Pro: Group projects allow students to improve crucial skills
Juniors Mert Kucukkal, Eric Navincopa, Sujay Pandem and Ian Okan work together on a physics project on Nov. 23.
January 21, 2022
Despite the feeling of dread that comes with the announcement of a group project, students often miss the benefits of working with others.
According to Carnegie Mellon University, group projects provide important skills that are becoming more relevant in the world when it comes to job performance. Positive group project experiences also relate to a larger amount of success in college courses since reaching out and collaborative skills are required in many of these courses.
“[Group projects] get students to collaborate,” world civilization teacher Charles Koch said. “[Collaboration is important because] it is a main portrait of a graduate skill that Fairfax County Public Schools wants students to have.”
When students are working together and communicating, they are often able to understand the class material better than if they were working solo. According to the University of Colorado Boulder, working with others can be a good way to learn and retain information.
“If there are specific things you [don’t] know or understand, other [members] might have more [experience] with it,” freshman Amelia Marsh said. “This way, they can explain [the information] in a way that makes sense to you.”
A lot of students agree with the fact that the sharing of ideas happens throughout the process of a group project.
“I think group projects are better [than working alone],” sophomore Tamya Gadson said. “Everyone has different ideas and it’s nice to see the union of the [different] perspectives.”
Certain classes are much easier and contain more real learning when work is done through groups.
“I [think] that the humanities courses, such as social studies and English, would have a lot of opportunities for group work,” Koch said. “[This is because they] give students projects that utilize their skills.”
When students are working by themselves, they can often get distracted and wait until the last minute to finish their work. When working in a group, students can be held accountable and not procrastinate.
“[A group project grade is] a small portion of the overall grade but it keeps group members honest,” Koch said. “It keeps them working towards the [overall] goal.”
Working in groups can help students discover the personalities and ideas of their classmates, helping them to better understand the people in their classroom environment.
“[Group projects are important because we’re] able to get a lot more work done and are able to learn more about the other students in our class [and] whether or not they are willing to work,” Marsh said.
According to the University of Birmingham, good communication, openness and willingness to learn help students reach their goal of creating work that reflects their understanding. Group projects also provide experience and skills that are commonly used in the world.
“[In group projects], everybody contributes their skills and talents to make the final outcome successful,” Koch said.
