One of the hallmarks of this type of work is student accountability, a concept which is reinforced in individual roles and in the group's overall management of time and resources. The timekeeper keeps an eye on the clock and lets the rest of the group members know how much time they have to complete remaining tasks.
This student is responsible for gathering and returning project materials from their usual station within the classroom. Having just one student from each group coming forward to handle crayons, markers, paper and other supplies can significantly reduce the chaos of project-oriented work within the classroom environment.
If the project demands a written component, the scribe is the student who writes down the group's response and turns it in. Alternatively, the scribe can take basic notes of the day's completed tasks and remaining items to be accomplished.
This student assures that the discussion stays on track and that work is progressing as planned. The facilitator acts as a director or chair-person for the group.
This student will actually present the group's work to the rest of the class. While everyone contributed their thoughts and effort, the presenter will stand up and speak in front of the room about the group's conclusions.
Student roles can be created to suit a particular project or thematic unit of study. It is important in a cooperative group that every member have a role. Some additional roles might include fact-checker, helper, messenger, noise monitor, reader or word analyst.