Teaching Individual Accountability

Communication and collaboration are among the important skills that students develop when they work with their peers. However, more than we care to admit, free riders can take advantage of the group work system. Sometimes, it’s possible to receive work completed by only one or two members of a larger team. With these difficulties in mind, is it worth it to assign group tasks to students? 

Before every group activity, I usually tell my students that every member is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. No matter how beautiful the picture is, if one piece is lacking, it is not complete. In the same way, no matter how excellent a group output is, if a member or two fail to contribute to the task, they miss the opportunity to learn and grow together.

How can we then encourage our students to actively contribute to their group tasks? It is easy to observe and encourage individual engagement when students work in the classroom and I am around to facilitate, but it is challenging when group tasks extend beyond the classroom. One thing that has worked well for my classes is teaching students individual accountability. It may not always look the same in all of my classes, but it is achieved when I do the following:

• Allow students to choose their own groups. Letting students choose their groups means they are more comfortable working with their teammates and are more inclined to trust them. Moreover, because I let students choose their groups, I expect that they are prepared to communicate and collaborate. Since they get to choose who to work with, they can be more understanding and willing to go the extra mile if a peer needs help in accomplishing their individual task.
• Assign specific roles for each group member. Even if students understand what they are expected to accomplish with their group, they may still need guidance on how each member will function within the team. Providing them with expectations for the contributions of each member can help ensure that each individual stays on task even when I am not physically present to supervise.
• Require a self and peer evaluation. This is the most important element of individual accountability. These evaluations provide feedback on each individual’s contribution and engagement in the group work as well as their perception of their fellow members’ contribution and engagement. This is also where I ask them to reflect on what went well for their group and what they could have done better. I have always found this aspect of group activities to be meaningful, as students can reflect on their learning beyond the competencies of their group task.

Getting students to communicate and collaborate in groups is not always easy, but providing them with opportunities to practice individual accountability can go a long way in ensuring group engagement and learning.

Author

Kathleen Flores

Kathleen is a faculty member of the College of Arts and Humanities, Adventist University of the Philippines. She is passionate about training young people to become "purposive communicators" for the Lord.