I don't know if this is an appropriate topic for that session or not, but I
would
pose the following question for the list, and perhaps that session.
There is an assumption in all the new standards that group work should be done,
at least to some extent, in math courses. I presume this is because employers
have
said that workers need to be able to work collaboratively. I'm not sure about
the connection, but let's assume it's valid.
Many developmental courses are offered in self-paced, lab settings. Almost
always
students work in isolation, on course materials. It is evident, and accepted,
that
a teacher cannot teach a room full of students when each is at a different place
in the course. Thus, the materials must do the teaching, with of course help
from
an instructor when needed.
Here's the question. Given that students in such an environment are at different
places in the course, and in fact may be in different courses, how does one
implement group work objectives?