Coordinating and guiding collaborative groups to help improve students’ collective intelligence

While the sudden shift to purely virtual interactions brought on by the pandemic rendered collaborative group functioning much more difficult than it is in face-to-face classrooms, the effectiveness of study groups and project groups varies widely in any given course - regardless of the course platform. The shift to an online-only option provided an opportunity to explore the affordances of technology-mediated group interactions, and to document their limitations. Currently we work with students to take advantage of the best of both platforms.

Collective intelligence is the general ability of a particular group to perform well across a wide range of different tasks. This work builds on my experience developing the Extended Physics program at Rutgers University. At the UW, I’ve developed a curricular intervention that helps with mediating and guiding group dynamics into the curricular structure of a 200-level physics lab, and in the 100-level Introductory Laboratories.

Along with graduate students and a post doc, we developed a methodology and structure for guiding groups of students in large-enrollment introductory courses with the intention of increasing their collective intelligence. Whether in-class or online, the students emerge from this experience with an enriched toolset to more efficiently and effectively function on a team, recognized as a highly-valued workplace preparation skill.

Phase 1: Study group dynamics

Many students who would like to work with other students are feeling isolated from online courses.

We:

• create groups of 4-5 students who are matched based on stated preferences, workstyle, and learning goals.
• mentor groups in effective group dynamics, and how to use features of Slack efficiently to facilitate their study group interactions inside and outside of class.
• support groups in establishing expectations and meeting goals for the group.

Phase 2: Collaborative group project dynamics

The ability of a group to efficiently succeed at a variety of tasks is an important skill, and direct instruction can help broaden awareness of the nuances involved in collective intelligence.

We:

• provide instruction in the types of roles essential to any high functioning group, and provide opportunities for students to explore those roles
• mentor groups in how to negotiate difficult, and important, conversations at the outset of the work to establish the group’s expectations
• provide a forum for agreeing to and understanding a code of conduct that will keep the workspace safe for all