Thinking about code of conducts and group contracts

I am thinking about this for students in year 4/5 in the context of a sustainability course where we challenge them to question a lot of assumptions that they have met throughout most of their studies. We want a course-wide code of conduct, and then group contracts within each project group.

Course code of conduct

I googled a bit to see what people usually do (there is a lot of “safe space” stuff around!), but I found a bunch that I really liked parts of, for example

• Jönköping University, which includes things like “I recognise that everyone has equal value, and I stand up for inclusivity and equality“, “I use dialogue as a tool in my work, and I am open
  to giving, asking for, and receiving feedback“, “I am helpful to my colleagues/fellow students, and I take responsibility for nurturing and developing good relationships“, “I practise zero tolerance of bullying and other forms of victimisation, discrimination, and harassment/sexual harassment” (emphasis in original)
• Utrecht University, which includes “Students actively participate during lectures. They stimulate each other and their lecturers with critical questions and well-substantiated discussion; this requires sound preparation. In addition to their studies, students attach great importance to being active in student organisations and student committees as another way of being trained academically and learning to work with others. Anyone studying at the University is expected to show an interest in social developments and the role of scientists in the public debate.“
• University of Groningen, for example “We offer each other space to express views, also when we disagree with each other. We listen to each other, communicate with others in a friendly tone, and treat each other with respect and tolerance“, “We contribute to an environment where all students and staff, regardless of aspects such as background, culture, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or ability, are welcome and respected“, “We ask questions when we don’t understand another person“
• The faculty of fine and performing arts at Lund University, which includes that “[we] develop our shared organisation together“, which I think is really great!
• LTH at Lund University, which includes “Holidays and holy days: Lund University is home to people from many different countries, cultures, and religions, who observe many different holidays. It is impossible to fit everyone’s holidays into the academic calendar; therefore, we only observe Swedish holidays. However, if aspects of your religion are going to affect your studies, please discuss this with your teacher or programme director as soon as possible.“
• University of Michigan recommends “Listen actively and with an ear to understanding others’ views. (Don’t just think about what you are going to say while someone else is talking.); Criticize ideas, not individuals; Commit to learning, not debating. Comment in order to share information, not to persuade.” and “Avoid assumptions about any member of the class or generalizations about social groups. Do not ask individuals to speak for their (perceived) social group.” On another page, they share more great examples: “Be open to changing your perspectives based on what you learn from others. Try to explore new ideas and possibilities. Think critically about the factors that have shaped your perspectives. Seriously consider points-of-view that differ from your current thinking; Understand that we are bound to make mistakes in this space, as anyone does when approaching complex tasks or learning new skills. Strive to see your mistakes and others’ as valuable elements of the learning process. Understand that your words have effects on others. Speak with care. If you learn that something you’ve said was experienced as disrespectful or marginalizing, listen carefully and try to understand that perspective. Learn how you can do better in the future.” (emphasis in the original)
• eTwinning, which includes “Be tolerant. Disagreement is inevitable, from time to time. Tolerance for the views of others drives the pragmatic approach encouraged in this community. What is important is to seek constructive solutions to disagreements and differing views, always within the limits as described and defined in this code of conduct, and accept that some cases may result in “agreeing to disagree”.“
• Karen Costa often uses invitations in place where other people might use codes of conducts (“You are invited to adapt this learning experience to your needs today. You are invited to keep your camera on or off, or switch between the two. You are invited to set lofty productivity goals or join us in quiet reflection. You are invited to be a novice or an expert, and everything in between. You are invited to show up as your whole human self.” [not sure where I copied this from, but 100% sure it was a workshop by Karen Costa!])

What I find really interesting is how different the tone is between the different examples, from really prescribing behaviour top-down, to open invitations to co-create a good environment together. The latter is definitely what I think we should go for! For example like this:

In this course, we will discuss controversial topics and wicked problems, which do not have a single right way to think about them. It is important that we discuss ideas freely and respectfully, accept that we will make mistakes and change our minds, and thereby learn from and with each other.

In small groups, discuss which guidelines you wish were in place to create the best conditions for you to learn. We will then collect your guidelines and you will be able to vote on the ones that are most important to you, so we can come up with guidelines that all of us can commit to.

We can then show the results of the voting on screen, and then one of the instructors can compile the guidelines with the most votes into one document (probably combining a lot of very similar mentions), while someone else continues leading discussions. The edited document can then be shared with students later in the session to make sure that everybody agrees on the final version.

Project group contract

A group project will be an important part of the course, so it is useful for students to agree on group norms and to write them down so they can refer back to them later if needed. Here are the instructions for group work on establishing a group contract that I want to give (in writing on the LMS), with the structure inspired by Buff & Yonkers (2005) (although it is important to note that their study is just about what is typically mentioned in group contracts when students write them completely themselves, not what should be in them. But I think it is helpful to provide a bit of a structure and students take it from there!)

1. Appoint roles!

For this discussion, appoint these roles:

• facilitator to lead the discussion and keep it on track
• note-taker to make sure all your insights are documented
• explorer to bring in diverse ideas that might seem far-fetched or ask questions that might elicit such ideas from others, and pushes back if a discussion is being ended too early
• strategy analyst to keep an eye on group dynamics and guide consensus-building
• presenter to present the group results to the larger group, or in this case, make sure the document is submitted in the end

Of course, you all also actively participate in the discussion!

Next time you work together, rotate the roles so that everyone gets to experience each role at least once!

2. Think about earlier experiences with groupwork

At this point in your studies, you probably have a lot of experiences working in groups, some more positive than others. In your experience and using your imagination, what are the best way to make sure that group work fails? Write up as many ideas as you can think of!

3. What would help make groupwork work well?

Now that you have this list, go through it point-by-point and brainstorm how you could prevent each point from happening. Note those strategies down as keywords in response to the corresponding points.

4. What are your ideals for your work together in this group?

Please discuss and take notes.

• Social expectations, e.g. equal contribution to each task or dividing tasks according to ability or preference, …?
• Communication, e.g. appreciating diverse inputs, listening to others, no yelling, …?
• Group commitment, e.g. punctuality, presence in meetings unless otherwise agreed upon in advance, …?
• Values, e.g. respect, trust, no AI, …?
• Goals, e.g. enjoying the experience, making all the due dates, …?

5. Establish a group contract

Think about how you want this specific group to work together so you avoid preventable conflicts, can all contribute to a constructive process, and have fun together!

Based on the ideals you just described, discuss which rules you think every member of your group should follow, and write down what you agree on.

When you have produced a first draft, you can look at the points below for inspiration.

Meetings & communication

• How will you meet and communicate, e.g. in person, on Canvas, via email, …?
• What shared platform will you use for your work? Canvas project group or something else? Make sure that everyone is familiar with the platform you choose, or teach them now!
• What time, scheduling, or other constraints does everyone in the group have from now until the end of the course?

Notification

• How will you decide on and handle deadlines? How will you respond if someone in the group misses a deadline?
• How will you let others know if you cannot make a meeting or deliver your contribution, and when?
• How will you ensure you are prepared if someone should have an emergency that means they cannot deliver on a task?

Decision making

• How will you make decisions in the group, e.g. majority, consensus, secret vote, …?
• How will you handle any conflicts that arise? Remember that you can make adjustments throughout the course in the distribution of responsibility.

Work

• How much time and effort do you expect from each other, and how will you let each other know if you feel like someone is not delivering?
• How will you work with AI?

Consequences

• What will you do if someone breaks the rules, how will you let them know, what will be the consequences? Bring in a third person as mediator, make them buy pizza for everyone, …?

Put all the points that you have discussed under 4. and 5. into one document, your group contract. Print it and let every group member sign it to indicate that they agree with the rules established in the contract and intend to follow them. Upload a photo or scan, or hand the paper to your intructor.

Buff, C. L., & Yonkers, V. (2005). Using student generated codes of conduct in the classroom to reinforce business ethics education. Journal of Business Ethics, 61(2), 101-110.