Group
Papers
by Jill Frey, Sarah Jones, Brooke
Loder, Shannon McCall, and Sarah Wells
Many Presbyterian College teachers assign group
papers: two or more students research, brainstorm, draft, and
polish the paper together. Such papers are a good way to reduce
the teacher's paper load while giving students experience with
the group work that is common in professional life. According
to John Bean in Engaging Ideas, "team writing or joint
authorship is common in business and the sciences"; however,
"many humanities professors use the strategy also" (180).
Political scientist Chris
Grant says that group work is typical
of research in his discipline. He believes that group assignments
"effectively simulate the nature of the 'real world' for
students." Anita
Gustafson notes that having "far
fewer papers" to grade is an advantage for the teacher.
Advantages for the student include the opportunity to "bounce"
ideas off another individual in the creative process, says Grant.
Junior Shannon McCall agrees. She likes "having two other dedicated
students helping to formulate ideas, examples, and thesis sentences."
Because the student has to share control over the final product,
the project can ideally force compromise, Grant adds. Most students
take the project seriously since not only their grade, but a colleague's
is at stake.
Gustafson assigned
a group paper in History of the South because students were viewing
old plantation diaries on microfilm and "three sets of eyes
were better than one" in deciphering the handwriting. Also
with thirty students, sharing the microfilm was a necessity. The
purpose of this assignment was for students to evaluate the source
and what they could learn from it.
Do teachers give options? Many teachers
present a group paper as an option. Gustafson had one group whose
members each wrote individual papers after brainstorming together.
Grant, recognizing that some students want to retain their independence
and control over their work, has tried both optional and required
group papers. Psychologist Jerry
Frey assigns an optional partner
research paper in Tests and Measurements that about half of his
students choose to write.
- Do teachers let students
choose their groups? Sometimes Gustafson
gives this option, and other times she assigns the students to
groups. Grant lets students choose their groups at times, and
other times, when he knows the work habits of the students, he
pairs them according to his "knowledge of their dedication
and abilities."
Does everyone get the
same grade? Grant gives every group
member the same grade unless students ask him to evaluate them
separately. He greatly discourages this option, and such a request
must include an explicit written statement telling why and explaining
who did what work. Gustafson gave the same grade to everyone
who worked together on her History of the South paper, but on
some group oral presentations she has students confidentially
give each other a + (A), - (B), or a checkmark (C), and she takes
the students' evaluations into account in her grading.
- Do teachers notice how
writing styles mesh? Grant finds it
impossible to distinguish different writing styles if students
edit well. A group paper should be seamless, according to Grant.
Gustafson says that one student usually wrote the paper for her
class after the group brainstormed together and came up with
one perspective.
Students' Reactions to Group Papers
Writing Centered 01