It may not come as a surprise that many college students are not particularly fond of working in groups, and from viewing the TED talk about the Marshmallow Challenge, you can see that people are not always effective problem solvers in group situations (except kindergarten students!) However, both people’s problem solving abilities and their enjoyment of group work can be improved upon in numerous ways. Applying the research from social psychology, think of some ways in which your experiences in group work can be improved here at our University. What are some ways in which group members might be encouraged to pull their own weight? To be more creative in their approaches to problems? Maybe you have had terrific experiences working in groups before….if this is the case, what was it about your group that made this possible? Please write a 2-3 page (double-spaced) reaction paper addressing these questions – maybe your thoughts on the subject can be used to maximize your experience when you take Advanced Research or another group-oriented class!

READINGS:
1.

LINK:
1. http://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower