Online group papers?

[dallet6]

For my psych class we've been assigned into groups and have two group papers and ppts due over the quarter. (other stuff as well of course) Is this common? Anyone had trouble with this type of thing? We were assigned a week ago and I'm the only one who's put "true" input into the project. Other's have pretty much just posted "that sounds like a good idea". I came up with a topic, posted links to possible ideas we could pick from for our portion, and wrote out a way we could possibly split it up between us. Also, after almost a week of only 3 of the 6 of us posting, I emailed the other three to see if they would be participating. One never wrote back, but the other two responded saying they had horrible situations going on in there life atm, but would still be participating. Ok, they didn't say horrible, but that was the idea. I'm not saying they were lying, but they can come up with some good excuse not to do their part with these comments.

So, what have you all done when you had papers assigned like this?

[dallet6]

I hate to make it look like i'm bumping my own post, but has really no one ever had to do a group paper for an online class? Is this psych class that odd?

[AOX4RN, MSN, RN, NP]

IMNSHO psych classes are odd period The only class I've had to do group work is in A&P and micro. My classmates were all gung ho to get a decent grade so I didn't have trouble. Email your instructor and ask for guidance. Sometimes if you go solo they will deduct points from the group project but it may be worth it not to depend on slackers for your total grade.

[elizz]

I have taken an online math class that we did a group project. We had to do it as a group or she would take off 10%. Some people in my group did not want to help. We just split the project up than I email them two to four time a day to make sure they did their part. In the end they e-mail me their parts and i put it together and turn it in. I wanted to be the one who put it together, so I could make sure it was turn in on time.

[GeneralJinjur]

I've usually been the one who sets deadlines and collates everyone's work at the end. Most students do not care, so getting a response beyond "That sounds like a good idea" is probably not going to happen. Consider your current idea approved and post assignments with attached deadlines. Let your emergency slackers know their portion by private email in addition to the class website so they know what they're ignoring. I sent the assignment once and then said nothing more until the deadline. I provided my phone number in addition to email contact info. I don't like being the nagger or the naggee. At the deadline, I sent personal email to all the slackers (and I was always oh, so nice) to remind them how desparately we needed their portion. I inflated my deadlines to allow for slackerly late input. It worked. I only got a B on one group assignment and that was in Pathophysiology where we all agreed we could live with a C.

It may be that your slackers have legitimate emergencies. I always had kids getting sick or staying up all night when I really needed the time to write papers. I guess that was part of the reason why I was nice to my emergency slackers. There's always the chance that they could be telling the truth. No need to alienate them and guarantee you won't get any work out of them.