What do you do in a group project when some people just dont "do it"

jerryh55 · Sep 9, 2005

Hey Brandy, is this a group your gonna be stuck with all through class, or is it just a one time pairing?? If its gonna last all the way through your class, I would talk with the instructor and in the very least, he could do would be to obseve these people goofing off and instruct them that this is a group project. But the one thing I wouldnt do is let them continue to do as they please. Just my opinion.

Be safe

Jerry

Trauma Columnist · Sep 9, 2005

I did my BSN and MSN online with many, many group projects. What I did was to set up very clear expectations:

1. We meet at such and such a time, ready to work.

2. Keep chit chat to a minimum.

3. Everyone has a part which is clearly defined.

4. Deadline for each individual putting info into the group is at least 72 hours prior to final deadline in order to re-work info if necessary.

5. If participation is lacking from a member, the group gives a gentle reminder first, then states the expectation and finally tells the slacker that their name will not appear on the final project since they haven't contributed. (Prior to this step, the teacher is notified by the group as a whole).

Good luck.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

I had this problem as well. With our first group project, I came up with a mnemonic all by myself.

So, in lab, I made sure this wasn't going to be a problem. I for sure wasn't going to do labs by myself, and let everyone get a good grade on doing nothing.

So, I took control, so to speak. I asked questions to guide their thinking. I offered suggestions, and asked if it was ok to them, or if they could think of another way to do something.

All in all, it worked out, as far as lab.

We have another lecture presentation due this coming Wednesday, so I'll find out Monday what the presentation is, and if I'll come home and post in my venting thread on the pre-nursing student area: "Group members won't pull their own weight!"

Good luck with yours! :)

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

When you can control who you have in your work group you try to get paired up with people you know are going to carry their share of the workload. I'm always working on a Plan B in case things go wrong and tend to take a Murphy's Law stand--anything that can, will go wrong. So, I start working on a group project immediately. I try to determine early on just who is and isn't going to pull their weight. If it looks like people are not going to pull their weight then I feel that I have no choice but to take on their part of the project as well as my own. You have no choice but to take unofficial control of the project especially if there is a grade at stake. The grade takes precedence. Just remember that you cannot make anyone do anything. You can point out their unacceptable behavior and what you expect of them, but that's where you draw the line. If you cannot enforce any kind of consequences on them for their failure to work with the group you're pretty much caught in a helpless situation. If you continue to get after the slackers, chances are you are only going to get mediocre work out of them anyway or they will deliberately sabotage their work just to get back at you. If I were you I would just plan on having to do the majority of the work or spread the work of the unproductive group members among the rest of the group. You can't help but feel resentment when everyone gets to share the grade that only a few of you did all the work for. You can complain to the instructor, but in the end it's going to be the final result that gets graded. Chances are you won't be the only one caught in this situation and there will be others who are going to have the same problem as you. So, keep your eyes open to what other people are doing during the class to get an idea of who the goof-offs are. Getting stung is never pleasant. But, the next time you know of at least 3 people you won't want in your group, right?

I just want to also mention that group behavior and working in groups comes under the realm of psychology. Your instructor may be wanting to see how some of you handle this kind of a situation as a group learning experience. I had to take a class in group psychology and part of our classwork was to form groups and have one or two people in each group deliberately disrupt and sabotage what was supposed to be going on (we did not know this was being done--the instructor talked to a few students privately before classes to set up their behavior before starting class). Some of these little experiments got very intense and tempers flaired. Then, we had to write an analysis of all of it. So, while my answer above is probably not the "right" way to handle that situation, the answer probably lies in books on group theory if you are inclined to look for the academic answer to this.

smk1, LPN · Sep 9, 2005

ok here is my control freak answer, but it has saved me many times in a group project situation. BE ABLE TO DO ALL OF THE PARTS YOURSELF! If you need to get an 'A' for your program, then don't let someone ruin that chance by not getting part of your project done. 3x in the past 2 years this has saved my grade, because someone just doesn't do the work, doesn't show up for the presentation, or just threw something together that the teacher wouldn't accept. Sometimes the other group members may benefit from your hard work, but it's better than you losing points because of their lack of it. Also you can always submit an evaluation to your teacher or let them know that there was a bit of a problem with a member. GROUP WORK SUCKS!

purplemania, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

On group projects I have participated in we were asked to evaluate the members of the group. This allows the instructor to know who is the slacker and gives the students a heads-up on what is required of them. In a chemistry class the instructor evidently was keeping an eye on people, because at the "final" lab he exempted those of us who had a higher grade in lab up to that point. The slackers who depended on us to pull them through were frantic! That was years ago and I still thinks its funny.

allnurses Guide · Sep 9, 2005

Since this was just a 15 minute group project during class I would have asked those people who were talking about their private lives to hush and help out.

I also hate group work - I don't even like study groups. I always studied by myself.

steph

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

GROUP WORK SUCKS!

My thoughts exactly!

I'm not sure why in college we are "made" to do group presentations, etc. I know good and well that those instructors know there are different attitudes in the classroom. It is not fair to be made to do all the work. Yes, maybe others will learn from your determination, but then again, you aren't there to teach others group etiquette.

A good instructor will be watching out & listening in to see who is pulling their weight, and who isn't. ...Individual grades for the presentation should be given, and should reflect this.

What I did like about my English comp I class was when students were late or absent, we as a group, had the option to allow those students to put their name on our work.

Believe me, you tend to know who is late, or absent too much, who has a good reason, and who just doesn't care. Yes, there were some in our group that we put their name on the paper, even if they were absent or late, and others we decided, too bad so sad.

If you aren't going to bother coming to class at least 90% of the time, or help out when you are there, don't expect a good grade. 'nuff said. :madface:

Micci · Sep 9, 2005

Strategies for working with others:

Designate. If people are not taking initiative to take on a task, then assign them something to do. If they are not doing their part, then sometimes a bit of peer pressure will help. Try saying something like, "I hope you are getting your part done because everyone in the group is relying on your best effort." People will often feel more pressure if they think others will be "punished" in some way for their actions and it will result in people being angry with them.

Strategy for making sure you get good project partners:

Since this kind of senario happens quite often in lab classes, I usually come to a new class about 1/2 an hour early and talk to new classmates. I find out what their majors are and just talk a bit about what classes they are in and what classes they have taken. You can usually tell right off the ones who are serious. Then I sit at the same table they are at. If you get a group of three serious individuals at a table, the other serious ones will migrate over within the next few classes and the chatterboxes will migrate to the tables occupied by chatterboxes. This ensures that if a lab becomes a partner or group project, you will have serious partners, who will not only work for their own grade but deserve to reap the benefits of your hard work.

mattsmom81 · Sep 9, 2005

I did my BSN and MSN online with many, many group projects. What I did was to set up very clear expectations:
1. We meet at such and such a time, ready to work.
2. Keep chit chat to a minimum.
3. Everyone has a part which is clearly defined.
4. Deadline for each individual putting info into the group is at least 72 hours prior to final deadline in order to re-work info if necessary.
5. If participation is lacking from a member, the group gives a gentle reminder first, then states the expectation and finally tells the slacker that their name will not appear on the final project since they haven't contributed. (Prior to this step, the teacher is notified by the group as a whole).
Good luck.

Great suggestions...I love it! wish I'd known this stuff when I was a student...I took a C grade (doing A work myself) because my buddies in the group 'coasted' and I couldn't motivate them...GRRR.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2005

I'm not sure why in college we are "made" to do group presentations, etc.

I believe that one of the major reasons is job and life preparation. Many professions (not nursing so much) set up work groups for projects that need to get done. My brother is an engineer in research and development and he talks about this all the time. They set up group projects. Then, as the manager, he starts to hear the complaints if someone doesn't pull their weight in the group and he has to deal with it. When I worked for the government, there were a lot of projects that were done as groups. When I first started back to school to get my BSN, one of the first required classes for bachelor's degrees in the behavior sciences was a psychology class on group behavior. It was very enlightening although I don't remember it addressing how to actually deal with the problems of people who don't participate or who participate the way they want. It may have been that I didn't understand it very well at the time, so that the class is mostly just a memory. I do remember them throwing around the games theory and talking about the games people play (I think there was a book written about that). When I look back over my years of living I can see where working together in groups is important, especially when work loads have to be split up because no one person can do everything in all situations. The value of group behavior for nurses would be utilized in their roles as nurse managers and membership in all kinds of committees in the workplace. I would say that, in general, the more a person advances up a career ladder, the more important it becomes to be able to work in groups. So, for what most have been posting to this thread. . .your instructors are just trying in their own ways to introduce you all to the experience(s) of working with others toward a mutual goal. That doesn't mean that they are going about it the right way, but I'm sure their intentions are good.