Gaining mileage from group work
Group assignments are gaining popularity in higher education. Yet, how much value can students derive from group work over the conventional assignments such as thesis writing? postgradasia gathers views from a couple of academics on this debatable issue.
It is undeniable that postgraduate degrees are increasingly becoming the norm in Malaysia, with more and more students signing up for postgraduate courses with each passing year. With the glut in demand, popular universities struggle to cope with the additional workload. Hence, more tertiary institutions are starting to favour group assignments in order to ease the onus on their academic staff.
Same difference?
Apart from the obvious like preventing freeloading, individual assignments have their merits too. Individual assessments help to develop conceptual and practical skills as the tasks are completed by an individual solely through his or her efforts. The individual also has total control – and total responsibility – over the outcome of his or her assignment. This enables the professor to gauge student learning in a more accurate and fair manner.
However, group assignments are not without merit either. And in view of the increasing student: professor ratios at most colleges and universities the world over, group assignments are here to stay. Here are what some academics have to say about group assignments:
Q1: What are the benefits of group assignments in comparison with other kinds of assessments, particularly individual assignments?
Sunway: A group assignment is a problem to be solved by a group. It is an opportunity for members to learn how to lead a group, to persuade others to agree to their views, and to resolve conflicts due to differences in problem-solving approaches. This learning experience is not possible when one is doing an individual assignment.
Warwick: Building team work expertise is important for most professions. It also helps to develop negotiating skills as well as peer-to-peer learning.
Q2: What are three practical ways to maximise the learning experience of doing group assignments?
Sunway:
- There must first be a commitment to meet, share, and conclude. Instead of hurrying into the assignment, the first meeting should allow every member’s view about the assignment. The tasks to complete the whole assignment may then be divided and dated to allow ample time for one or more reviews before final submission date.
- In the case of a written assignment, the members should use a pre-agreed template to express their thoughts in written form. The views are shared through a suitable electronic channel before a physical meeting.
- The last draft may not contain all the views expressed by all members, but the members should agree to conclude the discussion, and ready the final draft for submission.
Warwick:
- Close group monitoring by academic supervisor.
- Ensure that responsibility for organising the project tasks rests with students.
- Give students the opportunity to interact with groups and individuals outside the university.
Q3: What are the common problems that students face in producing quality group assignments? What can they do to avoid or reduce the impact of these issues?
Sunway: Group members must be careful not to fall into the trap of ‘group think’ when the responsibility to think through the assignment is left to a few members. Ayn Rand has aptly put it: ‘there are no evil thoughts except one: the refusal to think’.
When an assignment requires evidence of analysis, the group members should go beyond the basic comprehension of issues, and clearly express and justify their personal opinions. The writing should also not be a conduit of others’ opinions.
Warwick: Find a methodology for giving students individual marks; provide clear direction about expected outputs; and provide examples of previously successful projects.
Whether one is graded by way of group or individual assignment, it is really one’s attitude and perception towards gaining the most out of coursework that enhances the learning experience. Colleges and universities, too, can increase the value of group assignments by ensuring that the method of assessment is as objective and as relevant as possible.
Academic contributors
University of Warwick
ANN STEWART
Reader in Law/Associate Professor
Sunway University
DR HENDRY NG
Head, Victoria University MBA Programme
This article first appeared in postgradasia 2011, Issue 1.
