Group projects are a common feature of student-centered classrooms. Whereas in teacher-centered classrooms students often do short activities closely directed by teachers, group projects allow students to be more independent and self-reliant. This relates to the CL principle of group autonomy, which encourages students to rely more on each other, rather than teachers.

Other CL principles can also come alive in group projects. Thus, instead of providing a set of steps for the CL technique Group Projects, here are some CL principles and procedures for implementing those principles.

Positive Interdependence

The feeling among group members that no one wins unless everyone wins is called positive interdependence. It can be promoted in group projects in various ways. A few impactful examples are listed below.

• Everyone has a unique role in the group, such as:
  • Facilitator, Checker (i.e., checking that everyone understands),
  • Questioner (i.e., asking groupmates about the decisions they have made),
  • Language Captain (i.e., encouraging everyone to use the target language when appropriate), and
  • Roster Manager (i.e., checking that everyone is on schedule to complete their tasks). This is known as Role Positive Interdependence.
• Everyone has unique information and must share it for the group to succeed. For example, group members can collect information online, through interviews, or from books and other print sources. Working together in defined roles creates resource positive interdependence.
• The group members share a common identity. This common identity can be nurtured in such ways as a group name, logo, motto, song, poem, colors, handshake, or cheer. This is identity positive interdependence.

Individual Accountability

The feeling among members that they should each do their fair share in the group is the CL principle called individual accountability. Ways to promote individual accountability in group projects are provided below.

• Each member has a speaking part in any project presentation.
• Each member writes reflection pieces about the project experience.
• Groupmates evaluate each other’s contribution to the group.
• A Group Facilitator encourages everyone to participate and assists those who require help.
• The group has a roster indicating what each member has agreed to do, the date by which they are supposed to do it, and later, whether they succeeded in completing the work that they initially set out to do.

Equal Opportunity to Participate

When all group members have multiple chances to take part in and learn from participation in the group’s project, it is referred to as the CL principle of equal opportunity to participate. Many of the ways to promote equal opportunity to participate are the same as those to promote the CL principle of individual accountability, and two more are listed below.

The group understands that the project’s success is determined less by the quality of the product the group produces, such as a poster, video, or presentation, and more by the individual learning accrued by each group member. Only by participating will members learn, and will other members learn from them.

Some members may prefer to think, read, and reflect for a while before participating. Thus, just because they do not speak immediately during group discussions does not mean they lose the ability to participate.

Reflective Break

One tricky point with group projects is how to grade them. What is your experience with assessment of group projects? Were you satisfied with what you did in the past?

Sample Response

Of course, with projects. the easiest thing to do is to not use grades. That usually makes assessment more relaxed. Not everything done in class needs to have a grade assigned to it. However, if grading is used with CL, peer- and self-assessment can be part of the grade. Also, each group can write quiz questions to go with their project, and after the teacher has reviewed the questions, everyone can take an individual quiz using some of the questions for their grade.