Assign Roles

For assignments that require the group to work through a process together to answer each question, you should define roles and let your students make only a few (3-5) submissions.

The submissions limitation helps all group members take the work seriously and encourages your students to think carefully before they submit their responses.

Well-defined roles help your students to work productively together; preferably students should change roles during the term in order to practice the skills required for each role. Common roles for 3- and 4-person groups are described in the following table.

Role	Duties
Manager or Organizer The group leader who ensures that the group completes the task	Directs the sequence of steps in the problem. Manages time. Example: We have to move on. If we have time, we'll come back to this discussion later. Reinforces the merits of everyone's ideas. Example: That's an interesting idea. Does anyone else have a suggestion before we evaluate it? Ensures that each group member participates. Example: Does anyone have an idea what approach we could take for this problem?
Recorder Responsible for developing consensus, recording group decisions, and submitting answers	Writes actual steps on the whiteboard. Checks for understanding of all group members. Example: Does everyone understand what concept this experiment is covering, and how it is used? Makes sure all group members agree on each step of the problem. Example: I'm hearing more than one idea. Can we agree on how to proceed?
Skeptic or Questioner Responsible for ensuring that the group considers alternative ideas and does not draw conclusions prematurely	Makes sure all possible problem-solving strategies are explored. Example: Can we visualize this problem differently? Suggests alternative approaches or concerns with suggested processes. Example: Are we using the correct units? Provides reasoning and explanations of steps to group members as necessary. Example: Does anyone want me to explain what's helpful about this diagram?
Summarizer (optional) Responsible for helping to motivate the group and reiterating what has been accomplished	Summarizes the solution and the group's discussion. Example: So, we started with the fundamental principle of momentum, and proceeded to … Maintains group's energy through encouragement, humor, enthusiasm, or other methods. Example: I see that we are on the right track. Good job, everyone!