Group assessment at first year and final degree level: a comparative evaluation

Abstract

Group projects are an established but debated pedagogical technique in higher education. The purpose of this study was to assess the appropriateness of combining individual and group marks in assessment. A mixed method design involving correlational and comparative elements was used. The sample included one cohort of students who completed a group project at Level one (n=127) and Level three (n=103) of an undergraduate occupational therapy BSc degree. Key findings included no statistically significant correlation between group and individual assessment marks; a significant proportion of students failing the individual written assignment passed the module overall; and neither academic ability nor demographic factors predicted group performance. This suggests that group assessment measures factors other than individual academic performance. The implications are that group assessment should be clearly linked to module learning outcomes; should explicitly grade relevant non-academic skills; and should be used with caution as a Level one assessment.

Language, relationships and skills in mixed-nationality Active Learning classrooms

“…One clear recommendation based on these findings is that group tasks need to be carefully designed to incorporate genuine collaborative activity, as recommended by several researchers (Strauss and U 2007;Higgins and Li 2009;Plastow, Spiliotopoulou, and Prior 2010), rather than merely consisting of a larger assignment that can be broken down and put back together in the final stage by one of the group members who has a coordinating role. Since collaboration is an essential component of learning activities in Active Learning approaches, it is clearly important for tutors to coach students in group work processes so that they understand the nature of full participation in collaborative activity and see this as the correct way to complete group assignments.…”

“…Examples of Active Learning approaches include PBL (Stinson and Milter 1996;Dochy, Segers, Van Den Bossche, and Struyven 2005;Nijhuis, Segers, and Gijselars 2005); collaborative student projects (Strauss and U 2007;Higgins and Li 2009;Plastow, Spiliotopoulou, and Prior 2010) and simulations (Polito, Kros, and Watson 2004;Salas, Wildman, and Piccolo 2009). What all of these pedagogical approaches have in common is that each of them aims to create a loosely structured learning environment which challenges the learner to make sense of complex problems by formulating good questions and appropriate strategies, usually in collaboration with other learners.…”

The continuing search to find a more effective and less intimidating way to teach research methods in higher education

“…Instructors frequently use group work and group presentations to engage students, and an extensive body of literature supports their benefits in higher education (Nordberg, 2008;Plastow, Spiliotopoulou, & Prior, 2010). These benefits include the ability to develop transferable and subjectspecific skills (Wisker, 1994) and the active involvement they provide in the student learning process (Matveev & Milter, 2010).…”

Group work and undergraduate accounting students: a Bourdieusian analysis

“…In considering whether it is appropriate to assess group work, Plastow, Spiliotopoulou and Prior (2010) argued that the reasons for assessment need to be made clear to students, linking these to module outcomes in overt criteria. However, this may not be sufficient.…”