Sample Guidelines for Group Projects

Groups: You will be assigned to a group by the instructor.You will not be able to change groups.

Your group is your “home” in this course. You will work in groups frequently. 10% of your final mark is based on your work in your group and will be evaluated by fellow group members. One half of this mark will reflect your daily participation in group discussions (5%). The other half will reflect your contribution to the group project (5%).

Each group will submit a  Group member evaluation  on the day of their presentation. This document will contain a list of members’ names and the grades they have earned as determined by the group. This evaluation ensures that group members who did not contribute or contributed only sporadically receive lower marks.

During your first meeting:

  1. Elect a group leader who will coordinate your collective efforts making sure the work gets done.
  2. Exchange your contact information. The group leader will make a list of all group members and update it, whenever necessary.
  3. The group leader will keep track of the members’ involvement in the project and will submit the Group member evaluation (Word Document) on the day of the project presentation.

GROUP PROJECT:  Each group is assigned a specific topic (see below). Each group will be free to approach the topic in any way the members prefer. The outcome of your work is your final presentation (15 min long and followed by a 15 min long discussion). Each group will be evaluated based on their presentation, their ability to answer questions during the discussion period, and their participation in the discussion of other groups’ projects. There will be 2 classes set aside for the groups to work on their projects during regular class time (see schedule).

Suggestion:  Have fun with it! Some of the key components of your success are originality, creativity, your ability to analyze the issue GLOBAL and generate new ideas .

Timeline:  The groups can start working on their projects as early (or as late) as they desire. It is important, however, to start thinking about the project early on. You can either meet each other in person or communicate via the Blog set up for early projects. Links to the blogs are provided below. Just find your group and click!

Here are the topics:

Group 1 – “Walls and Bridges” Project. Your focus is on bridges, connections, links. What is a bridge? What does it signify? What kind of bridges are there? What are the most important bridges that we could (and should) build today? Focus on bridges of GLOBAL, not just local, significance.
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 359-364; 366-373.

Group 2 – “Walls and Bridges” Project. Your focus is on bridges, connections, links. What is a bridge? What does it signify? What kind of bridges are there? ‘What are the most important bridges that we could (and should) build today? Focus on bridges of GLOBAL, not just local, significance.
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 359-364; 366-373.

Group 3 – “Walls and Bridges” Project. Your focus is on walls, borders. What are the most important walls that are being erected in the world today? What do they signify? Focus on walls/borders of GLOBAL, not just local, significance.
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 266-270.

Group 4 – “Walls and Bridges” Project. Your focus is on walls, borders. ‘What are the most important walls that are being erected in the world today? Vihat do they signify? Focus on walls/borders of GLOBAL, not just local, significance.
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 266-270.

Group 5 – The veil controversy: Is veil good or bad?
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 381-387.

Group 6 – The veil controversy: Is veil good or bad?
Supplementary reading materials:  International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach, pages 381-387.