Checklist for group work

What is the purpose of the task/project?

• What are you supposed to learn?
• What skills should you train and develop?
• What parts of the course is the assignment based on?
• What is it leading to?

What are you expected to do?

• What should the results look like?
• How big should it be?
• Does it resemble anything you have done before, or does it have unique components?

What does the assessment/evaluation look like?

• What criteria will be used when you are assessed/examined?
• What does a passed result or a passed with credit result look like?
• Does everything depend on a group report?
• How will individual efforts be assessed?
• What happens if not all members pull their weight?

What deadlines are there?

• When should the final version of the result be submitted?
• What happens if you do not submit by then?
• Are there other deadlines, such as the date of a presentation?

What are the instructions?

• Are you allowed to, or should you, collaborate with other teams?
• What will the results look like by the end of your group work?
• Is there an overall approach to the process?

How do you plan your work?

• Have you discussed and agreed on the rules in your team (Contract for group work)?
• How often do you meet, and how is the documentation done?
• Do you alternate the roles of chair, secretary, and timekeeper?
• Do you agree on what to do?
• When should you be done?
• Who should do it?
• How do you follow up the work?

Inspired by G. Gibbs (1994) Learning in Teams. A Student Manual (Oxford Brookes University)