Student Resources : Working in Groups : Group Roles

Group Roles     •     Group Ground Rules     •     Common Team Mistakes

Group Roles ^†

"The problem with groups is that I always do most of the work, but the entire group gets credit for the project."

This is a common concern when working as part of a group. Nobody likes to put forth a solid effort, just to see the group freeloader enjoy the same grade without expending any energy at all. This problem can be avoided, but only if the entire group is committed to holding individual group members accountable for their performance.

One way to hold each group member accountable for his or her performance is by establishing ground rules, or operating procedures, for the group. You can learn more about how to develop group ground rules by reading the Group Ground Rules document on this web site.

Another way to help ensure full participation from all group members is to assign each member a specific role within the group. All groups require some level of management in order to be productive and remain focused on the project. By requiring each group member to take on a specific role for the duration of a project, you will force some level of participation and accountability on all members of the team.

The roles assigned to group members may vary from group to group, and even from project to project. Even so, most groups need to assign someone to take on the roles described in this document. Depending on the size of your group, you may need to combine two or more roles in to one function. Your group should discuss the roles that your group requires and then decide on the optimal organizational structure for the group.

Make sure to rotate roles among the group members from project to project. This will allow each team member to develop or refine skills that he or she might not otherwise have an opportunity to explore. It will also help reduce the likelihood that one team member will get stuck with a labor-intensive role – or blessed with a somewhat more "relaxed" role – for the entire course duration.

Typical Group Roles

• Discussion Leader. The discussion leader works to keep the group on track. He or she is charged with ensuring full participation from all team members, and helps to moderate individuals who may try to dominate the group discussion. Typical comments from the discussion leader may include the following:
• "Let's focus on the problem."
• "Should we move on the next question?"
• "John, what do you think about this issue?"
• Recorder/Record Keeper. The recorder keeps track of unresolved issues, records group strategies, maintains archives of all work sheets and electronic files, and convenes the group outside of class as necessary. You'll frequently hear the recorder say things like this:
• "Did we get all of the learning issues down?"
• "Is this the diagram we want to use?"
• "I have a copy of our files. I also posted them to our File Exchange section in Blackboard. That way, everyone in the group will have access to the files we created today."
• Reporter . The reporter assembles the draft of the group's solution for the project, solicits feedback from all group members, incorporates agreed-upon changes, and submits the project. The reporter is often heard uttering these phrases:
• "Is everyone in agreement with this document?"
• "Everyone needs to review this draft and get back to me with comments before Wednesday."
• Accuracy Coach. The accuracy coach probes for group understanding and makes sure that all team members are familiar with all aspects of the project. He or she locates valid, legitimate resources, and brings them to class if necessary. The accuracy coach may also review the entire project for accuracy and completeness, although all team members typically have some responsibility for that activity. You'll probably hear the accuracy coach say things like this:
• "Where did you find that information?"
• "Are we all clear about the underlying logic behind this formula?"
• "Does the text have information we might be able to use as we prepare our response to this problem?"
• "Is this calculation correct?"
• "Did we investigate all of the learning issues on our list?"
• Skeptic. The skeptic challenges group consensus, and poses alternative solutions or different ways to think about the problem. The skeptic may make these kinds of comments:
• "I'm not sure we're on the right track."
• "Should we consider other ideas?"
• "Are we sure this is the only way to look at this issue?"
• "What if the underlying conditions change? Will our solution still work, or should we look at ways to make our solution more flexible?"
• Timekeeper. The timekeeper makes sure the group stays on schedule – for the current group meeting and for the project as a whole. You'll hear the timekeeper say things like this:
• "We only have ten minutes left in this class period. Are we ready to write our meeting summary for today?"
• "The project is due in four days. We should have our final draft ready by noon tomorrow. That way, everyone can review it and we'll have time to incorporate changes before we turn it in."
• Reflector/Summarizer . Reflection is a very important part of the PBL process. When you take the time to reflect on what you've done, you tend to come up with ways to improve how your group operates from class to class and from project to project. When group operations improve, the quality of the final project submissions tends to improve as well. The reflector/summarizer spearheads the reflection process. He or she summarizes the progress of the group at various stages of the project. This helps ensure that all team members are on the "same page," and provides a vehicle through which team members can make recommendations for improvements. The reflector/summarizer also works with the accuracy coach to check for group understanding. The reflector/summarizer tends to make comments like this:
• "Here's where I think we are right now. Joe, what do you think?"
• "Maria, you mentioned that we need to come up with a better review process for our final draft than the process we followed on the last project. We should discuss this as a team before we get too far along in this next project."
• "Wow – I can't believe this class period is almost over! Let's talk about what we accomplished today."
• "We're at the mid-point of our project. Here's what we've finished so far. Sue, does this agree with your records of our progress to date?"