If you’d like to adopt group work in your online course, but want to ensure accountability among your students, consider asking your students to create a group contract to guide their work. Beginning online group work with a mutually agreed upon contract creates a blueprint for the project, and it facilitates the process of students establishing norms and expectations within their group. These norms help to remove the instructor as the sole authority figure, and instead give the team the power to hold one another accountable, according to the guidelines they agree upon, rather than just personal opinions or perceptions.
One way to help your students begin to think about what to include in their group contract is to initiate a conversation with your students about their preconceived notions of group work. Have they done group work before? Have they had good or bad experiences? Ask your students to clarify what ideal group work looks like to them and what specific things they hope to avoid. A discussion about their past experiences may also help your students to better understand their peers’ perspectives and what skills they bring to the team. Key areas for your students to consider and map out in their contract are:
- Roles and participation responsibilities
- Communication expectations (mode and frequency)
- Project timeline/milestones
- Conflict resolution plan
- Consequences for breaking contract
To get you started, take a look at these sample group contracts that you can adapt to fit your needs:
- Group Contract Activity and Template
- Group Project Tools and Sample Contracts
- Group Contract Template
References
- Barkley, E.F. (2010). Student engagement techniques: A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Additional Resources
- Working with Student Teams
- Group Work: What Do Students Want from Their Teammates?
- What are the best practices for designing group projects?
