REFLECTIVE PRACTICE OF THE GROUP ASSIGMENT WE UNDERGONE
Description: For
an assessed written group-work assignment, my group and I decided to divide the
different sections between us so that we only had to research one element each.
We expected we could just piece the assignment together in the afternoon the
day before the deadline, meaning that we didn’t have to schedule time to sit
and write it together. We had given
ourselves enough time before the deadline to individually write our own
sections, however we did not plan a great deal of time to rewrite if something
were to go wrong.
Feelings: Before we came
together and realized we still had a lot of work to do, I was quite happy and
thought we had been smart when we divided the work between us. When we realized
we couldn’t hand in the assignment like it was, I got quite frustrated. I was
certain it was going to work, and therefore I had little motivation to actually
do the rewriting. I’m feeling satisfied that we decided to put in the work.
Evaluation: The
things that were good and worked well was the fact that each group member
produced good quality work for the agreed deadline. That contributed positively
to the group’s work ethic.
Analysis: I
think the reason that our initial division of work went well was because each
person had a say in what part of the assignment they wanted to work on, and we
divided according to people’s self-identified strengths. In reality, it ended
up costing us far more time than expected and we also had to stress and rush
through the rewrite.
Conclusion: I
learned that when a group wants to divide work, we must plan how we want each
section to look and feel – having done this would likely have made it possible
to put the sections together and submit without much or any rewriting.
Action: When
I’m working with a group next time, I will talk to them about what strengths
they have. This is easy to do and remember in a first meeting, and also
potentially works as an ice-breaker if we don’t know each other well. Next, if
we decide to divide work, I will insist that we plan out what we expect from it
beforehand. I’m confident this current experience will be enough to remind me
to suggest this if anyone says we should divide up the work in the future.