Collaborative learning experiences are a key part of the ANU vision for the future of education. Here we explore the benefits of group work for students and graduates.
Group work is one of the strongest ways to create a renewed sense of belonging in a post-COVID society.
Pei et al., 2023
Valued skills
Employers across a range of industries consistently rank interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team as one of their most valued skills when recruiting (Baird & Parayitam, 2019; Rayner & Papakonstantinou, 2015; Riebe et al., 2016). Students can develop these skill sets through group work embedded in their program of study, setting them up to thrive in their careers.
Real-world teamwork
In many fields, group work more accurately reflects the type of work graduates will do, such as working in teams or on larger projects.
Additionally, a group can tackle larger and more complex projects than individuals alone. Plus, collaborative learning has been found to improve grades and knowledge retention (Swanson et al., 2019).
Student belonging
While many students are reluctant to take part in group work, well-executed group work can be a deeply rewarding experience for them. They can work on more interesting and authentic projects and have better socialisation. This boosts a students’ sense of belonging and cohesion (Meehan & Howells, 2019).
The ANU Learning and Teaching Strategy calls for us to ensure collaborative and team-based learning activities are available to students (Goal 3.31) and actively build students’ capacities for collaboration and teamwork (Goal 3.33).
Group work and group assessment represent an effective way to meet these strategic goals, and contribute to other goals to provide more authentic assessments grounded in work contexts (Goal 4.12, Goal 7.23).
Group-based learning is likely to be a core part of how we design learning experiences that support students to develop ANU Graduate Attributes of ‘capability to employ discipline-based knowledge in transdisciplinary problem-solving’ and ‘expertise for critical thinking’.
- Group assessment: Why do it? Initial design considerations | The Learning and Teaching blog for ANU
- ANU Undergraduate Curriculum Framework
Is group work assessment right for your context?
Use this list of considerations to help you decide if group work assessment is the right choice for your course.
Can a group work project align to the learning outcomes of my course, program or discipline?
- Is the development of group work skills a fundamental learning outcome in your course/program/discipline?
- Could group work provide better deep learning of core skills in your course?
Can I provide time for facilitated group work activities within timetabled classes?
- Can I allocate time in class to allow for monitoring, supporting and facilitating groups?
- Is class time needed for formative or summative assessment?
Do I have the time and resources to design, coordinate and support group work assessment?
- Upfront investment in design and planning reduces time later:
- solving problems,
- repeating instructions, and
- dealing with conflicts within groups
- Some time is required during semester to support groups with managing issues, if they arise. That said, at the end of semester, you may save time by marking fewer assessments.
Have I confirmed that this will not overload students?
- Check that the courses your students are likely taking in the same semester don’t have group work assessment during the same period. If they do, another option is to design low-stakes, formative and/or ungraded group work to take the pressure off students.
- The overall amount of group work and group assessments in other programs
Can I gain access to learning spaces that enable group work?
Availability of learning spaces (physical and online) that enable and inspire effective group work
References
Baird, A. M., & Parayitam, S. (2019). Employers’ ratings of importance of skills and competencies college graduates need to get hired: Evidence from the New England region of USA. Education & Training, 61(5), 622–634. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2018-0250
Meehan, C., & Howells, K. (2019). In search of the feeling of ‘belonging’ in higher education: Undergraduate students transition into higher education. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(10), 1376–1390. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1490702
Pei, L., Poortman, C., Schildkamp, K., & Benes, N. (2023). Teachers’ and students’ perceptions of a sense of community in blended education. Education and Information Technologies. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11853-y
Rayner, G., & Papakonstantinou, T. (2015). Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study. Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 6(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2015vol6no1art576
Riebe, L., Girardi, A., & Whitsed, C. (2016). A Systematic Literature Review of Teamwork Pedagogy in Higher Education. Small Group Research, 47(6), 619–664. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496416665221
Swanson, E., McCulley, L. V., Osman, D. J., Scammacca Lewis, N., & Solis, M. (2019). The effect of team-based learning on content knowledge: A meta-analysis. Active Learning in Higher Education, 20(1), 39–50. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787417731201