HOW TO WORK ON YOUR GROUP PROJECT: WHAT IS EXPECTED

Projects are an important component of this course. You will be expected to complete several projects this semester. Each project will present you with a substantial problem to solve. Solving the problem will take one to two weeks. You will be working in assigned groups of two or three students. All the members of your project group will receive the same grade for the project. Here are some words of advice and encouragement along with the rules of the game.

First of all, this is a major, lengthy assignment that counts a significant portion of your course grade. To do well you should start immediately and work on it every day. You will probably need all the days you have been given in order to complete your project by the day it is due.

1. Group Work. Be sure you get off to an early start, because projects require extensive thought and development of ideas, as well as clear, concise write-ups. Your group should meet right after the project is assigned to map out a solution strategy, and several more times during the actual solution period. Often, when you are writing up your report, you find that there is an error in your proposed solution. Therefore, you should aim to have your report completed well before it is due.
2. Start today. Let your subconscious work for you. It can do amazing things if it has the raw material to work with. If you immerse yourself in the project, solutions will come to you at the strangest times. You should plan your first group meeting as soon as possible, but before that first meeting, you should have read the project carefully and given it some thought. Read the entire project to see what it's all about. Do not worry too much about the details the first time through. Read the project today!
3. Next, read the project very carefully and make a list of any unfamiliar words or concepts you encounter. If concepts appear that you're not sure about, you must understand those ideas before you can do the project. Even if you understand all the words and terms, don't assume that the project is easy. If you wait until the last few days or so to start, it is doubtful you will be able to finish on time; at best you will produce an inferior report.
4. At your first group meeting, you should plan a method of attack and you may wish to divide the labor among the group. Different members of the group may perform different tasks, but all members of the group are expected to understand all parts of the solution. Regular group meetings to discuss the progress of the solution are important.
5. It is important that everyone in the group participate in the work of the group. In particular, everyone needs to understand how the problem is being solved. To insure this, you should avoid having the same person always act as leader or as recorder of your group. Be aware that any group member may be asked to report on the group's progress or final results.
6. Efficiency. Here are some suggestions to help you work more efficiently. As soon as the group is finished with a part of the project you should write that part of the report. This will help you avoid the "all-nighter" syndrome the day before the project is due.

Word processing will be a big help since it makes it easy to make changes.  Word processing also makes it possible for different people to share in the typing of the report.  However, you should spend much more time on the content of your report (solution, explanation, deciding what sentences to use) than on the printing (actual typing, formatting, font-foolishness, etc.).

You should avoid a group setup where one person does the "thinking" and a different person is responsible for "production" of the report.

7. Meetings. Meetings should probably have some structure and a time limit. You should each think about the project before the meeting. After two hours almost any meeting is much less productive. Before the end of any meeting you should decide what is to be done (and who is doing it) before the next meeting.
8. You may need to do some outside reading. In addition to your textbook, there are lots of books in the library that contain information that might be helpful to you.
9. After you have worked a bit every day on the project, you will find certain parts easy and you will have completed those parts. You will have identified the hard parts and have begun to zero in on the obstacles. You are beginning to become the master of your project. You are so familiar with it that it is easy to sit and work on it if you have a spare minute or two. I recommend you work on the project some every day and keep a journal to record your progress.
10. Consultations. You should feel free to consult me about your projects. In fact, on the first project, I require it. I will try to point you away from undue difficulties without "giving away" the heart of the project.
11. Formal Write-up. Each group will turn in one paper. When you have done the work necessary to complete the project, you need to prepare it in written form. The paper you turn in should have a mix of equations, formulas, tables, graphs, and prose to support your conclusions. Use complete sentences, good grammar and correct punctuation. Spelling is also important. The prose should be written in order to convey to the reader an explanation of what you have done. Annotate any derivations that appear in the report and explain the steps in your reasoning. Integrate explanations with calculations; i.e., do not present  a calculation page separate from your explanation - weave the two together.  In writing your report, assume the reader is a student in similar class who has not worked on this project. You will be graded on your written presentation as well as, if not more than, the mathematical content.

Your final report is to be typed on standard 8.5 x 11" paper. Equations may be neatly hand-written-in. Graphs are to be clearly drawn or computer produced, but always well-labeled. Be sure that the names of all the members of the group appear on the cover page.

Take as much pride in your report as you would if you were writing it for an employer on whom you wish to make a favorable impression.

12. Peer Evaluation. Each member will separately hand in an evaluation of the other members' performance with the final report. This report is confidential; I am the only person who will see it. Handwritten notes are fine. These should include: 1) a few sentences on how well the group cooperated and on how evenly the workload was distributed, and 2) an estimate of the percentage of the work that each group member did. I will not use these reports in assigning grades on the project. At the end of the semester, however, the totality of all peer reports is one of the inputs I will use to decide course grades. You may also include in the peer reports any suggestions, improvements or comments about the project.