# Week 3 - Group Tasks

Edited by Enda O Reilly, 2/18/2012 3:43 PM

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Assessment Checklist (See Course Content, Module Information and 5.3 Group Wiki Marksheet for further information)

Groupwork: to be presented in the wiki in webcourses:

Task 1 - (Enda and Angela)

An Introduction - outlines the purpose of your activity, identifies your target audience and adequately addresses the context in which the activity will be implemented

Sample Template for Introduction

Issues to consider | Outcomes
1. Who are the learners and what do they bring to the learning experience (their needs, motives for learning, prior experience of learning, social and interpersonal skills, preferred learning styles and ICT competence) |
2. What is meant by a learning experience in this context? |
3. What do I want my students to know/do/achieve in this activity? | Aim(s) of the Activity: Learning Outcomes:
4. Where do I anticipate they may have problems? |
5. Why and how would technology help? |
6. Learning environment (available resources, tools, facilities and services and their match with the learners' needs) | (i) Where does the activity take place? (ii) What resources are available? (iii) What technologies are available?
7. The learning activity (the means by which the practitioner brings about learning and seeks to influence the development of the learners) | Brief description of the learning activity

Task 2 (Steve, Niamh and Edel)

Select a relevant learning model that underpins your activity

Task 3 - max 1 page (Steve, Niamh and Edel)

The group discussion-based activity itself

Task 4 - max 5 pages (Leave until next meeting)

Create a set of Tutor Guidelines to support the learning community; in this guide you should address the issues of:

- managing online communication
- learner motivation
- and if appropriate, assessment
- participant workloads
- time management.

It may be useful to explore the learning models in the Resources area and come to an agreement on a model(s) to initiate and sustain interaction amongst students in an agreed learning context. It may be helpful to outline how the different stages of the model are used.

Task 5 (Debbie and Mark)

Draft a suitable learning agreement for the students to utilise in their collaborative activity. For a sample template see Weekly Activities - Week 3.3 Support for your wiki (Wiki roles for student groups [http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com] )

Task 6 (Not part of offical assessment checklist)

Before the end of this week, have a look at the other group's work-in-progress design, and if time allows (such peer review is good to do if time is available but we will see how things go with this!) feel free to offer constructive commentary on them.

Considerations to keep in mind during the Group Activity

Activity design - transparent purposes, requirements and support, peer learning

Support architecture - value, amounts and timeframes of online interactions in relation to different student groups or numbers

Clear guidelines - aims, instructions, frequency of tutor 'presence', periodic summaries etc

Preparatory materials - sample materials and messages, examples of good practice

Assessment details - clarity in requirements and wording to avoid more questions to tutors. ‘stick’ or ‘carrot’, marking guidelines and criteria.