Groupwork can be very rewarding for both faculty and students, or it can be disastrous! At their best, group projects foster productive collaboration and idea sharing among future professionals and that is the goal. At their worst, team projects could force high achieving students to compensate for those less willing to put in effort and that is just unfair. It is up to us as educators to ensure the former and not the latter outcomes.

1. MPSA TEACHING: ONLINE COURSES AND
STUDENT COLLABORATION
APRIL 15, 5:20 PM TO 6:50 PM
PROFESSOR JULIETTE PASSER, ESQ. FOR STONY BROOK
UNIVERSITY, SPRING 2021
“Differences do not make us different – differences make us interesting!”!

3. Panelists:
Jose da Cruz, Georgia Southern University
Frank John Gonzalez, University of Arizona
Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal, Kent State
University
Pavel Bacovsky, University of Colorado
Boulder
Thomas Ron, University of York
Juliette Passer, Esq., Stony Brook, NY - Chair

4. 5:20-5:30 CDT Introduction
5:30- 5:40 CDT Tom
5:40-5:50 CDT Pavel
5:50-6:00 CDT Jose
6:00-6:10 CDT Frank
6:10-6:20 CDT Hassan
6:20-6:35 CDT Chair & Discussant questions
6:35-6:50 CDT Open Discussion between all panelists and
audience members

5. “Differences do not make us different – differences make us
interesting!”!
Number 1 strategy for online teaching: amplify your personality!

6. Groupwork can be very rewarding for both faculty and
students, or it can be disastrous! At their best, group
projects foster productive collaboration and idea-sharing
among future professionals - and that is the goal. At their
worst, team projects could force high-achieving students to
compensate for those less willing to put in effort – and that
is just unfair. It is up to us as educators to ensure the
former and not the latter outcomes.
On Covid-time: Group projects is a tool to help students
learn and form relationships -- just as they might face-to-
face.

7. So, why group projects?
1. Student engagement and combat
”cabin fever;”
2. Professional skills of team
management, communications and public
speaking;
3. Retention of knowledge;
4. Getting to know your students better;
5. Much more work but proportional
returns!

9. Toolkit:
Student Questionnaires,
Assessments,
evaluations forms &
rubrics,
Individualized group
meetings with you and/or
your TAs,
Discussion Boards

10. Strategy for success:
1. Emphasize the importance of teamwork ;
2. Use team-building exercises to build well-
functioning groups ;
3. Help establish roles for group members ;
4. Provide personal office time for group
meetings;
5. Request interim reports and group process
feedback;
6. Include peer assessment in the evaluation
process.
Strategy for success:

11. Presentation Rubric Points:
Content = 20
Collaboration = 10
Organization = 10
Presentation = 10
In Class Polling per Group
Multiple Choice:
Content
Presentation

13. Thank you!
JPasser@prodigy.net Juliette.Passer@stonybrook.edu
www.linkedin.com/in/juliettepasser