Quick Help: Guidelines for group projects

• Establish a regular meeting time and space (whether in person or online), and exchange contact information.

• During your first meeting, discuss the overall project and establish ground rules. For example, you might agree that everyone has a responsibility to participate and to meet deadlines, and that all members will be respectful toward others in the group.

• Establish clear duties for each participant.

• With final deadlines in mind, create an overall agenda to organize the project. At each group meeting, take turns writing up notes on what was discussed and review them at the end of the meeting.

• Use group meetings to work together on difficult problems. If an assignment is complex, have each member explain one section to the others. Check with your instructor if part of the task is unclear or if members don’t agree on what is required.

• Express opinions politely. If disagreements arise, try paraphrasing to see if everyone is hearing the same thing.

• Remember that the goal is not for everyone just to get along; constructive conflict is desirable. Get a spirited debate going, and discuss all available options.

• If your project requires a group-written document, assign one member to get the writing project started. Set deadlines for each part of the project. Come to an agreement about how you will edit and change each other’s contributions to avoid offending any member of the group.

• Assess the group’s effectiveness periodically. Should you make changes as you go forward? What has been accomplished? What has the group done best? What has it done less successfully? What has each member contributed? What have you learned about how to work more effectively with others on future projects?