Okay, students… who loves group projects! Let’s hear it for group projects!
(Crickets… crickets…)
Okay employers… who puts “Ability to work in a team” at the top of a Forbes Magazine list of 10 skills employers say they seek in new hires?
Employers: (cheering wildly) We do! We do!
Here are the 10 skills employers say they seek, in order of importance:
1. Ability to work in a team
2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems
3. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work
4. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization
5. Ability to obtain and process information
6. Ability to analyze quantitative data
7. Technical knowledge related to the job
8. Proficiency with computer software programs
9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports
10. Ability to sell and influence others
Okay, college professors… who’s willing to risk the wrath of students who dislike group work, in order to give those students experience doing the number one thing employers say they want to see in their new hires — the ability to work as a team? How about asking those students to make decisions and solve problems, and asking those students to plan, organize, and prioritize their work? How about asking those students to communicate with each other, while obtaining and processing information?
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Dennis, I have this conversation all the time. Working in a team is a crucial skill that is not adequately taught at most levels. At my daughter’s high school they have a year-long, intensive project. They are put into teams by geography and told to go forth and work.
This model does not mirror the real-world work environment where you have a lead who has more responsibility and reward and others who have less. Without explaining the reward/repercussions of our real system, we are doing a major disservice to our students.
The way I see it, part of a team member’s obligation is to inform the supervisor of any major problems (like slacking) while learning to manage routine organization problems independently (without expecting the supervisor to micromanage). My students will be collaborating in a Google Doc, which keeps a record of who logged in at what time, what changes each person made, etc. So slackers will be fairly easy for me to spot (and to be reassign into groups with like-minded peers).
Good point. Although I hated group projects because you never knew if you were going to be paired with a slacker.