Cooperative Learning Group Roles
Assigning roles to members of teams is often necessary in order to help them manage their time and activity. In addition managing student behavior, roles can help improve the overall effectiveness of the learning experience because roles constitute strategies for equally engaging all the learners within the experience. Also, roles help learners recognize and utilize the various resources available throughout the learning experience. Here are some suggested steps for designing and implementing explicit student AND faculty roles during a group-based project:
- Clearly articulate the project, and describe what a successful and adequate “product” should look like.
- Clearly describe the tasks and subtasks that the students must accomplish in a project timeline.
- Identify individual roles that could and should be assumed by students within each of the groups for the tasks identified (see roles chart below).
- Assign roles to the students in each team, paying special attention to those roles that could (and should) be assumed by any special needs students in each team.
- Decide on the manner in which faculty roles will be implemented within the class session.
- Determine the manner in which the roles will be presented to the students. Benchmark instruction over collaborative team roles will need to be implemented.
- Make plans to assess and review the collaborative behaviors. Consider using a behavior checklist, and have each group make a brief presentation regarding their constructive and destructive behaviors at the end of selected class sessions.
- Monitor and adjust role assignments as needed.
Sample Roles