Group Work and Roles
Group work succeeds when the work is visible. Clear roles, shared planning and short check-ins make contribution fair and reduce the chance that one person carries the whole project.
Roles that do real work
| Role | Responsibility | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Producer | Keeps the plan, timeline and decisions visible. | Not the boss who does no making. |
| Researcher | Finds and checks material; records sources. | Not the only person allowed to look things up. |
| Writer or editor | Shapes the script, text or narration. | Not the only person who writes. |
| Designer | Makes decisions about layout, image, colour and sound. | Not a decorator at the end. |
| Presenter or performer | Delivers the piece to the audience. | Not the only person who understands it. |
| Checker | Tests access, accuracy, consent and copyright. | Not a proofreader only. |
Shared norms
- Everyone speaks once before anyone speaks twice.
- Decisions are recorded in the shared document.
- Disagreement is about the work, not the person.
- If someone is absent, the group has a plan for the missing work.
- No one edits another person's section without asking.
- The group reviews the whole piece together before publishing.
Plan backwards
Start with the finish line: what will the audience see or hear? Then list the parts that must exist, who owns each part and when it will be ready. Build in a rehearsal or review day before the final deadline. A plan with only one deadline is a plan for a rushed ending.
Short check-ins
| Question | Purpose |
|---|---|
| What is finished? | Makes progress visible. |
| What is next? | Sets the immediate priority. |
| What is blocking us? | Surfaces problems early. |
| Who needs help? | Makes support concrete. |
| What will we decide today? | Prevents endless discussion. |
When contribution is uneven
Address the pattern early and specifically. Name the work that is missing, ask what is making it difficult and agree on a next step. Avoid public accusations. If the problem continues, involve the teacher and revise the plan so the work can be completed. The goal is a finished piece and a fair process, not a punishment.
Individual contribution note
Each student writes a short note: what they made, what they decided, what they learned and what they would do differently. The note is not a ranking of effort. It is a record of the individual's thinking inside the group.
Make the work visible. A shared plan, a decision log and short check-ins do more for fairness than a reminder to “work as a team”.