SubscribeSucceeding at Group Work, with Help from the Libraries
By: Emily Missner
Walk into any of the library locations on campus, and you'll find students working on collaborative projects including class presentations, group research papers, capstone projects, and lab reports. The Libraries already provide space for group work and self-directed learning to take place, and now we've taken it a step further with the Group Work Survival Guide.
Group work is a necessary part of a Drexel education. It teaches students how to work collaboratively with a diverse team, how to manage a project, and how to leverage each teammate's strengths and abilities. However, learning the skills to successfully complete a group project can be difficult for students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Realizing that learning together was an important aspect of student life here at Drexel, three librarians spent the summer learning about group work. Emily Missner, Peggy Dominy, and Jay Bhatt interviewed faculty, staff, and students across disciplines to learn about their thoughts on group work. They also read journal articles on helping students to navigate group work, and on group work best practices.
The librarians are currently compiling the Group Work Survival Guide, a frequently-updated blog of best practices, trouble shooting, and examples of groups who are exploring academic team work.
