The Johnsons’ 5 Basic Elements of Effective Group Work
Individual
Accountability
Positive
Interdependence
Processing the
Group’s Academic
and Social Effort
Effective Group
Work
Collaborative
Skills
Face-to-Face
Interaction
Individual Accountability refers to making sure each student in the group is responsible for their
own learning and willing to encourage and support the learning of others in the group. This is one of the
most important concepts. If a student can hide, or hitchhike off the efforts of others, or take over and
do all the work, then the group will not function effectively.
Face-to-Face Interaction refers to setting up the group environment so that it encourages students
to interact and dialogue with one another. That means they need to be sitting in groups that are
approximately two to four in size, are close enough to one another to easily hear each other’s voices,
and see each other’s faces. Obviously a circle or square shape facilitates face-to-face interaction. The
larger the group the easier it is for students to hide on the edge of the group. They can escape being
responsible or being involved.
Collaborative Skills refer to the social, communication, and critical thinking skills the students need to
work effectively in groups. We see this as a hierarchical sequence. Communication is hard if one does
not have the requisite social skills; and likewise, thinking critically is hard if one has neither the social
skills nor the communication skills.
Processing refers to reflection, and assessing the group’s effort both in terms of academic and
collaborative interaction. This metacognitive function is very important. Without it, groups do not
develop as effectively over time which negatively impacts social and academic learning. Perkins, in his
book Outsmarting IQ explains why reflection is an essential component in developing intelligent
behaviour.
Positive Interdependence refers to students working together in supportive (positive) ways and
being accountable and caring for one another. Positive Interdependence does not always occur
naturally. Accordingly, a teacher can select from a number of ways to increase the chances students will
be interdependent in a positive way. The Johnsons identified nine ways to invoke positive
interdependence.
Positive Interdependence
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Goal: Providing a clear and meaningful task or goal is one of the most important attributes or
characteristics of effective group work. Why would you put students into groups to complete a
boring and meaningless task? That is akin to putting a lit match to a stick of dynamite. We
strongly encourage you to put the task on the board or overhead or chart paper so that those
students who struggle with auditory memory can review it if necessary. As well, record the
directions.
Role: This refers to each student having a job to do in the group - e.g., reader, recorder,
checker, etc. Roles need to be selected and utilized carefully. Roles can get in the way at times.
For example, if grade six students were reviewing math problems related to the operation
needed to solve the problem (whether they would add, subtract, multiply, divide or some
combination of those four operations) then they may find employing and rotating the roles of
the cutter, reader, and paster more useful.
Resource: Sharing resources is self-explanatory. Here students share a resource, e.g., a
microscope or paints. For example, in an art lesson you might have students share the pastels as
they complete a Place Mat on how to use lines and shapes to communicate feelings such as
lonely, calm, and puzzled.
Incentive: This is often the most controversial. Incentives refer to students getting perks for
working together, e.g., free time or a story. This means that everyone in the group works to get
the incentive and that every group can achieve it if they accomplish the goal – they do not
compete for one prize or incentive. Competition for an incentive or reward that only one group
can receive fits under Outside Force.
Outside Force: This ‘force’ sets up a competitive situation where students compete against
other standards or for a single prize, e.g. time, a standard, no homework.
Environmental: When teachers attend to the structure or structures within the environment
(e.g., students sit or work around a defined area, or around a table or hula-hoop or Bunsen
burner) they are more likely to work collaboratively.
Identity: Identity is often selected when students are going to work together over time to
complete a project or task. They often develop a group name or design a group logo. The impact
of identity building becomes apparent over time.
Sequence: When each student in the group has a task that each must complete and put
together to finish, then the teacher is invoking Sequence Positive Interdependence. In real life,
building a house would be an example.
Simulation: This is similar to role-playing and can often involve the skills needed in drama.
When employed in a more complex way, simulation becomes a strategy unto itself – one that is
extensively researched. Again, this often implies the use of roles to act out a situation or resolve
a conflict, etc.
Note: With the exception of Goal Positive Interdependence, the rest are optional in any given
collaborative task. Employ them with care.
References
Bennett, B., and Rolheiser, C., (2001). Beyond Monet: The Artful Science of Instructional Integration.
Toronto, ON: Bookation Inc.
Johnson, D., and Johnson, R. (1994). Learning together and alone: Cooperative, competitive,
Individualistic learning. Boston MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Perkins, D. (1995). Outsmarting IQ. The emerging science of learnable intelligence. New York: Free
Press