Putting kids in a group and expecting them to work together doesn't always create a productive learning environment. By assigning roles to each student in the group, you give each person a specific task on which to focus. Choose the roles ahead of time to ensure the components of the group project are covered. Common roles include note taker, time tracker, group leader and materials manager. All students should also participate in sharing ideas and completing the work. You can either assign roles to the students or let the groups decide who will take each position.
Group work isn't a free work period for the teacher. Moving around the classroom while the students work in groups gives you a better idea of how each child participates. Stop at each group to watch and listen to how the members interact. Taking notes helps you remember the details of who contributed and who let others do all of the work. Another way to spot check is to do assessments through the course of the group work. The assessment options include verbal presentations on the group's progress, quizzes or a paragraph from each student to explain the project. If a student hasn't participated, he probably won't know what is going on, which is revealed in the assessment.
A report to show what each student contributed is a way to keep all of the group members accountable. Create a form that relates to the project the students are doing to make recording information easier. For example, if the groups are creating a skit, the list might include things such as writing the script, creating scenery, making costumes and practicing lines. Students fill in their names under each responsibility. A general form with spaces for each student's name and a description of his actions that day is also an option. Have each group member sign off on the report so students don't exaggerate what they did.
Letting the students assess one another helps you gauge how much work each group member did. A rating scale for different components of participation is a simple way to have the students assess one another. Example topics include how prepared each member was, ideas each person brought to the table and specific work related to the project that each person did. For example, you might ask, "How often did the student show up to the group with the materials needed?" Give options on a scale of 1 to 5 with corresponding measurements, such as "always," "almost always," "sometimes," "almost never" and "never." Each person should assess all of the other students in his group. After reviewing all of the assessments, you'll get a better idea of how well the person participated.