Group work can be intimidating, particularly for online students who may never meet in person. Try adopting a mental \u201ctoolkit\u201d of strategies to succeed in collaborative settings. Treat each team project as an opportunity to sharpen the tools that will ultimately help you thrive beyond school and into the workplace.<\/p>\n
Although independent work calls for a high degree of self-direction, exerting a similar level of control over one\u2019s peers can breed hostility among group members. Try for a balance between providing leadership and embracing others\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n
Within a newly formed team of students lies an array of skills, experiences, and untapped potential. Some students are innately artistic, while others may excel in solving logic puzzles or constructing oral arguments.<\/p>\n
When embarking on a new group project, discuss each group member\u2019s strengths and preferences. Then allot tasks accordingly. Encouraging team members to play to their strengths will motivate the group, and, in turn, help achieve a product that reflects the best efforts of each person.<\/p>\n
Regardless of the degree of planning, group work can entail clashing schedules, people getting ill and other unforeseen challenges. When facing the unexpected, explore creative solutions with your team. Learning resourcefulness in the academic setting paves the path to overcoming challenges in the workplace.<\/p>\n
Scheduling face-to-face meetings among multiple students is difficult, and for online students who may be scattered at long distances it is not even possible. A plethora of\u00a0online communication\/collaboration tools<\/a>, including\u00a0Google Docs<\/a>,\u00a0Skype<\/a>,\u00a0OneDrive<\/a>,\u00a0Slack<\/a>\u00a0and free online phone call applications provide students with endless virtual communication channels. Once your group has established its preferred communication channels, be sure to share the status of your assigned tasks with other members and encourage them to do the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Group work can be intimidating, particularly for online students who may never meet in person. Try adopting a mental \u201ctoolkit\u201d of strategies to succeed in collaborative settings. Treat each team project as an opportunity to sharpen the tools that will ultimately help you thrive beyond school and into the workplace. Resist the urge to take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":30,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"yoast_head":"\n