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Reflection after Group Projects

Tags

Social-Emotional Learning ^21st Century Skills All Ages Strategy

Skills

Social Awareness

Reflection after Group Projects

If your students struggled to work well together on a group project

How To Apply It!

  1. Have students reflect on group projects to improve self-awareness and collaboration skills.
  2. After a group project, provide students with the opportunity to individually reflect on the group’s performance, identifying both positive aspects and potential areas for improvement. Consider using the following prompts: What was your favorite part of working in this group? Do you think this group exceeded the performance of what you could have done independently? Why or why not? What are specific areas where this group could have done better? If you were the group’s coach or leader, what would you suggest they do differently on the next project?
  3. This exercise can be done as a written exercise or as a reflection. If a written exercise, consider using the "no names" policy to avoid hurt feelings, disagreements, etc.
  4. To ensure open and honest reflection with a focus on future improvement, consider doing this exercise AFTER students have their grades.
  5. Have an anonymity policy that you communicate explicitly. How will you use the feedback? Will you ever discuss one student's feedback with another? It is important for students to feel safe and secure if you want them to give honest feedback.
  6. Teachers can provide individual written feedback or one-on-one discussion on reflections. Making time for follow-up reinforces the importance of the reflection process.
  7. Focus your feedback on what that student could do better, differently, or proactively the next time, not on the other students in the group. Emphasize that all parties contribute to the success or challenges of the group. However, emphasize that you will be giving every student the feedback they need so that if a group mate made mistakes it will be addressed.
  8. Depending on the maturity and success of the groups, consider having groups reconvene to discuss their reflections.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Feedback is essential for growth, and this holds true for group projects as well as individual performance. Students receive plenty of feedback on their individual performance but might not receive specific feedback on their collaboration skills. Taking time after group projects to give students time to reflect on their own performance and interactions can be essential for developing self-awareness and collaboration skills.