How do I indicate that my students will be working in groups?

When you set up your course page, our assignment design wizard will ask you if you'd like your students to work in groups. If you choose group work, your course page will reflect this accordingly. Students will take certain training modules geared specifically for group work.

How do my students indicate they are working in a group on the Dashboard?

When more than one student assigns themselves the same article to work on, the Dashboard will automatically recognize that they are working in a group whether you have chosen group work or not. If two students are working on the same article but not in a group, we strongly recommend that they collaborate or choose different articles to work on.

How do students draft their work as a group?

When multiple students assign themselves the same article to work on, the Dashboard will designate the sandbox of the first person who signed up as the sandbox that the group will work in. As long as each member of the group is logged in under their own Wikipedia user account while editing in the other group member's sandbox, you will be able to see their individual contributions.

Training modules specific to group work

When you choose group work for your assignment, your students will be prompted to take the training modules on Drafting as a group and Moving group work live. IF you do not see these on your course timeline, you can add them from the drop down of available training modules. They will ensure that students follow best practices for group work.

How do I assess group work?

Refer to our FAQ on keeping track of student work.

Do you have any other recommendations for group work?

The following may prove helpful for students working in groups:

• Assign roles to each group member. Play to students' ' strengths by asking students in a group to perform different tasks. One student can serve as the writer, while another can perform fact checking, and another can be in charge of technical matters. In this way, students can potentially do tasks that fit better with their particular abilities.
• We recommend that all students submit some type of reflection piece at the end of their Wikipedia assignment, but this is even more critical when students are working in groups. It will give them the opportunity to describe their individual contributions to the group work.