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Group Work

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  • 17-01-2008 4:37am
    #1
    Zamboni
    Registered Users Posts: 4,305 ✭✭✭


    I understand that group work is an important part of college life and helps personal development in communication and dealing with people in a team environment.
    I appreciate that the skills to be learned from group work will be beneficial in the work environment post college.

    However, I am pissed off that in my final year when 70% of my results will directly contribute to my overall degree, group work is still necessary in a number of my modules. Sometimes up to 40% of a module can be group based.
    Surely in a final year, your degree should be based on what you achieve individually?
    Group work should be kept in Year One and perhaps limited in Year Two.
    A persons final degree should not be hampered if they are stuck in groups with slackers. Nor indeed should they be overloaded, covering for said slackers.

    Restrained rant over...


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    #2
    Chakar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,033 ✭✭✭Chakar


    What course are you in?


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    #3
    stereoroid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 418 ✭✭stereoroid


    Zamboni wrote: »
    A persons final degree should not be hampered if they are stuck in groups with slackers. Nor indeed should they be overloaded, covering for said slackers.
    And when you get out in to the real world, do you think you'll be judged solely on your own merits, unburdened by others less competent than you? Sartre had it right: "Hell is other people". :rolleyes:


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    #4
    Zamboni
    Registered Users Posts: 4,305 ✭✭✭Zamboni


    stereoroid wrote: »
    And when you get out in to the real world, do you think you'll be judged solely on your own merits, unburdened by others less competent than you?

    It's not about who is more or less competent.
    I just don't think it's fair if there is a group of 4 people, 1 does sweet fa and then gets the same grade as the other three who put the work in.


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    #5
    conor2007
    Closed Accounts Posts: 636 ✭✭✭conor2007


    thats what ill be doing - lol ^

    chi-ching!


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    #6
    Stepherunie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,158 ✭✭✭Stepherunie


    Ah come on, most people in there right mind want a decent degree, few won't bother there ass in final year - you're much more likely to find that in lower years.

    I get a weekly evaluation for my clinical - a major part of my review is my ability to work as part of a team. Whenever I undertake a clinical exam my ability to work in a team is taken into account. In every interview I've ever been too I've had to demonstrate my ability to work as part of a team as my primary sport was swimming which is an individual sport.

    Personally last year I did group work as part of one of my courses. What made the group work best was that 20% of the marks were allocated by the team themselves to be divided within the team in whatever way they felt. However we were encouraged by the lecturer to give no marks to someone who did nothing, which would result in an automatic fail for that person and he stressed that the others should not just compensate them for the sake of face.

    Then we all got to submit individual evaluations of our team, which identified the difficulties. Oh and if you had a serious slacker or got a team that descended into chaos he allowed for teams to switch.

    Best group project I ever did, everyone did the work as we all knew that most are selfish as hell and wanted as much as that 20% as possible. Result everyone pulled there weight.


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    #7
    t_ucd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 80 ✭✭t_ucd


    I definitely know what you mean - actually the amount of groupwork for subjects definitely influenced my course choices this year. I remember in second year we had forms where we evaluated other team members, which I think was a really good idea but they don't seem to do that any more.

    Projects this year have been fairly OK even though all my teams were randomly assigned. To be honest I just do the work and try to get everyone else to do theirs as quickly as possible just to get it out of the way. Maybe not the best attitude (I wasn't that bad in first and second year) but it is my final year and what matters at this stage is the result.


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    #8
    wandering_star
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭wandering_star


    I know what you mean OP, I'm also in final year, and it pisses me off. I remember nearly killing a group partner, who didn't do a tap of work. Sent him an email of my ideas, asking for his and to hurry the fcuk up, he went to the lecturer on his own with my ideas passing them off as his own saying I did nothing...:mad:

    Thank god for technology is all I can say.

    Suffice to say he is now minus a leg and the ability to pee without a decatheter :D


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    #9
    t_ucd
    Closed Accounts Posts: 80 ✭✭t_ucd


    wandering_star wrote: »
    Sent him an email of my ideas, asking for his and to hurry the fcuk up, he went to the lecturer on his own with my ideas passing them off as his own saying I did nothing...:mad:

    Are you serious?! God I've been fairly lucky with groups compared to you! What annoys me most about groupwork is that there doesn't seem to be any real policy for resolving problems - it seems to be completely up to the lecturer. I know most lecturers take it seriously but there are some who just turn a blind eye. :mad:


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