Many Upper School (US) students have experienced the same type of stress: showing up to class the day a group project is due, only to find that the other group members have not completed their parts. While teachers assign group work to promote collaboration, some students see these projects — often resulting in an unequal distribution of work — as frustrating.
US History Teacher Susan Glazer incorporates group projects into her classes.
“Student agency, collaboration, leadership and how you work in a group: These are skills that are at the core of a group project,” she said. “In the real world, you need to work with other people. Sometimes, it’ll be your friends that you can really trust, but sometimes, it will be people you’ve never worked with before.”
Students often worry about how much group projects count toward their grade.
“Group projects can vary in terms of weighting,” Dr. Glazer said. “Generally, a group project is not weighted as much as an individual assessment. That being said, if there is an independent portion of a group project, that could equalize the weighting.”
Dr. Glazer has observed some recurring challenges when students collaborate.
“Some people want to get the work done straight off, whereas others think, ‘I work best in the eleventh hour,’” she said. “That’s a skill, working with others, but it’s also one of the biggest challenges.”
Teachers can ensure students contribute equally to group projects.
“You can ask for individual work to be done, as well as group work,” Dr. Glazer said. “You can have students submit things so you can see their work. The teacher can divide up the project and say, ‘This is person A, B, C’s role.’ You can give work periods during school to find out who’s doing what.”
Caroline Rogers ’27 sees pros and cons to group work.
“Teachers often create nuanced rubrics that hold each group member accountable for their contribution,” she said. “A group project works well when partners are graded individually. When group projects don’t have enough structure, students can be put in tricky situations. It should never be a student’s job to police others, but without enough structure in a grading rubric, students aren’t held accountable.”
Caroline has completed all the group work when other members didn’t contribute.
“Resentment can build on both sides,” she said. “The group members who are contributing more can feel like they are being used, and the members who are contributing less can feel controlled. Handling these situations can be difficult because social dynamics often make it hard to advocate for yourself.”
Kate Glantz ’27 has learned from her peers through group work.
“It’s easier to get everything done when you have people to explain things you might not understand,” she said. “Sometimes, in chemistry labs, I would be confused on a question, and my partner would explain the concept to me and help me understand how to answer the question. In the past, I’ve answered some questions or completed parts of the lab, and my partner noticed I didn’t have everything in my answer that the question was asking for.”
Individual work has greater benefits, Kate said.
“There have been instances when people don’t complete things until the very last minute, leaving you to panic because, while it’s not your fault, you and your partners get the same grade. If it’s an individual assignment, it removes the stress of wondering about what the other people are doing and whether they will get the work done on time.”
Maggie Whitney ’28 has had mixed partnered work experiences.
“Sometimes, it’s great because everyone contributes, and we bounce ideas off each other, but other times, it’s frustrating when people don’t do their part or when the group isn’t organized,” she said. “A group project works well when communication is strong, roles are clear and everybody cares about the outcome.”
