Rodriguez: Literature Review 1

Literature Review
Cristina Rodriguez
TED 690 Capstone
Professor Ryan
National University
14 June 2016

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Abstract
This paper is a literature review on the article, Assessing Group Work written by Teaching
Excellence & Educational Innovation. The article describes how to assess groups effectively,
emphasizing the process, and how to hold individuals accountable.

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Literature Review
When it comes to the variety of methods to assess students with formative, summative,
or even holistic assessment each one focuses on the individual student. When teaching with
Common Core in a Common Core classroom the desks are no longer in rows but in groups of
four. This collaborative setting helps students engage in academic discussion and promote
growth through peer interaction. The question on how to properly assess students on their group
work? In the past group-work assignments were done maybe once or twice but on a daily
occurrence how does a teacher ensure that every student participates. Group work is not only for
the end of the year or for a presentation any longer but a daily learning activity. In my
classroom, I follow the Common Core model of placing students in the groups of four desks
facing each other.
In the article, it first states that it is possible to hold the same principles of assessment that
apply to an individual students work are able to be applied to the group work as well. Principles
may be similar but it is important to take into consideration the objective of the assignment and
how to translate group performance into individual grades. What makes grading group work
complicated is making sure that it is fair for everyone and the fact that neither group processes
nor individual contributions are necessarily apparent in the final product (2015).
The first recommendation to grading group work is to assess the process and not to assess
only the product. I have implemented this in my own classroom by having a participation quiz
sheet for every period and every day that students are expected to work together. As students
work in their group setting, I walk around the classroom and make notes of how every student is
participating. Each student has been given a different role in the group and on the desk is written
what each member is expected to do for the group. I am emphasizing skills that students are not

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used to being evaluated on, such as the ability to cooperate or meet deadlines (2015). Holding
individuals accountable is another recommendation of the article and I believe that this helps
with all students participating and discouraging any student from taking a free-ride. To
promote individual accountable I ask questions to individuals to demonstrate learning. Other
suggestions are independent write-ups, weekly journal entries, content quizzes, or other types of
individual assignments (2015).
How I plan to improve is by asking students to assess themselves and the have
contributed to the group, groups dynamic, and how the other teammates contribute to the group.
During my short time of teaching, I do not ask for students self evaluate or evaluate others.
Students are their own toughest critic and will see their own flaws before anyone else. The area
that a student discusses about their greatest weakness is usually the area that they want to
improve the most. Additionally, it is impossible for a teacher to see, hear, and know all that
happens when a group is working. When asking students to evaluate their peers it may be
difficult because some students may want to be liked thus writing a good review. However,
when combined with other factors promoting individual accountability, it can provide you with
important information about the dynamics within groups and the contributions of individual
members (2015).
Taking into consideration of my strengths of how I grade group work, I continue to refine
the process. After reading the article, there are different methods that I need to explore to give a
variety of grading group work.

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Reference:
Assessing Group Work. (2015). Retrieved June 14, 2016, from
https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/groupWork.html