Sometime During the First Week or Two
There are a host of tensions and dilemmas that can threaten the effectiveness of any study group. We suggest the team meet and complete a “Team Contract” (exercise by Thompson, 1998).
We also suggest that groups that will work together for long periods of time discuss the following issues in the first week or two:
Team Goals
Learning: “Are we here to learn and to help others learn or are we here to get a good grade?” There is not a right answer to this question, but differing goals in the group can hurt later performance.
Standards: “Is perfectionism more important than being on time, or vice versa?”
Performance: “Are we a high-pass (dean's list) group or a pass (survival) group?”
Thought Questions
What ...
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