Reading Reflection 4 - Groupwork ch. 4-5

A section that really stood out to me was the section on individual and group accountability. A single task to a whole group poses the problem everyone is aware of-'the free loader.' With each student given their own assignment within the group it turns into individuals working alone to complete this 'group task'. To solve this each student needs to produce an individual part based on their participation in the group and the group collective activity. Groups rewards are also introduced into cooperative learning assessments, while individual incentives need to be applied as well. The individual group members need to feel accountable and important for the entire team's outcome. In science, groupwork enhances students' problem-solving ability while improving concept development. Working with peers helps stimulate scientific inquiry sometimes better than individual work. Peers can help to explain scientific concepts better and can rephrase ambiguous, confusing content. Many formulas, cycles, and Earth processes are difficult to comprehend, but working in groups can help to facilitate learning with peer interaction and interpretation of material.

A concern I have in this is that this instruction depends on many factors such as student ability, maturity, and discipline. I will have to learn about the students before even thinking about placing them to work in a defined group. If a group isn't working out how will I know what to do to correct it without disrupting other groups already benefiting from cooperative groupwork? Will I be strong enough to make instant decisions to where to place unproductive or behavioral issue group members? I feel like I need control and order, so will I feel less in power and out of control in a cooperative group environment??