Group projects at university

Group projects are common at university and in almost every job afterwards. They can be the best part of a course or the most frustrating, and the difference is usually made in the first meeting. For working across personalities and cultures, see also Workplace Skills.

What to expect: how groups develop

• The University of Salford's group work guide describes Tuckman's (1965) four stages: forming, storming, norming and performing.
• Forming: the group works out the task. Salford notes that 'many members will worry whether the task will get done at all.'
• Storming: members disagree about how to do the task, and some may feel ignored. Salford says to expect some conflict at this stage.
• Norming and performing: roles settle, differences are resolved and the group works confidently.
• Knowing the stages helps you see early disagreement as normal rather than a sign the group is failing.

The first meeting: a checklist

• Swap contact details and availability, and agree one central channel for messages (Salford suggests a group chat so reminders reach everyone at once).
• Find a regular time slot everyone can attend and decide whether to meet weekly or fortnightly (Salford).
• Read the brief together: what is the final product, how is it marked, is there any individual or peer mark?
• Agree ground rules in writing. Southampton's library advises that 'when everyone in the group agrees to the rules in writing, it's easier to avoid misunderstandings and prevent conflict.'
• Split the work into tasks, set weekly targets and agree an internal deadline a few days before the real one.

Ground rules and roles

• Southampton suggests ground rules covering deadlines, how often you meet, attendance, where you meet, communication channels, who does what and how progress is tracked.
• Salford adds: meeting length, sending apologies in advance, openness and honesty, and where and when work is combined.
• Useful roles (Southampton) include facilitator, organiser, notetaker and timekeeper. Decide whether roles rotate or stay fixed.
• Salford suggests allocating jobs by strengths, for example putting a member with strong IT skills in charge of computer-based tasks. You might also give people a chance to learn new skills.
• Agree how decisions are made (for example discussion, then a vote). Southampton notes that 'having a clear decision-making process ensures everyone feels involved.'

Keeping it on track

• Use a shared task planner listing each task, owner and due date. Southampton recommends keeping track of 'who's done what'.
• Write a short agenda before meetings and brief notes after, so anyone who misses a meeting can catch up. Rotate who does this.
• Store all files in one shared folder with clear names and version dates.
• Combine the work early. Merging five separate sections the night before a deadline is where many group projects go wrong.

When things go wrong

• Salford advises talking about problems 'as soon as possible', with a member you trust or the group leader.
• Give feedback about the task, not the person, using 'I' statements (Southampton): 'I'm worried we won't finish the analysis by Friday. Can we check who is doing which part?'
• Quiet members: invite their ideas directly and give them tasks they are comfortable with (Southampton, Salford).
• Dominant members: set a time limit for each speaker and use a running order so everyone gets a turn (Salford).
• Missed deadlines: agree deadlines at the start and appoint someone to check progress (Salford). If a problem continues after you have raised it in the group, speak to the module tutor early, bringing your meeting notes and task records.