Strategies to engage engineering students in group project work

Project focused group work is significant in developing social and personal skills as well as extending the ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems. As a result of increasing undergraduate class sizes, along with the requirement for many students to work part-time, group projects, peer and collaborative learning are seen as a fundamental part of engineering education. Group formation, connection to learning objectives and fairness of assessment has been widely reported as major issues that leave students dissatisfied with group project based units. Several strategies were trialled including a study of formation of groups by different methods across two engineering disciplines over the past 2 years. Other strategies involved a more structured approach to assessment practices of civil and electrical engineering disciplines design units. A confidential online teamwork management tool was used to collect and collate student self and peer assessment ratings and used for both formative feedback as well as assessment purposes. Student satisfaction and overall academic results in these subjects have improved since the introduction of these interventions. Both student and staff feedback highlight this approach as enhancing student engagement and satisfaction, improved student understanding of group roles, reducing number of dysfunctional groups whilst requiring less commitment of academic resources.

Group work in elementary science:Towards organisational principles for supporting pupil learning

Group work has been promoted in many countries as a key component of elementary science. However, little guidance is given as to how group work should be organised, and because previous research has seldom been conducted in authentic classrooms, its message is merely indicative. A study is reported, which attempts to address these limitations. Twenty-four classes of 10-12-year-old pupils engaged in programmes of teaching on evaporation and condensation, and force and motion. Both programmes were delivered by classroom teachers, and made extensive use of group work. Pupil understanding progressed from pre-tests prior to the programmes to post-tests afterwards, and results suggest that group work played a critical role. Organisational principles are extrapolated from the findings, which could be readily adopted in classrooms. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supporting group work in Scottish primary classrooms:Improving the quality of collaborative dialogue

A large body of research has demonstrated the value of fostering peer interaction in the context of collaborative group work as an effective strategy to facilitate learning. The present study attempted to enable teachers in a varied sample of 24 Scottish primary classrooms to improve the quality of collaborative group work interaction among their pupils. Observations were carried out at three time points during the year of the intervention, both during whole class teaching and planned group work activity. A global rating instrument was also used to evaluate the overall quality of classroom environment created by participating class teachers to support group work sessions. The results showed significant increases both in the observed frequencies of children's collaborative dialogue and in the rated quality of classroom learning environments over the course of the study. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of current curricular reform.

Promoting effective group work in the primary classroom : a handbook for teachers and practitioners.

Recurso que muestra a los profesores cómo crear un aula comprensiva y solidaria mediante el desarrollo de habilidades sociales, comunicativas y de trabajo de todos los alumnos. Anima a los niños y a sus maestros a desarrollar relaciones de apoyo para facilitar el rendimiento académico, el comportamiento social positivo y la motivación. También da consejos prácticos para la creación y funcionamiento de grupos de trabajo eficaces. El manual se compone de dos partes; la primera proporciona recomendaciones e información acerca de cómo pueden ser utilizados correctamente, y aplicados en las aulas de la escuela primaria, los grupos de trabajo; la segunda proporciona ejemplos de un programa de desarrollo de las actividades. Estas actividades están organizadas en una secuencia que pretende construir habilidades de trabajo de grupo, donde los niños pasan más tiempo en la tarea y son menos dependientes del profesor.

Group work in the institution : a modern challenge.

Mode of access: Internet.

Structuring cooperative group work in classrooms

Cooperative, small-group learning is widely recognised as a pedagogical practice that promotes learning and socialisation across a range of curriculum areas from primary school through to high school and college. When children work cooperatively together, they learn to give and receive help, share their ideas and listen to other students’ perspectives, seek new ways of clarifying differences, resolving problems, and constructing new understandings and knowledge. The result is that students attain higher academic outcomes and are more motivated to achieve than they would be if they worked alone. This paper provides an overview of five different studies that the author has conducted that demonstrate clearly the importance of explicitly structuring cooperative small-group work in classrooms if children are to derive the benefits widely attributed to this pedagogical practice.

Axial elongation following prolonged near work in myopes and emmetropes

Background/aims: To investigate the influence of a period of sustained near work upon axial length in groups of emmetropes and myopes. Methods: Forty young adult subjects (20 myopes and 20 emmetropes) were recruited for the study. Myopes were further classified as either early onset (EOM), late onset (LOM), stable (SM) or progressing (PM) subgroups. Axial length was measured with the IOLMaster instrument before, immediately after and then again 10 minutes after a continuous 30 minute near task of 5 D accommodation demand. Measures of distance objective refraction were also collected. Results: Significant changes in axial length were observed immediately following the near task. EOM axial length elongated on average by 0.027 ± 0.021 mm, LOM by 0.014 ± 0.020 mm, EMM by 0.010 ± 0.015 mm, PM by 0.031 ± 0.022 mm, and SM by 0.014 ± 0.018 mm. At the conclusion of the 10 minute regression period, axial length measures were not significantly different from baseline values. Conclusion: Axial elongation was observed following a prolonged near task. Both EOM and PM groups showed increases in axial length that were significantly greater than emmetropes

Preparing high achieving English teachers to work in disadvantaged schools : 'I'll teach Shakespeare when I'm 60'

The recent release of the Gonski Review recognises the decline in Australia’s schooling performances over the last decade, noting in particular a distressing increase in the ‘achievement gap’ affecting students from low SES backgrounds (Gonski, 2012). The report details the need for more quality in teachers throughout the schooling system, particularly within the schools with the greatest academic needs. This paper specifically focuses on a group of high-achieving pre-service English teachers. In their last two years of university study, they participated in a program called Exceptional Teachers for Disadvantaged Schools (ETDS), designed to prepare them to work in disadvantaged or low SES schools. We wanted to capture their experiences of teaching in challenging settings during their practicum, and as they prepared to graduate, we wondered what they now felt about teaching English in low SES schools. Using narrative inquiry, we analysed a range of reflective data to gain insight into such things as their initial motivations for entering the teaching profession and how their preconceived expectations may or may not have shifted after practicum experiences in low SES schools. We encouraged open reflection about how they perceived themselves as English teachers.

A multilevel model of work-life : examining the impact of group structure and relational job design

One in five Australian workers believes that work doesn’t fit well with their family and social commitments. Concurrently, organisations are recognising that to stay competitive they need policies and practices that support the multiple aspects of employees’ lives. Many employees work in group environments yet there is currently little group level work-life balance research. This paper proposes a new theoretical framework developed to understand the design of work groups to better facilitate work-life balance. This new framework focuses on task and relational job designs, group structures and processes and workplace culture.

Improving work and life balance : building a multilevel model of work-life balance focusing on group structure and relational job design

One in five Australian workers believes that work doesn’t fit well with their family and social commitments. Concurrently, organisations are recognising that to stay competitive they need policies and practices that support the multiple aspects of employees’ lives. Many employees work in group environments yet there is currently little group level work-life balance research. This paper proposes a new theoretical framework developed to understand the design of work groups to better facilitate work-life balance. This new framework focuses on task and relational job designs, group structures and processes and workplace culture.

Who does nutrition prevention work in Queensland? An investigation of structural and political workforce reforms

- Aim This study aimed (i) to determine the change in the number of government-funded nutrition positions following structural and political reforms and (ii) to describe the remaining workforce available to do nutrition prevention work, including student placements, in Queensland. - Methods Positions funded by the Queensland government were counted using departmental human resource data and compared with data collected 4 years earlier. Positions not funded by the government were identified using formal professional networks and governance group lists. Both groups were sent an online survey that explored their position name, funding source, employer, qualifications, years of experience, work in prevention and ability to supervise students. - Results There was a 90% reduction in the number of nutrition prevention positions funded by the government between 2009 (137 full time equivalents (FTE)) and 2013 (14 FTE). In 2013, 313 specialist (n = 92) and generalist (n = 221) practitioners were identified as potentially working in nutrition prevention throughout Queensland. A total of 30 permanent FTEs indicated over 75% of their work focused on prevention. This included the 14 FTE funded by the Queensland government and an additional 16 FTE from other sectors. Generalists did not consider themselves part of the nutrition workforce. - Conclusions Queensland experienced an extreme reduction in its nutrition prevention workforce as a result of political and structural reforms. This disinvestment by the Queensland government was not compensated for by other sectors, and has left marked deficits in public health nutrition capacity, including student placements.

Hospital social work in Australia: Emerging trends or more of the same?

Social work in health care has been established for more than 100 years and is one of the largest areas of practice for social workers. Over time, demographic changes and growth in the aging population, increased longevity rates, an explosion in rates of chronic illness together with rapidly increasing cost of health care have created serious challenges for acute hospitals and health social workers. This article reviews the Australian health care system and policies with particular emphasis on the public hospital system. It then examines current hospital social work roles, including the continued role in discharge planning and expanding responsibility for emerging client problems, such as patient complexity, legal, and carer issues. The article concludes with a discussion of evolving issues and challenges facing health social work to ensure that social work remain relevant within this practice context.

An experiment in group learning technology: evaluating critical thinking in face-to-face and computer-supported seminars

Can learning quality be maintained in the face of increasing class size by the use of Computer Supported Co-operative Learning (CSCL) technologies? In particular, can Computer-Mediated Communication promote critical thinking in addition to surface information transfer? We compared face-to-face seminars with asynchronous computer conferencing in the same Information Management class. From Garrison's theory of critical thinking and Henri's critical reasoning skills, we developed two ways of evaluating critical thinking: a student questionnaire and a content analysis technique. We found evidence for critical thinking in both situations, with some subtle differences in learning style. This paper provides an overview of this work.