*head-desk*

[kat_lair]

***

That's it.

I'm scrapping group presentations for next year.

Cannot deal with the kindergarten level drama and conflict and whining.

***

Comments

[pushkin666.livejournal.com]

Well you have to try these things. It was a good idea, but anything that causes you extra work isn't worth it.

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

It works much better for the 2nd years as today's presentations were far less painful than yesterday's. Problem is, this module will now be a 1st year module only from next year so... Yeah, presentations are going. But. This means that I need to figure out a way to meaningfully mark learning journals. Or I might do assessed discussions instead. Remind me that I said that.

[pushkin666.livejournal.com]

Lol - you do like to make things difficult for yourself don't you dah'ling.

[loki-dip.livejournal.com]

I used to *detest* group presentations at uni. I always ended up with either people who expect me to do all the work or ones who didn't understand the words. "I have a fulltime job. Meetings have to be after 5pm."

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

On one hand 1st years need presentation skills. On the other... they are getting them in another module. I ain't doing it any more... It was fine for 2nd years, but the module changes to 1st year only from next year so... No more whiny student emails of 'oh we haven't heard from two group members so we've just been waiting on them and not done anything and yeah I know it's two days before the deadline, any advice you could give?' which I then can't answer with 'pull your thumbs out and grow the fuck up'.

[loki-dip.livejournal.com]

I'm just bitter because in my first year I did 90% of the work (as in, picked the topic, wrote the entire presentation and designed the poster) because no-one else in the group could be bothered. So I gave them all a 1st despite me having a fulltime job and the rest of the group not.

So personally? I'd make them do presentations but would insist they did it individually. Then you know they've done the work.

[margaret-r.livejournal.com]

I know from experience that group presentations can be rather fraught for the participants, especially when it's young people involved, who don't seem to quite get the whole team work concept!! Don't blame you for scrapping the concept;)

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

I'm scrapping it with good conscience because they're getting presentation skills in another module... This way all the whining and group conflict is someone else's problem.

[redsnake05.livejournal.com]

Group presentations are a useful skill, and I make my students do them (not for, like, actual credits), but, my god, are they exhausting and prone to making you want to strangle your students. All my sympathies.

[kat-lair.livejournal.com]

It is a useful skill and a useful learning experience (surprise: people will let you down and then you just have to get on with it) but they can bloody well get it on another module. I'll focus on developing some other skills that result in less whining.