Resources
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank colleagues who have contributed materials in the spirit of sharing successful practice. Some contributions are anonymous. If you have sent us any of these and either wish to claim authorship, or would prefer them to be removed from this website, please contact c.bryan@cssd.ac.uk

About the Resources
These resources are intended for tutors and for students. They aim to raise awareness and/or develop and assess group processes. The student guides and activities have been trialed in diverse group situations. The Resources section includes:

'How to' Guides and Activities 
Commentaries 
Assessment Criteria & Procedures
Forms and Documents 
Reading and useful links
Our research reveals that although many students would like to be accredited for their group participation, this is rarely reflected in the marks allocated. If we are to move in this general direction, we need to ensure that students understand some basic principles of effective group behaviour. 

Working with groups is an essential part of nearly all professional work.  Much of what goes wrong in human relationships, particularly in teams and organisations, can be foreseen and is preventable with a basic knowledge group dynamics. Group dynamics include the following four aspects: group process (or dynamic); group development; group purpose; and group context.

These four aspects are generally interdependent, and each may be conscious or unconscious to varying degrees. Common issues addressed:

  • How do we prevent people sabotaging groups?
  • What constitutes good leadership?
  • How do we deal with scapegoating?
  • How do we deal with the 'participant from hell'?
  • How might we change our approach to group problem solving?
  • How do we utilise the strengths of all group members?
  • How might we assess the individual within a group?


These resources offer insight and practical examples which complement the workshops, case studies and papers on this site. They are intended to assist in the process of raising awareness of group dynamics and how to assess group practice in diverse contexts..

 

'How to' Guides and Activities Commentaries & reflections Assessment Criteria & Procedures


Forms and Documents