<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4V2Mdx_0wEmopM800" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4V2Mdx_0wEmopM800" width="1200" height="694" ></figure>Group projects can bring mixed opinions as some students enjoy working with a team while others become frustrated over the idea of groups receiving one consecutive grade on an assignment. Group projects can be a significant component of many classes, and teachers must decide how to effectively grade them. The method of whole group grading can be appreciated by some, but can often come with drawbacks.Junior Christin Gilmer has found that group projects graded by group, not by individual, often lead to one person doing the majority of the work. Pairing up students with varying work ethics, drive, and expectations can lead to an uneven contribution balance. This uneven balance tends to be ignored in group projects with a grading style that gives each group one grade. “I feel as though if I’m putting in all the work, and another person is not putting in all the work, why is somebody else almost being rewarded for not doing anything?” Gilmer said.Group projects have the potential to negatively affect students’ grades. Due to the fact that some students have lower motivation levels than others, some members of a group may contribute either less work or lower quality work. When this poor work is not fixed or improved by a project’s deadline, the submitted group project may be subpar. “If there’s a hard-working student and the entire group relies on that person to do most of the work, then that could either bring their grade down because they don’t have other people contributing and helping, and that can also give them a lot more work if they’re being the only one relied on,” Sophomore Emma Cella said.While students must deal with the effects of this grading method, teachers also have to make that difficult choice knowing it will have an effect on students’ overall grade. Social studies teacher Cherie Vroman tends to make the grading of summative group projects mostly based on individual contributions. Individual grades guarantee that summative grades reflect what components of class material each student understands. This method of grading often affects how students approach group projects. “I think for many students, it’s a motivating factor, because they know they’re going to be assessed based on what they actually did, and it also, I think, for a lot of students, is motivating because they know that they’re not going to get pulled down by someone who’s not doing their fair share. So I think I find that tends to lessen student stress as well, which I think always helps students do better,” Vroman said.English teacher Anne Marie Dominguez has found that while there may be some negative effects of giving an entire group one grade, there are also some positives. She has discovered that when the grading method is not individual grades, students are more likely to divide and conquer. In contrast, whole group grades allow students to gain skills in socializing and understanding others. “I think it’s the whole idea of knowing that everyone brings certain strengths to the group, and being able to acknowledge those skills and talents that each person brings and how you can work those together… is so invaluable, just in socializing [and] in learning to value other people who might not be exactly like you are, or have the exact approach to something as you do,” Dominguez said.While assigning group projects can lead to issues for both students and teachers, these projects are often necessary in preparing students for life outside of high school. “There’s an important piece to group work, which is collaboration, process, teamwork and learning to work with each other. We can’t underestimate that because most jobs will have that as a component, so it is important,” Vroman said.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Are Group Projects Graded Fairly?

Group projects can bring mixed opinions as some students enjoy working with a team while others become frustrated over the idea of groups receiving one consecutive grade on an assignment. Group projects can be a significant component of many classes, and teachers must decide how to effectively grade them. The method of whole group grading can be appreciated by some, but can often come with drawbacks.