Teaching Strategies: Introduction to Groups and Teams
Working in groups and teams is a phrase that encompasses many teaching strategies. You could be thinking of short group activities completed in-class. You might be thinking of large group projects. You might be thinking of teams that work together over a semester or ad hoc groups formed with each activity. While there is overlap, each of these approaches to collaborative work has its own set of considerations. We designed these pages so you can dive into the type of collaborative work that best fits your inquiry.
- Informal, In-class Group Activities: we discuss activities where temporary groups address a single question or problem in a short timeframe.
- In-class Group Activities with Standing Groups or Teams: we look at collaborative work where the relationships are more formalized, with the same team returning to work with each other on in-class activities throughout the course.
- Project-based Groups or Teams: we dedicate our attention to groups working on large projects over extended time frames, often partially or completely outside of class time.
You may want to learn more about the benefits of collaborative work more generally. We encourage you to investigate our page Why Learn in Teams and Groups? After exploring these resources, you may still have questions about group work and how to implement it in your specific teaching context. We encourage you to reach out and schedule a one-on-one consultation.