For the module ME3102, your group of 5 was required to manufacture a robot designed earlier last semester. There was a peer assessment at the middle and the end of the semester, and individual grades were assigned by your group’s professor in charge. Your group was further divided into two subgroups. Fiona, Alex and Jessica were assigned to tackle the electronics whereas Charles and yourself were assigned to handle the mechanics of the robot.
Charles and yourself are good friends who have known each other since junior college. You met him twice a week in the manufacturing lab in school while group meetings took place fortnightly. During the course of the module, Charles became attached to Lydia, the senior whom he had admired since junior college days. Charles began to skip the lab sessions with the excuse that he had to keep Lydia company, but continued attending the group meetings.
You confronted Charles and he assured you that everything was on track. 1 week after the confrontation, Charles produced an assembled chassis with fully working mechanisms. He had engaged the help of his father, who owns an engineering firm. You know this was solely the work of his father’s employees.
You also found out that the rest were having problems with the electronics due to the tedium of programming and circuiting. You suggested to Charles to inform the rest that your part had been completed and Charles and yourself could help them out. However, Charles warned you not to tell the rest about the outsourced completed job so that he could continue spending time with Lydia without being labeled as a free rider. At this stage, the project was due in 3 weeks time.
What would you have done so that the robot would be completed on time and each individual’s grade was a true reflection of his/her effort?
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ReplyDeleteI feel that offering your help to the rest of the group members in need is the right thing to do. It shows teamwork and initiation on your part. You could sit down with Charles and discuss about the truth of his work and his responsibility as a group member. At the same time, try persuading him to help out the rest of the group.
If he insists that it was his own work, you won't be able do anything about it as you do not have any evidence that it wasn't his own work. As his friend, you cannot tell on him to the rest of the group as it means risking your friendship and gaining the reputation of a tattletale.
Hope this is useful advice!
Hi, I think this is a common scenario many of us may land into whenever there are group projects. I think you could ask Charles out for a drink or lunch, and proceed to tell him that this is a group project thus even if the mechanics part was very well done, it would not score if the electronic parts are not well done.
ReplyDeleteTry persuading Charles to help in the electronics part by participating just once a week which is quite reasonable. You can back this up by saying this one day of work is like a "personal day" for both Lydia and Charles to do their own stuffs, and it would make Charles appeared less "clingy" which Lydia may not like as she is older and should be more matured than Charles. Of course, you will have to say all this in a more sensitive way, I guess this is where communication skills come into play.
If the other group questions about the mechanics part, it would be best not to spill the beans about the outsourced job. Instead just assure them that it is going on smoothly and that is why both of you can help them in the electronics part. Otherwise, if the other group knew about the truth, things could get ugly from there such as them reporting to the professor, or you losing the friendship with Charles etc.
I would go ahead and offer my help to my other group members so that out project will be done in time.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I would try to convince Charles to help out the other members in completing the project.
I would speak to the professor in charge of grading about Charles outsourcing his part of the project. And then decide with the professor if the other members should know what Charles did.