MUDSLINGER brings a new challenger with its April article! Editor-in-Chief Arabella Fourneau takes on Copy Editor Sirena Troutt over if group projects are worth it. Last time, Sirena defeated Opinion Editor Yarely Gaytan in a debate regarding whether or not to go to prom. This debate was overseen by surrounding members of The Auroran. Arabella is purple. Sirena is gold.
RULES:
- The debate must be kept civil (no profanity, insults, etc.)
- Attacks and responses are limited to exactly three sentences.
- Opponents must each state their argument clearly.
- Turns must be equal. Each turn will have the same number of starting statements, evidence, and/or rebuttals.
- The debate will end once a rule is broken or an editor can no longer defend their point.
- Readers will decide the winner via a poll.
- Have fun!
To start, I think group projects are definitely more hassle than they’re worth. If you aren’t in a class with any of your friends, it can be really awkward and there’s not really any stakes besides your grade that would make someone want to work with you. In addition, I think that at the high school level there’s less coordination among students and there’s not really any guarantee that someone will chip in as much as they should.
Other people can definitely be difficult to work with, but oftentimes, your friends have a lot of the same perspectives as you. Being nudged a little by your teacher to branch out and talk with some new people, it makes it easier to converse about new ideas and topics that otherwise you would not have been able to contribute to your understanding of the lesson. And, even if people are not as strong workers, it is an opportunity to keep everyone motivated and collaborate civilly despite your concerns.
I see your point, but another concern I have is that contributing less effort to a group environment than a solo one is a scientifically proven phenomenon. Social loafing means that people are less likely to contribute wholeheartedly to a situation, which includes group projects. Though group projects can encourage motivation and collaboration, I wonder if the fact that high schoolers are still learning how to do that means their lack of experience could bring down the entire group.
Even though this is true, avoiding group interactions and collaboration is a life skill and still needs to be introduced in schools. It may be frustrating at times, which is an experience that I have had many times throughout the last few years, but a teacher is there as a resource if things really go south. But, as a whole, the frustration is worth it for the better preparation, and communicating often solves most issues from my own experiences.
I guess you’re right – I do think that it is good preparation to some extent. Maybe I should be a more interactive leader when it comes to a group setting.
This debate has ended due to the authors reaching an agreement. Who do you think won? Vote for your favorite below.
Thanks to Arabella for joining the series this round, and we’ll see you next time on MUDSLINGER!
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