Working in Groups in Canvas Group Work Working in Groups in Canvas

Why Work in Groups? To work effectively in a team environment To learn how to communicate and problem solve as a team To learn how to work on a group project that mirrors real world experience What is the project about? Define the goal of this project Is it similar to projects in the past or is it a new effort? Define the scope of this project Is it an independent project or is it related to other projects? * Note that this slide is not necessary for weekly status meetings

What you will do as a group: Contribute to group graded and non-graded discussions Work as a team to create a group proposal Create a group work plan Create a group contract Create a schedule Assign individual tasks Collaborate to create a draft and final Duplicate this slide as necessary if there is more than one issue. This and related slides can be moved to the appendix or hidden if necessary.

Group Work Plan Strategy Explanation Group Response Choose a Group Name Work together to come up with a group name. Enter your group name to the right.   Create Group Contract Work together to create a set of rules that you will agree on and follow to avoid conflict, ensure participation, and set a positive tone for your entire project. Set Group Roles Each member of the group will have certain skills or knowledge that can help the group. Some will be good at helping the group stay on task, others will be great at helping the group members interact in positive ways, etc. Note that all of you will be researchers and writers but other roles might include organizer, editor, connector, recorder, etc. Enter your group roles and descriptions to the right. Acknowledge Interdependence Each member of the group should be dependable and be held accountable for his or her participation in and contribution to the group. How will you all ensure that everyone participates and contributes and what strategies will you use to deal with non-participating members, conflicts, and decision making? Enter this information to the right.

Group Work Plan (Continued) Establish Communication P;am You will all need to communicate with each other to complete the project. Decide what tools you will use to do this, exchange contact and schedule information, and set synchronous group meeting times. Add this information in the box to the right.   Determine Other Collaboration Tools Depending upon what your final project is, you may need to create a document or a presentation. What tools will you use to create your final project and how will you use them together? Enter this information to the right. Set Milestones and Deadlines Review the project criteria to see when any items are due. Then, break those assignments into smaller chunks and determine who, when, and how each will be completed. Add this info to the block on the right.

Group Milestones Major Group Project Milestones April 7 – May 4 Date Assign Groups April 8 Group Discussion #10 April 13 Topic Chosen from Presentations Group Contract Written Roles Defined and Outlined Conduct Research April 19 Draft Report Due April 20 Edit Draft Week April 21-27 Submit Final Proposed Report May 4 * If any of these issues caused a schedule delay or need to be discussed further, include details in next slide.

Major Milestones Group Contract/Select Topic Date 1 Conduct Research Compose Full Draft Date 3 Revise Draft Date 4 Final Draft Date 5 Major Milestones The following slides show several examples of timelines using SmartArt graphics. Include a timeline for the project, clearly marking milestones, important dates, and highlight where the project is now.

How do you get to your group? Through Courses & Groups Through “I have an Idea – Part II”

Group Work Area

What you can do… Send announcements to entire group through Announcements. Create resources using Pages. See who is in your group through People. Contribute to your group discussions through Discussions. Upload files accessible to everyone in your group through Files. Schedule and conduct live web conference meetings using Conferences. Use Google Docs to upload a draft so members can comment using Collaborations.

About Google Docs (Optional) In order to use Google Docs: Your entire group would have to agree to use Google Docs. Each member must have a gmail account. Each member must register his/her gmail account through the Canvas global Settings. You will need to enter gmail login and password. Google Docs is a tool available through Gmail that allows a group of people to edit a single document. All comments are color coded by user so it is clear who made changes. In addition, a history is stored. In Canvas, you can get to Google Docs through Collaborations. One person creates the starting document and then invites all others to the group. Use of Google Docs is completely optional. Your group can decide to use some other method for collaborating/reviewing the group report.

Working in Groups English 203 This template can be used as a starter file to give updates for project milestones. Sections Right-click on a slide to add sections. Sections can help to organize your slides or facilitate collaboration between multiple authors. Notes Use the Notes section for delivery notes or to provide additional details for the audience. View these notes in Presentation View during your presentation. Keep in mind the font size (important for accessibility, visibility, videotaping, and online production) Coordinated colors Pay particular attention to the graphs, charts, and text boxes. Consider that attendees will print in black and white or grayscale. Run a test print to make sure your colors work when printed in pure black and white and grayscale. Graphics, tables, and graphs Keep it simple: If possible, use consistent, non-distracting styles and colors. Label all graphs and tables. English 203