Collaborative Projects in Hybrid and Online Classes

Using Group Work to Enhance Student Interaction

Groups in Hybrid Classes

Students in hybrid courses sometimes don’t get to know their classmates as well because their face to face time is limited.

Setting up groups in hybrid courses increases student interaction and creates smaller, more friendly learning communities.

Setting up Groups

In hybrid classes it is good to give the students a variety of groupmates and a variety of tasks throughout the semester so that they do not get bored. Try linking groups to project assignments, and change groups whenever a new unit begins. Different methods of varying group assignments are: alphabetically by last name, alphabetically by first name, by paper grade, or by major (see Excel).

Assigning Tasks

For each group, specific roles allow each student to feel that they have a responsibility to the group.This creates a bond between the students that often extends outside the classroom.Sample tasks are Leader, Note-Taker, Reporter, and Timer (see Excel).

Face to Face Activities

For face to face activities, give a set time frame to complete the work, and give reminders throughout the period about how much time is left (see Word).

Make the group accountable for their work by requiring them to report to the class about the results of the activity.

Online Activities

During their online class periods, encourage interaction between students by having them respond directly to their groupmates.

One example would be peer review sessions where group members review each others’ papers. Students will help each other complete tasks by emailing reminders and questions.

Groups in Online Classes

It is especially useful to assign groups in online classes. Students then become very familiar with a few students, which makes them more accountable to their group and more comfortable in the class.

Collaborative work with a group teaches students cooperation, compromise, patience, and flexibility.

Setting up Groups

In online classes, consider keeping the groups the same throughout the semester, since many online students work full time and have trouble keeping track of classmates.

One of the biggest challenges of teaching online is making sure students get your messages, and that they can communicate with you and their classmates. Make it as easy as possible for them to interact.

Online Communication

Create an email distribution list for each group that students can use to contact all their members (see email). Create special discussion boards for specific groups to keep the work organized (see myASU). Create chat rooms where the group can meet (see myASU).

Regular Classwork

During the course of typical day to day classwork, groups allow students to navigate discussion boards more easily. Instead of replying to 20 other students, they reply only to their groupmates.

Then, if one group member fails to post work, the other members help keep that student accountable because the group must have all work posted in order to post a response.

Questions and Support

When students have other contacts in the class through the use of groups, they are more likely to contact each other to exchange information and ask questions about the assignments.

Students also are more invested in peer review and other interactive activities because they have formed a bond with their group members (see myASU peer review).

Online Collaborative Projects

I teach ENG 301 online, and I teach the final project of the semester as a collaborative paper (see Word). I put students into groups according to their fields of study, so that no majors overlap in any one group. There are usually 4-5 students per group. Students use these groups for peer review throughout the semester so that they form trusting relationships (see Excel).

Methods of Communication

All work must be completed on the phone, in chat rooms, and through email. I have students who are out of town, so requiring face to face meetings would be unfair.

Students are asked to set their own tasks for the project—editor, proofreaders, submission director, etc.

Assessment

Each individual student will receive a grade based on three factors: end of semester evaluation from entire group, quality of individual chapter, overall quality of the manual. Please log the time you have spent on your own chapter throughout the semester, and continue to think about each group member’s contribution. You will give a self evaluation and a group evaluation at the end of the project.