectives . Research among students showed that those working in groups were more likely to try new techniques for problem-solving. They were also more open to new ideas. The thinking is that hearing different opinions can lead to changes in views, and therefore result in more willingness to hear new ideas.

Existing relationships can help to improve group cohesion . Where two or more people within a group already have a relationship, this can help to build group cohesion, by providing common ground.

Groups compensate for individual weaknesses and support personal development . In groups, individuals can compensate for their own weaknesses by drawing on the skills and strengths of others. However, they can also learn and get support from other group members to develop in areas of weakness.

Working in a group can satisfy the need to ‘belong’. Maslow’s famous hierarchy of needs places the need to belong only three rungs up from the bottom. This means it is less crucial only than physiological needs (food, water and shelter) and feeling safe. Working in a group therefore meets a very basic need in all of us.

The challenges of group working can make success more satisfying . Working in a group is not always easy. Group members often feel far more satisfied by achieving a good result than those who work alone, who may feel that success is expected, or downplay their achievements.

Groups often provide unexpected learning opportunities . Working in groups gives opportunities for individuals to talk to others with similar problems and issues and share their experiences.

Groups can be a safe environment to improve individual understanding and support personal development . Individual behaviour, feelings and attitudes are greatly influenced by other people. Group members can therefore act as role models and provide reinforcement for changing behaviours through mutual support and positive feedback.

Groups may enable sharing of workloads and support networks . Working alone may lead to isolation or feeling unsupported. Formal requirements for group working can enable better sharing of work, and development of mutual support networks. This, in turn, can help to ensure that everyone can develop a better work–life balance .

You may also be interested in our guest post on the benefits to individuals of working in groups .

Weaknesses of Working in Groups

Many of the strengths of working in a group can also turn into weaknesses if not managed correctly. Groups also have specific weaknesses that stem from having several people working together.

Group decision-making can take a long time . Decisions made by groups are usually held to be better than individual decisions, because they draw on more perspectives and information. However, they can also take a long time to make, because of the need to explore these varying perspectives. Group leaders need to balance these two requirements to get the benefits of group decision-making without taking too much time.

Groups can be vulnerable to errors of decision-making, such as ‘groupthink’ . This is especially true where group members are more similar, or value cohesion above results.

Existing relationships within a group can damage development of wider group cohesion . Where two or more people within a group already have a relationship, this can encourage the formation of subgroups or cliques within a wider group. This, in turn, can make it harder for other members of the group to fit in.

It takes time to develop full understanding of roles and responsibilities . Until that understanding develops, groups may be vulnerable to misunderstandings and miscommunications. This can result in work not being done, or being done twice.

Working in a group may dampen individuals’ sense of responsibility for decisions . A collective decision is owned by the group, not by any one individual. This means that individuals may be prepared to agree to more risk for the group than they would accept for themselves. They may also be more prepared to accept a bad decision because they will not be held personally responsible.

Care is needed to ensure that all group members feel equally able to contribute . More confident people may feel more able to contribute vocally, and those who get more ‘airtime’ may feel more ‘heard’ than others. Feeling unable to contribute may lead people to withdraw from the process.

Conflict may arise with a group for several reasons. Conflict can arise because individuals have different ways of working, or different ideas for achieving the group’s objectives, or even because they disagree with the group’s objectives. Open conflict can be helpful in clearing the air, but it can also lead to the group fragmenting into subgroups, or individuals leaving the group or withdrawing their cooperation.

One or two people may take control of the group, and essentially side-line others. This can lead to poorer decision-making, individual withdrawal, and refusal to sign off decisions. A similar split can arise if one or two people are prepared to put in a lot more effort to get the work done, and feel that others are taking advantage of them.

It may be difficult to maintain confidentiality within a group . This is simply because information shared by more people is more likely to be discussed or shared further.

Some individuals may withdraw cooperation, or even disrupt the group . Some people do not like being in a group situation. In particular, they may not like to express problems or share ideas with others. If forced to participate, these people may become disruptive or withdraw. Other people may become disruptive if the group process does not seem to be going the way they want—for example, if their ideas have been rejected, even after careful discussion and consideration.

Individuals may resent the pressure to conform to the group’s norms . This may lead to them withdrawing. They may also disrupt the group to the extent that the norms have to be re-evaluated. There is more about this in our pages on Group Life Cycle and Building Group Cohesiveness .

Organising a group needs resources, accommodation, time and on-going commitment . This is a fundamental issue with any group. Those involved need to be clear that those resources are available.

There is more about many of these weaknesses, and how to overcome them, in our page on Group Decision-Making .

Getting the Best out of Group Working

Group working is unmistakeably now a standard part of most people’s lives . It is therefore important to be able to get the most out of working in a group, without succumbing to the many weaknesses and disadvantages of group working.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this is awareness. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of group working puts you in a far stronger position to address both. Group leaders play a key role in overcoming weaknesses, for example, by ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to contribute, and that there is time for decisions to be discussed fully. However, group members can also play a role, by being open in their communication, and honest if the group process is not working for them. Our page on Building Group Cohesiveness contains other ideas, as does our page on group processes .

Continue to: Group Diversity Group Dynamics

See also: Managing Difficult Behaviour in Meetings Rebuilding Teams After Remote Working Joining an Established Team Team Building

18 Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork

Teamwork is the process of having two or more people working cooperatively and collaboratively on a specific task. It could be a project at work, a marriage, or finding the correct directions to the movie theater.

Anyone who has ever tried to build a team will tell you that humans are more complex than this basic definition. People want to feel valued with their contributions. They want to share their experiences, opinions, and education to help themselves and others succeed. If there aren’t any opportunities to provide these options, then individuals will feel excluded even if the work is still collaborative.

When people work together, then the diversity of experiences can provide teams of any size more strength than when someone is working individually. You can also find some disadvantages waiting for you when people get together to work.

That’s why a complete look at the advantages and disadvantages of teamwork can be useful.

List of the Advantages of Teamwork

1. Teams can divide a large project into smaller tasks. When teams can tackle a large project, then everyone can take a smaller piece of the work instead of making one person try to do everything. If you have a long list of steps that requires completion and deadlines that have zero flexibility, then a collaborative effort helps you to get more accomplished in a shorter time.

Imagine that you have a list of 50 tasks to complete. If there is only one worker available, then that person is responsible for all fifty items. If you had a team of 10 people working on this project, then each worker would only need to accomplish five tasks to finish the work.

2. Teams create brainstorming opportunities. When people have an opportunity to work together, then they can address difficulties or problems with a project or task with different perspectives. You have opportunities to brainstorm challenging situations with other people who have different experiences, perspectives, and opinions so that you can come up with new solutions. This advantage makes it easier to find the best steps forward when encountering an issue so that you can achieve success in the best possible way.

3. It offers a forum for communication Teams have the most success when they get opportunities to speak with each other consistently. Group work creates a natural forum for ideas to have a give-and-take with everyone. This advantage gives the team more time to look at feedback, discuss progress, and identify roadblocks so that productivity still occurs.

If a group commits to a thorough communication process, then it is much easier for them to meet deadlines or offer additional help whenever it is needed.

4. Teamwork encourages more individualized accountability. Teams create a process where you can have employees keep each other on their assigned tasks. It allows a manager or supervisor to focus on their work while each member keeps themselves and everyone else accountable to the project. Shared spreadsheets, collaborative documents, or regular meetings that require progress reports are all different ways to encourage this advantage.

Although there will always be some people who try to take advantage of a team to get lost and do minimal work, it minimizes the chances that there will be times when people can slack off.

5. It creates a structure where mentorship gets encouraged. Teamwork creates a system where you can have new workers paired with experienced ones to create mentorship opportunities. Instead of forcing people to sit through training classes or throwing them directly into the fire with their responsibilities, this advantage creates moments of guidance and leadership for everyone. It enables people to learn from and emulate their seniors or superiors, creating confidence in new skills.

This advantage includes reverse mentorship opportunities. Many new employees have access to technologies and ideas that may not be available to older workers. As one person passes along their experience, the other shows how the world is evolving. That creates more strength for everyone.

6. Teamwork creates places where you can recognize personal strengths and weaknesses. When people get opportunities to work as a group, then they can lead times of self-reflection for themselves and others. This increase in awareness can help people to discover their own leadership potential, discover hidden strengths, or begin to eliminate potential weaknesses so that they can find more problem-solving skills. There can be incredible opportunities for growth when teams come together regularly to examine themselves and teammates in safe, productive environments.

7. It creates stronger relationships. When people have opportunities to work and collaborate with one another, then openness creates stronger relationships. A positive environment creates daily moments where motivation and encouragement can build everyone up while creating personal and professional networks. It is an advantage that lets a group anticipate the needs of each other while still creating a personal plan for success.

The advantage of this system is that it creates circumstances where everyone feels comfortable. It becomes a safe place to experiment without negative criticism, encouraging everyone to find new moments of growth.

8. Teamwork creates cross-training opportunities. Teamwork creates more moments where individual members can cross-train one another to create new skills and strengths in time. This advantage makes it easier to integrate more people into different roles as the scope of a project allows. It is a benefit that creates depth and added flexibility because more people can cover vacant roles. You can prevent burnout because there are more ways to provide time off, create vacation opportunities, and eliminate the need to make people come in when they’re sick.

9. Working in a team results in movement toward a common direction. When a team gets put together to manage a project or complete a specific series of tasks, then people will find a way to follow a common direction. That doesn’t mean you won’t experience any arguments or disagreements along the way, but it does offer a variety of people from different backgrounds to find ways to work together. Once everyone gets on the same page after having an opportunity to voice their concerns or ideas, then most teams find a way to work together effectively.

List of the Disadvantages of Teamwork

1. Some personalities tend to dominate the conversation. Although leadership is a valuable skill that every team can use to its benefit, some team members can have strong personalities that dominate conversations and circumstances. When this dynamic occurs on a team, then it can become challenging for other members to provide feedback or share opinions. It’s a disadvantage that eventually leads to issues with team cohesion and cooperation, reducing chances at productivity instead of creating more of them.

2. Teams can divide labor unequally in some situations. Group work is positive when it involves the equal distribution of work and responsibilities. If each person can focus on tasks that reflect their strengths, then productivity levels can rise dramatically. When an unequal division of labor occurs within a team, then it might make it seem like one person doing the most work is treated equally to the individual doing the least. When everyone earns equal credit when only a couple of individuals are managing all of the responsibilities, then it can adversely impact the unity and purpose of the team.

This disadvantage can also lead to some workers feeling taken advantage of since they’re doing a majority of the work most of the time. It can lead to the top performers deciding to leave because they feel like they’re being held t a different standard.

3. Teamwork can encounter scheduling conflicts. Even with the significant technologies that we have to support teams today, it can be a challenge to schedule a time when everyone can attend a specific meeting. It is essential to determine whether the complications of scheduling the group work are as valuable as the assignment of tasks to each member. You can even encounter task management issues within this disadvantage because the duties of one member might run on an opposite schedule as the rest of the team.

4. Some people may feel like they’re contributions are unwanted. Whether the feeling is real or perceived doesn’t matter. When someone feels like they are unwanted by their team, then their contributions will feel undervalued. This issue may cause them to stop offering ideas or encouraging innovation when their suggestions might be the best of the group. Then the decreased creativity can spread out to the rest of the team, producing inferior work that may get rejected upon delivery. This issue can also cause low morale, impact passion, and cause people to begin working for themselves instead of the entire group.

5. It creates more competition within the workplace. When you put people together on the same team, then their natural competitiveness is going to come out strongly. When people compete with each other, then it can improve individual motivation when the approach is taken in healthy ways. If this issue becomes the focus of the group, then the quality of the work may decline dramatically.

When competitiveness rises to unhealthy levels within a group, then it may be better to work individually than with others.

6. Teams can create resource loss with their activities. Teams can sometimes lose focus collectively because they’re looking too much at the big picture instead of the individualized steps needed to reach a positive outcome. The planning stages that look at these specific roles can then waste money and resources because the efforts go toward the end result instead of the staged outcome needed.

Group work can also create a lot of wasted time when trying to get moving on a project because there is disagreement within the ranks. If there isn’t a consensus that can get reached, then it may be impossible to create the results you want.

7. You may not get the desired feedback from some individuals. Some people always agree with whatever the dominant idea of the group tends to be, creating the “yes” person who doesn’t contribute anything to the group. This issue can involve shyness, dominant personalities, or personal reasons that may prevent someone from sharing.

It can also be a disadvantage from the standpoint that the feedback someone gives within the team environment is incorrect. When one member offers advice to another, it may fall outside of the scope of expectations from the leadership.

8. Some people will always work better outside of the team environment. Some individuals don’t work well in a team environment because they are so used to working independently. Freelancers, gig economy workers, the self-employed, and a variety of other population demographics can still work as part of a team if they have enough autonomy to make them comfortable. If someone has built a career based on their individual skills and independence, then their inclusion in a team could hurt them and everyone else.

It doesn’t do anyone any good to try to force a square peg into a round hole.

9. There can be organization challenges to manage. Individual workers can often hit the ground running when they are given a new assignment. That person will use their education and expertise to begin the problem-solving process. Teams take much longer to organize as they come together in practical and social ways. There can be delays because of the training that some people need to get caught up to speed. Then, if something goes wrong, it can be challenging to determine who might be at fault when working in a team environment.

Groups can experience higher levels of success with teamwork when they take some specific approaches to organization. It begins when you consider the personalities and working styles of the individuals who are part of the team. If you can assign people who have similar working styles and schedules together, then you’ll create more moments of cohesiveness.

Assigning people a role on the team can help to prevent issues of leadership jumping or rogue personalities. Make sure that each team member receives a place on the team that entails their specific duties.

Then use the groups for training whenever possible. Combining expertise with new ideas is a powerful combination that can lead to incredible results. When you add in the other advantages and disadvantages of teamwork, then you can accomplish almost anything.

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Top 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in a Group

Every person at one time or the other may have the experience of working in a group, be it while the person is in college or while at work.

There are many instances in life that may have called for teamwork . At the same time, on some other occasions, it is the choice of the person to opt for teamwork or to work individually.

Both have their own positive and negative points. This article tries to give an idea about the advantages and disadvantages of working in a group .

Getting Work Done: In Groups and Alone:

Different people have different ideas regarding the work to be done. There are few people who would like to work alone, whereas few prefer to work in teams.

The best way to solve such a situation is to assign the right task for everybody accordingly.

As a coin has two sides, working individually and working in a team both will be having their own advantages and disadvantages.

Let us take a look below to find a few pros and cons of them.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Teamwork:

• Teamwork helps in increasing collaboration and has a scope for brainstorming, which results in getting more ideas. Therefore you can see a growth in productivity.
• To solve complex problems and to complete difficult tasks, the team works better than an individual.
• You can improve your skills while working in a team, as a team will be having people with different skills and abilities.
• Teamwork helps you improve your communication skills .
• While working in a team, conflicts might occur in case when one person works less than the other.
• When working as a team, a lot of meetings need to be scheduled. But in case if not handled properly can result in loss of time and decreases the efficiency of the team.
• Decision-making process will be prolonged and delayed.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Individual Work:

• You need not depend on others and also can decide things independently.
• No interference from others and extra meeting so you can focus on your work and complete it faster
• You will be the one who is responsible for the work done, you don’t have to share the credit with others.
• You are the sole person for the work, so you can’t blame others when things go wrong.
• To get the work done at times, you need to motivate yourself.
• There are chances of getting bored as you will be working independently, all alone.
• At times if you are sick and not able to do work, the whole work gets delayed as there will be no one to complete it on your behalf.

Problems Associated with Group Work:

Here we will be discussing a few common problems, which group members face when the work is not done effectively while working in a group.

• Missing deadlines by not completing tasks
• Difficulty in getting started
• No discussion is done as a team
• Members not contributing
• Ineffective communication
• Conflict between team members
• Dominating personalities
• Inability to focus on the task

Why Work in Groups?

Working in a group is an effective and powerful way to learn, and is highly relevant to the work type and workplace.

Here are a few points to highlight the advantages of group learning:

• Effective learning
• Generic Skills advancement
• Workplace relevance
• Development of Social Networks
• The group dynamic awareness development

What Makes an Effective Team?

Some of the tips that help your team to become effective are

• Different skilled employees working together effectively
• Understanding and committing to goals
• Have a clear idea about the tasks to be done
• Maintain a balance between task and process
• Providing a supportive and informal atmosphere
• Comfortable with the disagreement of opinions
• The discussions are taken together
• Criticism taken in a positive manner
• Learn from the experiences

Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in a Group:

Advantages of working in a group:.

One might opt to work in a group, due to many reasons. What one needs to see is what works best for the job as well as for the person.

So if you are confused about why work in groups or positives or advantages of teamwork then here are some points on the positives and advantages of working in a group.

1. More Productive:

It is been found that one of the main benefits of working in a group is that it helps to raise the complete output.

If working in a group, everyone works together making use of the best of their skills to make sure of quality output.

It will also guarantee that there has not been any compromise on the quality of the production, whilst working as a team . This is one of the best benefits of team working.

2. More Resources:

One thing to realize is that more the number of people that joins the group, the resources also increase alongside it. This is one of the pros of teamwork.

For example, as more people are added, the total ability of the person also increases. Other than the skills, the experience of each new person is as well added to the group.

If the person is working individually, he will not have the support from the other people in the group.

3. More Reliable:

One good thing about working in groups is that if in case someone is not keeping well or if they miss the work for some reason, the job can still be done properly and efficiently by the rest of the people in the team.

Since working in a group there are people who are aware of what’s happening at work. This is not possible if a person is working alone or individually.

If one works in a group, they can also ensure that the ideas or suggestions, which are not at par, are rejected at the very beginning. This is one of the benefits of group work.

4. Learn Things:

It is seen more often that, people in a group can go on to learn new things from the others. They get the option to learn from each other.

All people while working in groups have their own ideas, from which another person can learn so many things.

On the other hand, when one is working individually , they have to do things on their own. You do not have the time to learn anything from anyone else. Learning new skills  is one of the benefits of group work.

5. New Method:

When working in a group, each one gets the opportunity to come out with their own ideas and suggestions, thus paving the way for new methods on how to complete the job properly.

Each one can work towards the success of the work. Since it is a large group, there could be quite a few of the suggestions or ideas by some of the people that are innovative and novel, which could help the job to complete successfully.

6. Information Exchange:

While working in a group, everyone gets the opportunity to communicate with others well within the group.

Each idea or suggestion, whoever it is by is considered and thoroughly discussed before the group arrives at a conclusion.

Hence, we can find that the flow of conversation or communication is smooth and effortless within the people of the group. This contributes a lot to the success of the job, given. This can also be called as group discussion .

7. Team Commitment:

When one is committed to working in a team, the person can go on to encourage and support the performance as a group.

A person, totally dedicated to the job at hand and to the team, will also make sure to be present to do the job. This is known as total team commitment .

Disadvantages of Working in a Group:

Now there are also disadvantages of group work as working in groups would not work out for the best, all the time.

Trying to get people in a group to work together is very strenuous and also takes up a lot of time.

At the same time, if everyone comes together to work towards success, there is nothing better than that. Here are some negative points of working in a group or disadvantages of  group work.

1. Unequal Participation:

It is quite possible that while in a group some of the customers may not do that much work, while others may work hard. This inequality in the work done could cause trouble between the people in the group.

It also causes bitterness amongst the members of the group, because some may be getting acknowledged for a work that they have not even done at all, while others may have strived hard to get that honour. Jealousy, in such a scenario, is without a doubt inevitable.

2. Intrinsic Conflict:

When a wide variety of people start to work in a group, disagreement is sure to arise between people in the group.

Each person may have their own ideas which could conflict with what the other person has to suggest. Some people in a group might also find it difficult to accept suggestions or ideas from another person. This conflict could as well put a stop to the flow of work until the issue is resolved.

3. No Individual thinking:

While working in a group, there is no place for individual or independent thinking . It is by no means a one-man show.

It is more of a group effort to complete a job properly. Each idea and suggestions put forward by all the members of the group have to be taken into account for the successful completion of the work.

4. Decision making takes time:

In view of the fact that it is a group effort, suggestions and ideas from all the people in a group have to be taken into account.

Prior to making any decision, all aspects are to be thoroughly discussed and considered, which consequently takes up a lot of time and energy.

5. Easy to avoid work:

When in a group especially a large one, it is very easy for the person to avoid work and leave it to others to complete. It may take some time before someone actually pays attention to this fact.

One can work, in whatever way possible and can also get acknowledgment for work done by someone else, as it is teamwork and the person is part of the team.

6. Loss of Creativity:

Whenever you need to work as a group, group thinking becomes more relevant. Because of this reason, creativity has been stumped.

One can never make a good decision, as each and every person in the group will have a say in it.

7. Time Consuming:

The whole process could be time-consuming while working in a group. It takes a lot of time since there is a need for agreement and coordination from all members of the team.

8. Inequality in getting work:

If the person opts to work in a group, when the work is being distributed, everyone might not get an equal amount of work.

Someone might end up with more work, while others might get only little to do. This discrepancy in getting the work can also lead to conflict.

9. People might loaf around:

One other issue while working in a group, is that some of the people may just hang around, gossiping or loafing around without doing the job. This could result in lesser productivity from their end.

Tips to Improve Working in a Group:

• It is often found that people working in a group can work better when they are comfortable with each other.
• Engaging in social activities together can help one to overcome this problem.
• Once, the role to be assumed by all is clearly marked out it becomes easier to work in a group.
• The people need to have a proper ongoing exchange of ideas.
• In order to get the best of output, one needs to focus more on the benefits of working in a group.

Thus, working together can prove to be advantageous for the project, as well as the company.

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Advantages & Disadvantages of Assignments for Students

According to an article published by the U.S. News, a teacher assigns more homework than the students can handle in one night. While homework is super essential for the holistic development of a child, it comes with various drawbacks. Therefore, in this article, we shall talk about the pros and cons of assigning homework. 

Pros of Assigning Homework

Written below are all the reasons why homework should not be banned from schools.

Minimizes Screen Time

Without any task or homework, students spend around eight hours using their mobile phones. It is more than the recommended average time of three hours. It further results in laziness and also harms the eyesight. Homework inculcates better long-term habits.

Improves Time Management Skills

Every profession requires time management skills. With these skills, students finish the task in a given slot of time. When a student doesn’t know how to manage time, it becomes impossible to efficiently utilize each hour.

Improves Critical Thinking in Students

Working on different assignments after school helps in improving the critical thinking skills of the students. Besides, it also improves the memory of the individual.

Develops a Sense of Independence

Most of the time, students want to attain more freedom and independence. When they are assigned homework, they tend to work off their own bat and explore their strengths and weaknesses. Thus, homework instills a sense of independence and helps a child grow.

Sparks Enthusiasm

In addition to this, homework sparks enthusiasm if the topics are interesting and relevant. It further motivates the students and encourages them to learn something new. Besides, when encountering new topics, students tend to take help from their parents or peers, sparking new connections.

Cons of Assigning Homework

Students all over the world feel pressured when they have a lot of work to do. They believe that the extra work is unfair and doesn’t help in their personal growth. Apart from that, it is also said that homework should only take thirty-forty minutes of their time after school. Here are all the cons of assigning homework.

No Free Time at Home

After spending 7-8 hours in school, extra work at home takes around two hours on average. Thus, homework feels more like a punishment than learning something new. Children can utilize the same playing a sport that they love or indulge in other favorite hobbies. It helps the child feel more in control of his life besides helping him find his purpose on this planet, which homework alone won’t help.

Homework and assignments do not help in grades but put more pressure on exams or tests. To complete the homework, the students miss out on revisions and perform badly in tests or exams. They usually don’t know about the possibilities online services give them. Don’t miss your chance to get assistance with online classes, homework assignments and exams at myhomeworkdone.com . Their team consists of just the best experts who are ready to help you 24/7.

Adverse Effect on Mental Health

Extra work after school harms a child’s brain and overall mental health. Most of the time, teachers fail to realize this and keep piling students with extra work.

Challenging Tasks

Some students find it difficult to balance their personal and professional lives when required to submit assignments after school is over. They are quite tired by the end of the day and have zero energy. Moreover, they cannot even take a break to relax for a while.

Lack of Support

Sometimes it is difficult for students to work on their own. It can be due to the lack of resources of support from their parents or guardian. Therefore, the lack of resources demotivates the child, and he may not even turn in the assignment.

Irrelevant Tasks

Homework that has nothing important to do with the topic of a subject only wastes the students’ time. Besides, after assigning irrelevant topics, the teachers should not expect excellent work since students have no clue what the topic is about.

Final Verdict

Since there are several advantages and disadvantages of homework, it is quite difficult to decide if they should be assigned or not. Even if teachers assign tasks to the students, they should be given enough time to complete it.

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