INTRODUCTION

INFORMAL

FORMAL

CONCLUSION & REFERENCES

CONTACTS

Introduction

The purpose of these guidelines is to discuss the use of group work as a teaching method in undergraduate mathematics. Much has previously been written on the use of group work (e.g. [1] - [5]) however, mathematics is distinctive in that few topics in the subject at undergraduate level lend themselves to real debate or allow differences of opinion. Consequently, one of the first issues to be addressed here is the purpose of group work in undergraduate mathematics teaching. Establishing this leads to discussion on how this purpose might be achieved, indicating difficulties that might arise and strategies for avoiding them.

In producing these guidelines, it should be made explicit from the start that group work is viewed as just one aspect of a whole teaching strategy. In the same way that criticism is levelled at other teaching methods, it has become clear throughout this research that group work can be both "effective" and "ineffective". The issues surrounding this will be the focus of these guidelines. Group work, when introduced, should be integrated with existing teaching methods (such as traditional lectures, tutorials and problem classes) to provide students with the variety that will help address their differing learning styles. This integration needs to be thought through both at module level and at degree course level.

The phrase "group work" is taken throughout to include all activities in which students work in a pair or group, literally whenever they work together. This broad definition includes tasks which are specifically designed for, and assessed in, groups (referred to as formal group work) and when the students come together naturally to help each other with their mathematical work, (referred to as informal group work). In some cases this latter activity might go against a direct instruction from their lecturer, when the work is to be assessed, and it is important to acknowledge that it may still happen.

The intention of these guidelines is therefore to help staff to use group work effectively, should they choose to do so. The results of this research have reinforced the view that effectiveness is almost entirely dependent on the local circumstances and the context in which a particular task is set. Departments differ in their attitudes to students' collaborating informally on problem sheets and other tasks, as do individual members of staff within a department. These guidelines offer a critical discussion of the issues that can arise when choosing to use formal group work or encouraging students to work informally in their own time. It is hoped that colleagues will be able to apply these to their own situation, and therefore implement group work effectively, to resolve difficulties that arise, or even to pre-empt them. The guidelines consist of three main sections: introduction, informal group work and formal group work.

Each section has been broken into sub-sections addressing key questions, denoted as KQ, but the answers to these are often inter-related.

KQ1: Why choose to use group work? What are the benefits?