MOST YONSEIANS have worked on a group assignment at least once. The group assignment, called jomoim in Korean, is an inevitable part of college life. It sometimes leaves them exhausted, since, when you are working as a team, many variables are involved in receiving a good grade. Often, group projects require an ingenious idea or strong leadership to motivate members. The Yonsei Annals asked, "What do you think, based on your experience, is the most important factor for a successful group assignment?"

 Kwon So-yeon (Jr., Dept. of Library & Info. Science)

I think the intimacy among group members and their sense of responsibility are important factors. If I do not feel comfortable with the people in my group, I do not even feel like showing up at the meeting. Moreover, it can prevent "free-riding" when the members feel friendly towards each other, because we can easily contact one another and have an open conversation with those who are not pulling their weight.

 Seo Jeong-woo (Soph., Dept. of Electrical & Electronic Engin.)

The well-balanced distribution of workload and good leadership are crucial to finishing group work successfully. If the division of work is unequal or not clearly specified, members can become confused, and some may avoid taking responsibility for their work. Last semester, I was the leader of a jomoim, and failed to manage my team because I could not properly assign the tasks to other members

 Han So-young (Soph., Dept. of English Language & Lit.)

I do not think the success of group work can always be measured by the final grade received on a project. It has more to do with the extent to which one is faithful to the whole process of achieving the common goal of the group. With the team project in Advanced College English I, even though the grade was not satisfying, it was one of the most memorable jomoim because the experience of collaborating itself taught many things to me.

 Chung Noh-yoon (Jr., Dept. of Business Admin.)

As most team projects involve giving presentations, it is very helpful if a member of our group possesses extraordinary Power Point or video editing skills. Since making Power Point slides and giving a presentation is the most tricky part of jomoim, the appearance of this "savior" will bring great relief to the other members of the group. 

Oh Ye-seul (Sr., UIC, Dept. of Comparative Lit. & Culture)

For the group to produce high-quality results, it is important that the members of the group have a strong personal interest in the project. When I performed Ibsen's The Dollhouse in my Introduction to English Literature class, it turned out to be a very rewarding experience. Since I had an aptitude for acting and loved my role, I felt happy throughout the performance and it was also gratifying to see good results.

Kim Hyung-chul (Chief, Yonsei Univ. Leadership Center)

Group assignments give students a chance to learn leadership firsthand by collaborating with others. They can also share their knowledge and expand each other's thoughts. To avoid free-riding, a chronic problem of jomoim, I conduct peer evaluation to rate the extent of each member's contribution. In addition, I tell each group's leader to submit a report describing how the group worked together and how the work was divided.