Though some may grind their teeth at having to talk to unknown classmates, group work is a bona-fide learning tool, essential to life on campus and in the workplace, according to some.
"It's a job skill," said Gary Ozanich, a communication professor. "In the modern work environment, most tasks are accomplished in groups or teams."
Ozanich said he was surprised at the results of several studies that have been done by the communication department indicating that employers rate working well in groups as an essential skill in the work place.
"I thought they would want harder skills, like computer programming," said Ozanich. "Their viewpoint was to teach (students) to be able to adapt to their environment, because it's constantly changing," said Ozanich.
According to Ozanich, workers can be more productive by learning how to become accustomed to new ideas and new personalities.
"I think group skills were number two or number three on the list, just below the ability to write clearly," said Ozanich.
Some believe the classroom setting does not encourage group work, making it difficult for students to adjust to the idea of working with other students.
Carol Tutzauer, a communication professor, said the result of solitary education often causes hesitation on the student's part to be grouped with a few students for a project.
"The education system is set up to evaluate you as an individual," said Tutzauer, who uses groups in some of her classes. "They squeal a lot; they are so conditioned to being evaluated on an individual level that they see it as inherently unfair to be graded within a group."
Tutzauer said she is not the only one in charge of the final grades of the groups in her classes; she evaluates the group as a whole, but the students also grade each other, to ensure fairness.
According to Tutzauer, the advantages of working in groups apply to both students and professors. By breaking down a lecture hall filled with students into project groups, Tutzauer said the frightening logistics of grading 300 individual projects could be slimmed down to a manageable 30.
Ron Sweeney, an English teaching assistant, uses group work in his advanced writing class.
"We do a lot of revision work, going over their writing, and often have discussions," said Sweeney.
Sweeney said he likes using groups because he feels his students take less of a backseat approach to their learning.
"It's important that the students become authorities, people giving advice to each other, like colleagues, not just for a grade but for the community," said Sweeney.
Some said the inherent concerns of responsibility and reliability can create tensions that discourage students from enjoying group work.
"I'd rather do it alone," said Chris Myron, a sophomore sociology major. "I know exactly what I need to do and I know I'll get the job done."
Valerie Kornowski, a sophomore sociology major, said the effectiveness of group work depends on the situation.
"Sometimes I can get it done faster by myself, but sometimes you need different ideas and perspectives," said Kornowski.
Dr. Veronica Lugris, assistant director of Counseling Services, often works with students in group therapy, and though her work generally deals with students outside the classroom setting, she said many of the same dynamics apply to being productive in group therapy.
Lugris suggested a few ways for professors to create a less anxious environment.
"Students should be educated beforehand about what (the project) will entail and what they should expect," said Lugris. "Plus there should be ground rules everyone abides by."
According to Lugris, when the environment is comfortable, students are better able to take chances.
"Typically people who are taking risks, whether in or out of the classroom, tend to be the people that are trusted more," said Lugris.
According to Lugris, students must not forget that working in a group does not necessarily mean compromising oneself; it can mean pushing oneself above and beyond.
"The more you put out there, the more you get back," said Lugris. "As long as you put in your best effort, the group is going to grow."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
