Pros for Group Work

A pro of group work is that individuals could collaborate by sharing responsibility and learning how to overcome conflicts Students could also develop a new perspective, which leads to stronger communication and teamwork skills. By working as a group, individuals could enhance their overall learning and productivity accordingly.

Cons for Group Work

A con of group work is that it easily causes conflicts between team members. When dividing tasks and sharing responsibility, I realized that there is unequal participation from students. Unequal participation could be extremely time-consuming, which could eventually lead to the lack of engagement during group work. Another con is distraction. Individuals could easily get distracted by environment around them, which leads to lack of concentration and decreased productivity.

If there is disagreement within the group, I find it helpful to identify points of agreement and disagreement after listening carefully in order to create a plan to solve each conflict. Since outcomes of well-managed conflict could lead to improved productivity and creativity due to increased participation, I would focus on the positive side of disagreement while compromising a dissent. I know the group is working well together when I notice an individual’s participation and communication within the group because effective communication allow us to increase engagement and handle conflict productively. If the group is not productive, we can divide the tasks in order to get things moving in the right direction. Separating work between team members would increase the overall productivity within the group. If I notice workload within the group that’s a sign that my ground needs help and we can get support by asking for help to teachers or classmates other than my group members.

What did you learn about working in a group from this semester that you will carry into your next group experience?

Throughout this semester, I learned that working in a group allows me to increase productivity and engagement. I was also able to improve my overall communication and problem-solving skills. If there is disagreement within the group, I learned how to deal and handle with the conflict effectively. Additionally, we got to share diverse perspectives within the group and hold one another accountable. Sharing diverse perspectives lead to increased creativity and a higher level of outcomes accordingly.