My experience has been
similar. The best functioning groups often are the most accepting because
they do understand the contributions of others. I have had several get
together and predetermine ranks so that everyone is equal. I have
been fine with that. I have also mentioned to groups that have asked that
rank order does not mean A, B, C, D...though it could. It could also mean
100, 96, 92, 88 and I have the discretion to interpret as necessary based on
other evidence to determine the final score.
I usually do not tell students about this ahead of time.
They read it to themselves on the last day of class and figure it out and
quietly do what I ask. In the past, I made the mistake of giving the team evals
out to fill out outside of class. One team simply ignored me and gave everyone
equal scores. Another team cleverly figured out a way to give equal points by
each agreeing to make one of the others the low-pointer and, so they all ended
up with equal scores anyway! I had to give them credit on that one. I am not
bothered by rule-breaking, so I accepted their decisions/choices. AS others have
pointed out, if the teams bond and everyone does truly contribute equally in
their view, then the lesson has been learned. usually, when there is clearly
someone who does less work, they are more than happy to give points
accordingly.
Hi TBLers
I teach management and I used the peer evaluation form that requires
students to rate their peers and give at least one a "9" (which is one below
average) and one "11" (which is one above average). When I announced it last
night, the class exploded in a revolt, objecting that it wasn't fair because "in
my group everyone did an equally good job of contributing," they couldn't figure
out a basis for rating others one way or another, etc.
I know the form says "If you give everyone
pretty much the same score you
will be hurting those who did the most and helping those who did the least, "
but I also am sympathetic to
the students' point of view.
I understand the reason given above for forcing some minimal ranking and I
also realize that students are often terrified of giving negative feedback to
other students. I want to help them learn to overcome this fear because they
need to learn how to give negative feedback in the workplace. If they don't
learn to do this, they will truly suck as managers. But it isn't clear that in
the cases where they genuinely feel each person in their group has contributed
equally how forced ranking will help them learn this.
Is there more to the requirement of forced ranking that I am missing? From
your point of view, what is the learning objective that this helps students to
meet?
- Don
---
Don McCormick
Department of Management
College of Business and Economics
California State University Northridge