GR:Many hands make light work, 23rd Sep. 7:30 pm AEST
Hey everyone!
This coming Monday we're having a live Getting Real chat to do with Group Work!
I know for a lot of people, doing group work can bring out the good, the bad,and the ugly! It can be hard to share the workload, communicate what you're thinking, and speak out if you feel like you're being left with the nuts of bolts of the task you need to do!
But at the same time, it's not all bad! There's a lot of opportunity for some laughs and good times, as well as the chance to work on ideas that you'd never have thought of on your own! 😄
We'd love you all to join us on Monday the 23rd of September 7:30 pm AEST for our GR on how to get the most out of group work! 😄
See you then! 😄 
I agree with those points. They each bring a different set of experiences that one can learn and grow from.
Its amazing to share that with friends in a group 😄
For me? I would have to draw upon an experience in my final year in uni. I had a group assignment and everyone was contributing to their own, fairly. What made the project a great success was the final days to submit the project, when we pushed ourselves harder to clarify all points and address the necessary criteria to give the best finished project we could. Although, I wouldn't want that to happen based on chance and luck again hahaha 😛
@Milkninja222 that does sound really good! being able to go above and beyond as a group for the assignment is next level awesome! it shows that there's something really working between you all
@WheresMySquishy that's a good point! sometimes friends do take advantage and it can be really challenging to handle in a group work context 😞 But it can be awesome too!
Oh man, collecting and organising data as a group is mega dicey! sounds like you guys did an amazing job being super organised about it! Can be so easy to miss things in that scenario!
@katurian i really like that! as tricky as group work can be, it really is such a good chance to make friends and get to know your classmates!:D
Okie doke guys!
Time for the last question for the evening! 😄
How do you tell the difference between a group member not participating because they don't care vs. them not participating because they don't feel they can add value to the group? It's not always easy to tell! What would you do in each situation?
How do you tell the difference between a group member not participating because they don't care vs. them not participating because they don't feel they can add value to the group? It's not always easy to tell! What would you do in each situation?
Another really good reason to check in with quiet and shy group members! If a couple of people are very confident and talkative, sometimes people feel like they shouldn't offer an alternative opinion or that they need to be told to do something 😞 Definitely circles back to keeping communication open! @Milkninja222 so right! people might feel like they need to be invited to contribute!
I agree with you there @katurian , having an individual chat seems like it would work better. It can be hard to tell why someone might be holding back from a group task, and asking is the only way sometimes to find out! It might even be the case that someone might have a lot going on in other areas of their life, and it's impacting their group work. So asking them what's up might help. It could mean that for example, some people do more work now, and then other people do more later. Redistributing the workload! haha hope that made sense! 
@Decal21 i really like that idea! just having everyone lay their cards on the table and be honest about what they want out of the group work and how it can be achieved!
How do you tell the difference between a group member not participating because they don't care vs. them not participating because they don't feel they can add value to the group? It's not always easy to tell! What would you do in each situation?
One way you can tell the difference is whether they are unmotivated in all of their subjects, or just the group work. That could point towards them not caring about the work. If they generally like the subject but aren't participating much, that could be due to them not feeling as though they can add value to the group.
I wouldn't try to force the group member to participate or confront them. If they don't reply to my messages or requests to do the work altogether, I have tried to sort it out with a teacher or tutor.
I agree with @katurian that reassuring them if they don't feel as though they can add value to the group can also be a good option!
Alrighty that's a wrap! 😄 It's been such an awesome discussion tonight guys!
Thank you so much for all your insight! 😄
I'm going to head off for tonight, but feel free to keep the discussion going! 😄
If you couldn't make it for the chat tonight, I'd love to hear your thoughts tomorrow!
Thanks for chatting! 😄
I can’t reply now, but I will when I find time!
Hi Everyone, sorry I missed this chat, I was at uni 
Oh goodness I just finished two group assignments so this would have been super beneficial before, but I will take everyone's tips on board for next semester.
Here are my answers
How do you tell the difference between a group member not participating because they don't care vs. them not participating because they don't feel they can add value to the group? It's not always easy to tell! What would you do in each situation?
It can be really hard to tell and sometimes one member might feel really anxious to contribute or might be scared about asking questions. I think that trying to be as inclusive as you can to everyone really helps out and trying to avoic the "no..." and "yes, but..." responses for praise can stop this kind of worry.
For people who don't care, asking what they expect out of the assignment early on and seeing if there's some kind of agreement you can come to might be the only way to get it sorted. It can be really easy to be negative to these members but if you let them know what the assignment means to you and everyone else or let them know how much everyone needs to do to be recognised in the project they should pick up their game.
The way I understand this question is that you cannot tell until communication has been explored. Looking at the non-verbal and verbal cues they show. For example, I have noticed that some people they do not add value when they don't feel invited in, as they could be shy or unsure of how to approach a new set of strangers. Also, they look aware from you, slouch, or don't feel expressive, that could be an indication that they feel unsure of how to work with people in finding common ground and may be unsure of how to express it verbally.
As to tell if a group member does not care is by looking at how they communicate their attitudes to other members of the group. For example, some may talk about topics unrelated to the subject of the project, as they can give the impression they think what they do is boring. Also, they may not add input when they say 'oh I'm good with whatever' as I believe this does not show active engagement with others. This is one way I can conceptualise this.
In the first case, I'm not sure what I would do other than letting the teacher/tutor know about it (although this seems a little tooo harsh, maybe there's a better approach?)
In the second case, I would reassure them that they do have value to provide to the group. This might be done by chatting with them to see where their strengths lie, then giving them more tasks that require that, so they feel more included/confident/valued 🙂
I'm actually confused on a way to give an answer on this question? hahah
Thanks for an engaging chat tonight everyone!
I'm going to log off now. But I'll check back in another day and read the rest (and spam everyone with high fives 😛 )
Have a good night everyone!
I sympathise with that experience all too well hahahha. It can be frustrating wanting to have everyone available for meetings and gauge how everyone is doing.
For your question, I believe in the following skills needed:
- Having empathy for the wellbeing of people you are working with.
- Organise yourself to fit in with other peoples' schedules. If people may be unreachable due to inconsistent timetables, it will be beneficial to accomodate for them to figure out the best approach to achieve results.
- Having a clear direction, and planning skills that everyone can agree on how a project/task can operate 🙂
- Having an open-mind to adapt to changing circumstances that can arise in the progress of a group task.
@Milkninja222 @Decal21 I agree that being organised and flexible can be really beneficial in group work! 
What skills do you reckon are most beneficial for group work/activities?
I think being open and organised are the most important skills to have in any group work. Being able to work together is so vital to making everyone get the most out of the project and those last finishing touches and final edits will make any assignment feel more complete and well thought out!
I feel having good communication and having patience are really good not getting frustrated over other members in you group
I love how everyone is focusing on the people skills for this discussion! 😄 ❤️
