Successful Project Characteristics

The design of a group project is crucial for student success. Research on successful group projects has identified a number of elements that are important for project success. 

Characteristics of successful group projects

  • Relevant and authentic: Make it relevant to students and reflect what a professional in your field might do.
  • Well-defined: Consider the difference between “Propose three solutions to end world hunger” and “Propose three ways to improve access to healthy food in a local food desert.”
  • Distinct contributions from the perspectives of multiple participants: Ask yourself if an individual student could complete the project on their own. If so, it is probably not complex enough.
  • Collaboration: Students should need to interact with each other and make decisions together. Avoid a project that can be easily divided up among group members just to come together at the end.
  • Individual accountability: Individual accountability ensures that each student has mastered the content.
  • Group accountability: Group accountability encourages the members to create a quality product.

This table lists four successful group projects used by University instructors. Each project has an explanation of how the above characteristics are met.

What are additional considerations for designing your project?

Consider your answers to these questions as you begin the design process:

Will you assign individual roles to students in the group?

Some instructors require groups to assign roles. Identify specific roles for groups so that students can either volunteer or elect people to them.  Possible roles to consider are facilitator, time-keeper, team-builder, recorder, spokesperson, influencer, executer, divergent thinker, analyst, coordinator, technician, expeditor, clean-up, and/or strategist. Consider asking students to rotate roles throughout the project duration to encourage students to develop new strengths.

What do you want students to gain?  

What should they learn or be able to do as a result of having completed the project? Make sure your project directly supports your learning outcomes. For instance, if you want students to develop their critical thinking skills, will this project help them do that? 

What opportunities for student choice will you provide?

For instance, students could choose the topic or focus of the project, the form the project will take (written or oral presentation), or even the due date of the project (within a defined range). These suggestions are in line with Universal Design for Instruction guidelines, which promote learner autonomy and agency. Research has shown that when students have meaningful choice, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged (Evans & Boucher, 2015).

Why will doing this as a group benefit students?

Share with students how the project may help them develop skills that would help in landing an internship or job. Include this in your description of the project and project instructions. (For more information, refer to Introducing the Project) 

What will the final product look like?

For instance, will it be a poster, a video, a live presentation, or a written document? What ideas do students have to demonstrate their knowledge and work?

Can the project be divided into intermediate steps?

Dividing the project into intermediate steps allows students to turn in work for feedback early enough to make changes if they are going off course and helps to avoid procrastination.

How will you support students during the project process?

What resources can you provide students to ensure their success? Can you set aside class time for them to work on their project in class? For more information, refer to Supporting students during the project.

How will you evaluate the final product, the group, and the individuals?

Determine how much of the final grade the project will be worth. Of that, how much of the project grade goes to the entire group and how much goes to each individual student? Will you have students evaluate each other for a portion of the grade?  These are all grading considerations. For more information, refer to Assessing the project.

Resources

References

  • Evans, M., & Boucher, A. R. (2015). Optimizing the Power of Choice: Supporting Student Autonomy to Foster Motivation and Engagement in Learning. Mind, Brain and Education, 9(2), 87–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12073
  • Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T. & Smith, K. The state of cooperative learning in postsecondary and professional settings. Educational Psychology Review, 19, 15 - 29 (2007).
  • Michaelsen, L. K., Knight, A. B., & Fink, L. D. Team-Based Learning, Stylus, Sterling, VA (2004).
  • Scager, K, Boonstra, J., Peeters, T., Vulperhorst, J., Wiegant, F. Collaborative learning in higher education: Evoking positive interdependence. CBE-Life Sciences Education, 15:ar69, 1-9 (2016).
  • Tomcho, T. J., Foels, R. Meta-analysis of group learning activities: Empirically based teaching recommendations. Teaching of Psychology, 39(3), 159-169 (2012).