Group work resources

 

Exercises and templates

The material in the following Adobe Acrobat PDF files appear in the Appendices of the printed version of this document. If you need a PDF file reader, you can get one here.

Exercise: getting to know you

Exercise: tower building

Exercise: team charter

Exercise: team review

Template: team meeting report

 

Readings

The following links are to readings referred to in the various units. These links are to Adobe Acrobat PDF files held in Electronic Reserve by the UTS Library.

Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, these articles can only be downloaded by UTS staff and students.

Unit 2 - Preparing students for group work

Federman Stein, R., and Hurd, S. (2000). Using Student Teams in the Classroom: A Faculty Guide. Anker: Boston, MA. Chapter 1: Teamwork Theory and Discussion. (UTS Call No.: City 371.395 FEDE). Download the PDF version of this document from the UTS Library[1.02Mb]

Unit 6 - Assessing groups

Freeman, M., & McKenzie, J. (2001). Aligning peer assessment with peer learning for large classes: The case for an online self and peer assessment system. In. D. Boud., R. Cohen., & Sampson, J. (Eds.). Peer Learning in Higher Education: Learning from & with Each Other. Kogan Page: London.

Unit 7 - Helping students reflect on their group experience

Boud, D. (2001). Using journal writing to enhance reflective practice. In L. M. English., & Gillen, M. A. (Eds.). Promoting Journal Writing in Adult Education. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco: CA. 

Additional readings mentioned in the conclusion

Race, P. (1999). 2000 Tips for Lecturers. Kogan Page: London. Chapter 3: Small-group Teaching and Learning. Download the PDF version of this document via the UTS Library [1.52Mb].

McKendall, M. (2000). Teaching groups to become teams. Journal of Education for Business, 75(5), 227-82.

Icebreaking and Learning Activities

Listed below are a number of icebreaking and learning activities. These activities have been grouped into four categories: 1) Introduction activities, 2) Getting acquainted activities, 3) Teambuilding activities, and 4) Content/learning activities. Each of these activities has been selected because they are novel, engaging and have the potential to enhance students' learning experiences (particularly by encouraging students to feel comfortable with each other and thus facilitate peer-learning and group work).

Most of the activities below have been drawn from industry-based training sources. As such, many of the activities may require slight modifications for use with tertiary students (mostly with respect to time). Please feel free to use the activities as they are, or adapt them to better suit your needs.

Please note: Due to copyright restrictions, these activities can only be downloaded by UTS staff and students. Each activity, however, has been drawn from a published source and may be in your own library. Please click if you would like to download a full list of references as a word document.[35KB]

1. Introduction activities - new and novel ways for students to introduce themselves to the rest of the class

Name of activity Description of activity Link to download activity from UTS Library *
Identification Students introduce themselves using personal items found in their bags, wallets etc. PDF Document [90 KB]
Person Poem Students write a small poem about themselves to introduce themselves to the rest of the class. PDF Document [154 KB]
Book Jacket Students write a short bio about themselves (for a hypothetical book they have written). This bio is then shared with the rest of the class. PDF Document [67 KB]
Alphabetic Introductions Students introduce themselves with words starting with a specific letter they have chosen. PDF Document [65 KB]
License Plates Students introduce themselves with the aid of a car licence plate they have designed which describes something about themselves. PDF Document [120 KB]

2. Getting acquainted activities - new and novel ways for students to "get to know" others in their class. Very useful if students will be working in groups during the semester.

Name of activity Description of activity Link to download activity from UTS Library *
Getting Acquainted Students list personal information that may be useful conversation starters. Students then display information, walk around the room and meet other people. PDF Document [94 KB]
About Me Students are given information about other students in the class (on cards) and are required to match cards to people. PDF Document [104 KB]
Playing Card Mixer Students are given a playing cards and are required to combine with others to make the best card "hand" PDF Document [58 KB]
Jigsaw Puzzle Students are given a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and are required to find others in the class with pieces to the same puzzle. PDF Document [59 KB]
Funny Pages Students are required to find others in the class who have been given panels to the same comic strip. PDF Document [132 KB]
Say Hullo Students write their first and last names on pieces of paper which are then handed out to other students. Students are then required to match names to the right person. PDF -Document [432 KB]
The Mystery Person Students are given a small prize if they have introduced themselves and spoken to a particular (randomly chosen) student in the room. PDF Document [79 KB]
The Whole Room Handshake Students meet and greet each other by forming two circles. PDF Document [61 KB]

3. Teambuilding activities (new and novel ways to help student groups to become more cohesive)

Name of activity Description of activity Link to download activity from UTS Library *
What's our Name? Logo? Slogan? Groups develop name, logo, and slogan to help foster team cohesion. PDF Document [86 KB]
Brainstorming Groups learn how to generate ideas as a team in a fun way. PDF Document [87 KB]
Secret Roles Groups are given roles to play and learn about group dynamics. PDF Document [153 KB]
Team Drawings Group members learn more about their fellow members by creating a team drawing. PDF Document [128KB]
Dealing with Problem People on Teams Activity to encourage students to discuss behaviours that may lead to problems in the future. PDF Document [196 KB]
Invent a Game Groups work on a fun task but learn how to work with each other. PDF Document [74 KB]
To Build a Car Activity that helps group members understand the strengths of their fellow members. PDF Document [129 KB]
Team Problem Solving: The Zin Obelisk Activity to help groups begin working together (learn to solve problems together). PDF Document [375 KB]
Cave Rescue To help groups practice making decisions together. PDF Document [543 KB]

4. Content/learning activities (new and novel ways to help students learn and reflect on course content)

Name of activity Description of activity Link to download activity from UTS Library *
Letter to Myself Novel way to help students reflect on course content. PDF Document [80 KB]
The Secret Word A fun activity to encourage students to listen more closely in class. PDF Document [129 KB]
The Art of Self-Review To help students learn and review new material PDF Document [125 KB]

* Please Note: File sizes are an approximate only; The actual file size may vary between filesystems.

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.