Student Needs
- Balanced or equitable responsibilities within the group
- A mechanism for dealing with a period of absence due to illness
- Opportunity to avoid destructive group dynamics (e.g. bullying, or conflict that is beyond the group’s ability to resolve) without being shamed
Solutions
- Teach students how to setup and manage effective group processes (or introduce students to resources that teach these skills)
- Establish a formal process for checking-in with group members as the process is unfolding.
- Assess whether students are achieving the learning objectives of group work.
- Provide a mechanism for a student to exit the group if the situation becomes untenable (i.e. option for alternate assignment).
More about the Mental Health by Design course.