ARTICLE # 1 | 9
ARTICLE | # 1
Title
The pro and cons of group work assessment in problem-based learning environments
Author ( s )
Sami Ullah Aleksandar Radu
Contact s . ullah @ keele . ac . uk
School
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
Faculty
Faculty of Natural Sciences
Abstract
Group work under problem-based learning environments are pivotal in promoting communication , cooperation , and coordination among students learning about and / or devising solutions for practical issues . Such learning and teaching practices are sometimes evaluated through group work assessments . While group work assessments encourage experiential learning and sharing of varied skills , views , arguments , agreement and disagreements among the students , it is also dubbed as a technique favouring low performing and dis-crediting top performing students . We compared group work and individual assessment performance of students in distance learning and a face to face delivery modules to elucidate the pro and cons of group assessment associated with problem-based learning and teaching practices . The overall mean score of group assessments were within the range of individual scores ; however , the variance of the group assessment was more constrained than the variance of the individual performance . In this paper we discuss the implications of this constrained variance of group assessment for the practice of problem-based learning environments
Keywords
Group assessments , problem-based learning , assessment diversity , student performance
Introduction
Learning is part of an initiation into a community of practice ( Forman , 1994 ), therefore , group-based learning environments and subsequent group assessment makes up an integral part of the learning process . Problem-based learning helps in the development of communication , leadership , negotiation , problem-solving skills and prepares students for experience in the ‘ real world ’ ( Mellor , 2009 ; Barber et al . 2015 ). Many of these skills are sought by the employers and thus it is critical to ensure provision for the instilling these skills into learning and teaching programs ( Livingston , 2000 ; Flores et al . 2014 ; Ullah et al . 2015 ). In addition to the employability skills , problem-based learning and group assessments also enable critical evaluation of student ’ s own work and that of their peers ( Bourner , 2001 ) enabling the effectiveness of individual actors in a group setting ( Boud et al . 1999 ; McLoughlin et al . 2015 ). Moreover , group work and associated assessments helps in instilling skills that are highly critical in accomplishing effective team work in future ( Jackson et al . 2014 )
However , concerns have been raised about group assessments based on problem-based learning in the literature ( Table 1 ). The pitfalls listed in Table 1 can have an impact on the overall value of group assessments in disciplines where problem-based learning is a core teaching activity and thus need critical assessment to identify actions for rectifying it for a positive learning outcome . Moreover , Maiden and Perry ( 2011 ) points to the difficulty of identifying the contribution of individual students to the group project assessment , thereby leading to a group mark assignment to all the members where ‘ free riders ’ could benefit without significant contribution . Nonattendance of group meeting by students leading to time management conflicts and passing on the burden of work to hardworking punctual students are some of the pitfalls reported in the literature ( Maident and Perry , 2011 ). As the group assessment mark reflects a group activity applied equally to all members of the group , therefore , a need exist to evaluate if such an approach benefits the low-performing students and discredit the contribution of top performing students .
In this paper , we compared group and individual assessment performance of students in two different modules-one delivered through distance learning in China and another face to face at Keele University . The distance learning module consisted of three assessments including group work ( based on a group project activity ), a class test and final examination . Similarly , the face to face delivery module was also consisted of a group work ( based on problem-based laboratory group project ) and a class