Page 16 - Formal learning groups-Self Paced Guide
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Deciding how to assign grades for collaborative work
Decisions on how to allocate grades for group work are often met with challenges. Many
instructors decide to give an overall group grade with little rationale to support their
decision.
However, it is important to have a clear plan on how you will assign grades for collaborative
work. In your assessment plan, put in place contingencies to deal with group issues such as
non-contributing members. Whatever assessment approaches you decide to use ensure
that they are supported by some specific criteria and shared with all students.
Your formal learning groups must understand how collaborative work will be assessed and
graded. For example, you can provide students with a copy of the marking scheme for
collaborative work when learning tasks are assigned. This will give students better
accountability for their work as well as promote positive group interdependence. Below is a
recommended model that can be used to assign grades for collaborative work.
The Combination Model for assigning grades for collaborative work
Individual
Grade
Total
grade/score
for
collaborative
work
Group
Grade
(Barkely, Major & Cross, 2014)
In this model, the instructor decides what percentage of the group assignment will be
allocated for individual contribution and overall group score. For example, will your
weighting be 50% for individual and 50% for the group? Or will more marks be allotted for
collaboration on the learning task? This decision should be aligned with your course goals.
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