Group Assignments: Friend groups or Assigned groups?

I'd rather have friend groups because I can be more at ease with them. There is a spontaneous exchange of ideas necessary to finish the task on time. For high school students, I think they would prefer the friend group. However, for college students, I think the assigned group would work since the students are now more mature and would prefer to get around and know their classmates better.
 
I'd prefer friend groups, I mean everyone does prefer a group that have friends on it, because they are more comfortable with it they can share information without having second thoughts and they can express themselves fully without hesitating, having friends in a group make you more engaging and you have a lot of fun instead of being terrified about the task at hand.
 
When having group assignments, I would always love to have it with friends. When you are with your friends, you can interact with them freely without awkwardness. It's easy to say what you want rather than being uncomfortable with classmates whom you don't go along well.
 
I would really suggest assigned groups since that it keeps students from isolation because some students don't like to socialize with other people. So, this activity is their chance to know their classmates well and will have a potential relationship with each other. Awkwardness is only at the beginning and will disappear momentarily.
 
Don William Sese said:
I would really suggest assigned groups since that it keeps students from isolation because some students don't like to socialize with other people. So, this activity is their chance to know their classmates well and will have a potential relationship with each other. Awkwardness is only at the beginning and will disappear momentarily.
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You are right with the isolation especially when the student is introvert there is a tendency to submit poor quality output whether in homework or in seatwork. But working with a group means there is interaction and the idea that no one will do the work by himself gives shy students the motivation to contribute for a better quality of the output. I guess I fall into that category because I really enjoyed working in a group during my school days.
 
I believe it would depend on the students' age groups. For kids, it should be assigned groups as they are still developing their confidence and social skills. There are kids that are not pro-active and might be shy to mingle, so it is up to the teacher to initiate the groupings and discussions. For highschool students, it should be grouping based on their own choice. This is to empower the youth and let them be pro-active in decision making. In addition to that, most highschool students have established circle of friends already.
 
In my experience in high school and college, it was our teacher who assigned us in group assignments. It is the teachers choice and not the students' choice.
 
I think creating randomized learning groups by the teacher might bring better results in the project.In randomized groups is likely that some students will not get along with some of the fellow students at the start, but in time differences can be solved.Group assignments will encourage students to work together, and to share different perspectives, exchanging new ideas about the specific project and to gain more knowledge and experience this way.
 
This seems to me another interesting topic, because teachers usually tend to use this technique to avoid some time or effort when doing the evaluations or correct the work done, however it is very good when you want to promote the Teamwork and ensure good interaction between all students.

What happens is that often the same teacher does not understand well or does not master the topic of teamwork, does not know the theory associated with this topic, much less the dynamics that a work team presents.

From my point of view, the ideal would be, first that the teacher was instructed on this theory and then to also theoretically instruct the students, to assign the work in groups. Now the students are aware of the subject of communication, leadership, assignment of responsibilities, organization, etc.
 
With a friends group the outcome can already be predicted. In my opinion it would be best to let the children be in an assigned group, it would teach them to work together with others who are not on the same wave length as they are. It would be an introduction to a work setting where not everyone is going to be your friend but you still need to be professional and work together for the good of the company. It would be teaching them to work together.
 
When I give group assignmens, I do nto crete a group of friends. I rather forum a groups of ramdon studnets. This is to encourage friends between the people who are not yet in cordial terms as well as help them to spocialize with other classmates.
 
It is better to have groupings assigned by the teacher rather that letting the students to have the liberty to group with their friends . The teacher could include in the groupings members with diverse interests , intelligence and skills . This set -u p is more realistic and actually happening in a workplace . Students are taught early on that they are expected to adjust or keep -up with people that they will work with in the future .
 
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