• Establish how the grade will be determined. Both verbally and in writing specify and discuss the grading criteria you will use based on your course objectives.
• Many group conflicts stem from students’ perceptions that the workload is not evenly distributed. Require a brief, written division of labor report from each group or Assign (or have students select) group roles for each member (e.g., convener, scribe, presenter…).
• Give students an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of their group. At the end of the project, ask students to complete a brief evaluation form on the effectiveness of the group and its members.
• Make it clear that each group must find its own way to handle unproductive group behavior. Provide mechanisms for groups to deal with uncooperative members if unable to do so on their own.
• Consider basing each student’s group grade on a combination of the group grade and an assessment of their individual work or effort (you can use the division of labor report or peer ratings to determine the individual grade portion).
• Consider if you want to grade the group work. It may make more sense to keep the project as an ungraded group work for credit only.
Grading Group Work
