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You have been
assigned to a Group for LIS 2003 with several other students in the
course. Within this group you will discuss questions related to each topic
area of the course, come to consensus on a group answer to each question,
and share your responses with the rest of the class. As a group, you will
also conduct a group project (the Group Web Project) and share your
product with the rest of the class. In order to be successful in these
assignments, you need to know how to work in a group. The following
suggestions will be useful in helping your group to function
effectively.
These tips include suggestions in the following source. Although this
site is not currently active, you are encouraged to check for it later
in the course for additional background on working in virtual groups.
Cramton, Catherine Durnell. "Working
Across Distance." 4 November 1998. George Mason University. http://www.som.gmu.edu/cramton/orgworkshop2/working_across_distance.html.
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| UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER'S ENVIRONMENT AND
CONSTRAINTS |
When you first start your
group discussions, take time to let each other know a little about
your situation, the time demands that you have from this and other
courses, from your work situation, or from family obligations. Be
sure to have read each classmate's Introduction that is posted on
the class Discussion Board. It would also be helpful for you to
share with your group the information that you sent in the "Memo to
the Instructor."
Share any time constraints
that you have in responding to others in the group. For example, if
you are not able to answer email or post responses to your group
discussion board until after 9 p.m. each night, tell the others so
they will not expect to hear from you at an earlier time.
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| BE EXPLICIT ABOUT YOUR
ASSUMPTIONS |
All class members are expected to welcome open
expression of opinions, attitudes, and beliefs and to accept the
legitimacy and value of dissent, whether the dissenting opinion is
considered valid or not. To foster greater understanding of areas in
which you may disagree within your group, it is helpful to
explicitly state your reasons for taking a particular position or
for having a specific point of view. We do not all come to questions
with the same values or experiences, and making the assumptions
behind our positions (those things we just assume everyone else may
know or agree with) explicit will help others understand what we
mean and why we think that way.
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| PRACTICE OPEN SHARING OF
INFORMATION |
In the Group Discussion assignment,
group communication will generally be in the group's private
discussion board. When you begin work on your Group Web Project,
however, you will likely do much of your communication by email. Be
sure to include each group member in the emails, even if you need to
address just one member (such as, for example, giving a suggestion
to the group member who has accepted responsibility for a specific
aspect of the project). Although good communication is always a key
factor in group work, it is even more critical when you are working
in a virtual space rather than face-to-face. |
| ESTABLISH INTERNAL
DEADLINES FOR YOUR WORK AND STICK TO THEM |
For both the
group discussion and the group project, jointly establishing
internal deadlines for getting the assignment completed--and
sticking to them--will help everyone be more comfortable and be
assured that the assignment will be done on time. If something comes
up one week that will keep you from adhering to the timelines your
group has agreed on for conducting your discussion of the topic
question, be sure to let everyone know and to make arrangements to
participate in a timely manner.
For the group
project, planning in advance and setting early completion dates will
help you avoid last minute problems and give you a time cushion
should everything not work as you
expect |
| PROVIDE BACKUP COMMUNICATION
STRATEGIES |
Although you will be
communicating via your private discussion board and through email,
make arrangements on how to contact each other should you experience
technical problems with your computer or your Internet provider.
Usually sharing phone numbers is the best way to do this. If you
have a problem (your hard drive crashes, there's a storm and your
power goes down for several days and you can't get to a campus lab),
be sure to contact at least one of the other group members so others
will be aware of what is happening and that you haven't just dropped
out. |
| TAKE YOUR
RESPONSIBILITIES AS A GROUP MEMBER SERIOUSLY |
Groups are succesful only when each member accepts
responsibility for the functioning of the group and for the outcome
of the group's work. Groups that work well together produce products
that exceed the capabilities of any one member through the sharing
of talents and resources. Learning to work in groups is a
significant part of your college education and will prepare you for
greater success in "real life" after you complete your
degree. |
© 2004 June
Lester
This course material is for the use of
students enrolled in LIS 2003. It may not be reproduced, published, or
transmitted electronically for commercial purposes without the
instructor's consent.
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