Group Work Assessment Research Articles

Exploring staff and student experiences of group-work assessment in higher education

Group work in higher education is well known to promote deep learning through collaboration with peers. However, there can be issues with facilitation, perceived fairness, and motivation. The aim of this project was to explore staff and student views of a new group presentation assessment. A student survey explored preparation, experiences, and learning/skills. Two academics were interviewed. According to the survey, students felt prepared for the group work, but less so for the presentation. Students also felt their group worked well, although some did not agree that everyone contributed. Most agreed that the task was enjoyable and that they gained new knowledge. Two broad themes arose from the interviews (preparedness and student support), which link to the findings in the survey. Though the assessment format was well received, there was room to develop the support resources. The individual contribution grade for the assessment could include more weight on quality to enhance engagement. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/ .

Individual Reflection Papers as a Means to Support Individual Assessment in Group Examinations in Problem-Based Learning

Even though using group examinations aligns well with the epistemology of problem-based learning (PBL), the dilemma of using joint learning while simultaneously fulfilling individual assessment requirements in higher education make group examinations difficult to use. In this study, the aim was to explore whether an individual reflection paper (IRP) can act as a means to support individual assessment in group examinations in PBL. 152 IRPs were used to assess whether a particular group of students had acquired theoretical and analytical knowledge that would affect results on a group examination. Overall, completed IRPs clearly showed a concurrence between the students’ acquired and requested theoretical and analytical knowledge on the examination, except on a few occasions. These findings are promising and suggest that IRPs can act as a means to support individual assessment in group examinations in PBL and that it is possible to combine joint learning in tutorial groups with individual group work assessment.

Upper secondary school students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment

ABSTRACT Students’ perspectives of un/fairness in group work assessment are known to be related to the issues of varied contributions in group work and how to discern each student’s contribution or knowledge from the group’s joint work. Students’ perceptions of un/fairness in group work assessment are important since it relates to their motivation. This study aims to investigate upper secondary students’ perspectives on un/fairness in group work assessment. In the study, 129 upper secondary school students in Sweden between the ages of 15 and 16 years participated. The students were interviewed in 33 focus groups. The interviews were thematically analysed. The study’s findings illustrate how ambition, motivation and friendship relations in groups may vary and cause what students perceive as unfairness. Varied ambitions and motivations among group members also appear to breed situations where group members’ contributions to group work may vary, which also is perceived by students as unfair. Other factors that can contribute to a perception of unfairness are when knowledge levels vary among group members or friendship relations. How un/fairness is perceived also depends on the level at which the assessment is implemented, group or individual level. The greatest experience of unfairness is generated by implementing group assessment.

Rater behaviors in peer evaluation: Patterns and early detection with learner model

Peer evaluation is a common practice in team-based learning (TBL) designs, which can cover the assessment of individual or group work. However, the integrity of peer evaluation can be compromised by unserious raters—individuals who do not earnestly engage in the evaluation process. These raters may exhibit behaviors like consistently assigning the same score, rushing through evaluations, or evaluating before or long after the target presentations. This study delves into the issue of unserious peer evaluation in group presentations, with a specific focus on understanding the behavior patterns in the digital system. Utilizing evaluation behavior analysis (EBA) indicators, we identify patterns linked to unserious raters during the peer evaluation process. Meanwhile, we also connect these patterns to rating consistency and actual course performance, underscoring the significance of behavior patterns. Further, we conduct a preliminary analysis to explore the application of learner model data available before the peer evaluation starts for the early detection of unserious raters. This finding can assist teachers in providing personalized prompts and interventions before the peer evaluation stage, hence enhancing the evaluation quality through targeted interventions in a timely manner.

Students’ perceptions of fairness in groupwork assessment: validity evidence for peer assessment fairness instrument

Groupwork is a crucial aspect of work contexts and a key twenty first century skill. Assessment of groupwork provides a persistent challenge for educators in university contexts with students reporting experiences of unfairness from their peers during groupwork. This study developed a novel Peer Assessment Fairness Instrument to explore factors driving students’ perceptions of fairness during groupwork processes. The results showed that students perceived fairness of groupwork in relation to (1) the grading outcomes they received (i.e. grade congruence), (2) the procedures based on which groups contributed to groupwork (i.e. performative group dynamics), and (3) the relationships based on which group members interacted (i.e. interpersonal treatment). The findings provide student-driven directions to promoting fairer peer assessments within groupwork contexts.

Meningkatkan Hasil Belajar Kimia pada Pokok Bahasan Laju Reaksi melalui Penggunaan Model Pembelajaran Group Investigation (GI) Bagi Siswa Kelas XI IPA 4 SMA Negeri 1 Baros Serang Banten

The aim of this classroom action research is to determine the improvement in chemistry learning outcomes on the subject of reaction rates through the use of the Group Investigation (GI) Learning Model for Class XI Science 4 Students at SMA Negeri 1 Baros Serang Banten. The research method was carried out in two cycles, as the object of class XI Science 4 SMA Negeri 1 Baros Serang Banten, totaling 34 people (10 male students, 24 female students). Each cycle has 4 stages, namely planning, implementation, observation and reflection. The data collection method is by collecting test question scores, group work assessment and observation. The benchmark for the success of this research is if the average student learning outcomes reach a minimum of KKM, namely 75, learning completion results reach a minimum of 80%. The results of data analysis obtained after taking action in discussion activities regarding reaction rates through the GI learning model, in the pre-cycle had an average of 70.35 with a completion rate of 44.11% and there were 15 students who completed it). In cycle I the average was 76.61 with a completion rate of 82.35% (28 students completed). In cycle II the average was 80.82 with a completion rate of 100% (34 students completed). Based on data processing, the results of student learning activities in discussion activities experienced an increase. This was proven in the first cycle to have an average achievement of 63.53%. In cycle II the average was 91.46%. Implementation of the GI Model for Class Apart from that, implementing the GI model through learning can: 1) increase learning motivation, 2) increase the courage to ask questions and express opinions, 3) increase students' understanding in group discussion activities.

Student perceptions of collaborative group work (CGW) in higher education

ABSTRACT Despite the vast body of research surrounding collaborative group work (CGW) and its potential to enhance learning and engagement, questions persist in relation to the effectiveness of CGW initiatives in the development of teamwork skills amongst students in higher education. Prior studies have tended to measure the effectiveness of teamwork and group work through student grades, however, this is increasingly seen as problematic, with more researchers stressing the importance of student perceptions as a better measure of the efficaciousness of CGW. This paper presents the findings from an Australian study which set out to investigate student perceptions of the effectiveness of a technology-enhanced groupwork assessment on student learning outcomes, including teamwork skills and self-evaluative judgement skills. An unexpected event in the beginning of 2020, that being the global COVID-19 pandemic, affected learning and teaching in significant ways, with all students forced to learn online, inevitably impacting their experience with this CGW initiative. Adopting a qualitative inductive research methodology, the findings suggest that students perceive collaborative group work as beneficial in many ways, though it is not without its challenges, one of those being the global pandemic and its ripple effect of remote learning, isolation and increased difficulty with collaboration. This unforeseen event and its impact on the delivery of education elicited interesting results about CGW in the online context. Findings may advance the understanding and implementation of CGW in higher education, particularly in an online learning context.

Assessing the Efficacy of Group Work Using a Group Work Assessment Framework

Group work as a learning activity in education is to enhance students’ content knowledge and develop social skills. The minimal individual and group accountability has often led to only a few students working towards achieving the group goals. Research has suggested taking care of the task design and assessment to achieve the efficacy of group work. Towards this, a Group Work Assessment Framework (GAF) is proposed. The GAF consists of a detailed roadmap of planning, implementation, and assessment taking into account the task design and assessment with specific guidelines for teachers and students. A participatory design to develop and implement the GAF was applied. Six tutors as designers and 11 tutors as implementors were involved. A total of 221 students and 8 tutors participated in the survey and interviews. The findings indicate that GAF enhanced individual and group accountability. The assessment of the group work was found to be fair as each student was marked based on his/her contribution and collaboration using evidence like meeting minutes, meeting attendance, recording, and student consultation. The study findings may provide an empirical base for policy directives to implement GAF in higher education to enhance students’ learning and develop social skills. A study may be carried out after a few cycles of implementation for any revision in the GAF.

Validation of Questionnaire on Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices of Cooperative Group Work Assessment

This paper aimed to validate a questionnaire intended to measure secondary school teachers’ beliefs and practices of cooperative group work assessment in selected secondary schools in SNNPRS, Ethiopia. To this effect, five experts were selected to rate the content and face validity of the tool. To rate the questionnaire for construct validity, 213 randomly selected secondary school teachers were involved. The validation procedures made use of face validity index, Item Content Validity Index (I-CVIs) and Content Validity Index for scale (S-CVI/Ave), principal component analysis (PCA), and Cronbach alpha. The final questionnaire, which consisted of 31 items, has been found psychometrically valid and reliable to measure teachers’ beliefs and practices of cooperative group work assessment.

SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES OF THEIR TEACHERS’ GROUP WORK ASSESSMENT PRACTICES

Group work is an educational tool designed to develop learners’ cognitive and social skills at different levels of education across various subjects. We felt that it is important to see learners’ perspectives of group work assessment as they are clients that stay with teachers the whole year. To this effect, the study aimed to examine grades 11 and 12 students’ perspectives of their teachers' group work assessment practices in Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS), Ethiopia. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design as the purpose of the study was to survey and describe the assessment practices. To achieve this, 270 students were selected with a systematic random sampling technique for a questionnaire survey. However, only 212 students filled the questionnaire properly. To examine whether the expected mean values were statistically significant or not as compared to the observed mean scores at both an item and scale levels, a one-sample t-test was applied. The results showed that the assessment of group work focuses on the assessment of group product with little consideration of group process and individual contribution to the group work. Besides, the teachers used to employ limited groupbased assessment tools such as group presentations, written group reports, and paper-pencil tests (tests, quizzes, examinations) which are aligned with the assessment of group product while tools that may foster group process and individual accountability like individual written reports, presentations, portfolios, demonstrations, and debates were inadequately used. Based on the findings, it was recommended that SNNPRS Education Bureau has to organize induction for teachers on group work assessment skills. Keywords: assessment practice; assessment tool; group assessment; group process; group outcome

Making group-work work: Navigating conflict and encouraging collaborative revision

Group work, especially for comprehensive class projects, is ubiquitous in higher education, yet despised by many students. In college, many students simply do not learn how to interact when in groups and how to collaborate effectively. Furthermore, by limiting student assessment of group work solely to a final project grade, students do not have the opportunity to collaboratively reflect on feedback and revise. Inspired by the massive failure of group comprehensive projects in my bioacoustics course, I will share tips I learned to navigate intra-group conflict, provide students with critical feedback on work at 3 key periods throughout the course, encourage collaborative revision, and engage with other groups via peer feedback.

Making steps towards improved fairness in group work assessment: The role of students’ self- and peer-assessment

Group work benefits student learning in many ways, but group work assessment may be challenging for academics and sometimes is perceived as less fair than individually set assessment tasks. Peer assessment (PA) and self assessment (SA) represents a possible approach supporting lecturers and students to better differentiate individual contributions to group-based assignments. In this study, we explore the students’ perception of SA and PA as strategies to facilitate the assessment of the process of group work and to contribute to increasing the sense of fairness in assessment. With these aims, we designed a study of an assessment practice in which students were involved as partners in the assessment and grading process of a group project assignment. At the end of the course, and when the SA and PA experience concluded, we administered a survey. The findings show that (1) including SA and PA strategies in student tasks enhances the students’ perceived sense of fairness in the assessment process, (2) the specifics of the instructional design do not have a significant effect on student perceptions of this form of assessment, and (3) sociodemographic factors such as the academic year, the degree major and the age of the students have a moderate effect. We conclude that SA and PA improve the sense of democracy of the assessment process, as this is not only in the teachers’ hands but also shared and agreed upon within the group.

Group Work Assessment: Assessing Peer Assessment at Global College of Engineering and Technology

Students learning and autonomy can be improved by involving them in teaching and learning, especially in group work assessments, this can also greatly help cut down the amount of time spent by teachers on marking and providing feedback. Although peer assessment of student work can also accomplish these goals, but its application is frequently restricted to evaluating each participant's input or participation to a cooperative effort. This paper reports the considerations and lesson learnt to successfully develop a group work assessment and marked based on the individual’s contribution to avoid conflicts. It’s worth mentioning that the peer-assessed marks are not significantly different from those allocated by faculty based on evaluative criteria, quality definitions, and a scoring strategy.

Students' experience of peer-interaction in a blended learning course at a South African higher education institution

An investigation of students' experiences of peer-interaction in a blended eLearning course was conducted. In order to understand, evaluate and improve student experience of peer interactions, four learning facilitators revised the course, to align with current instructional design best practices which included a fair amount of peer interaction. In this qualitative study, activities were designed using a constructionist approach and structured to increase student engagement with content and peers including frequent collaborative group-work activities. Students had to design and develop four artefacts online while presenting findings and assessing the products and performance of their peers in contact sessions. The findings mitigate the importance of course design, peer assessment and group work activities that impact student experiences of peer interaction. Implications for practice and policy: (1) This study informs course designers of best practices in blended learning. (2) The findings re-iterates the value of group work and peer assessment in blended learning. (3) Peer interaction has an impact on student experience in blended learning. (4) Aligning course design, peer assessment and group work activities allows for successful blended learning.

SmartGroup: A Tool for Small-Group Learning Activities

Small-group learning activities (SGLAs) offer varied active learning opportunities and student benefits, but higher education instructors do not universally adopt SGLAs, in part owing to management burdens. We designed and deployed the SmartGroup system, a tool-based approach to minimize instructor burdens while facilitating SGLAs and associated benefits by managing peer group formation and peer group work assessment. SmartGroup was deployed in one course over 10 weeks; iterations of SmartGroup were provided continuously to meet the instructor’s needs. After deployment, the instructor and teaching assistant were interviewed, and 20 anonymous post-study survey responses were collected. The system exposed students to new perspectives, fostered meta-cognitive opportunities, and improved weaker students’ performances while being predominantly well-received in terms of usability and satisfaction. Our work contributes to the literature an exploration of tool-assisted peer group work assessment in higher education and how to promote wider SGLA adoption.

A Holistic Overview of Studies to Improve Group-Based Assessments in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

There is a soaring demand for work-ready graduates who can quickly adapt to an ever-challenging work environment. Group-based assessments have been widely recommended as a means to develop the skills required for the world of work. However, group-based assessments are perceived as challenging for both students and educators. This systematic literature review (SLR), based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), focuses on analyzing and synthesizing the existing literature on group-based assessments. A four-step approach was undertaken in order to conduct this research. The SLR identified 71 relevant articles, analyzed using thematic analysis with the aid of NVivo software. An open coding approach was adopted to generate codes. The validity of the SLR process and the reliability of the research tool were maintained through the use of trustworthiness. The findings identified dominant themes such as self- and peer evaluations, training students for group work assessments, group formation, group size, and the role of academics and technology in facilitating group processes. The outcomes of this review contribute significantly to the design and administration of group-based assessments in higher education by providing academics with practical guidelines to effectively facilitate group-based assessments which fit the purpose.

Group work assessment intervention project—A methodological perspective

Group work assessment intervention project—A methodological perspective

Rubric Usage Knowledge for Group Assignment: An analysis of Vocational Colleges

Rubrics are tools used to measure student performance through group work. Instructors should know the use of rubrics to assess student assignments in groups. This study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments among Vocational College instructors in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Differences in instructors’ rubric usage knowledge for group assignments based on gender and the relationship between the knowledge and teaching experience were also studied. A total of 293 instructors were involved in this study. A quantitative approach using survey design was applied. The questionnaire containing 15 dichotomous items was administered using the google form application. Data were analysed using SPSS 23. Findings showed that instructors’ knowledge of rubrics used in group work assessment is high. The level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments among the instructors was found to have a significant mean difference based on gender. It also has a significant relationship between the level of knowledge in rubric usage for group assignments and teaching experience. In summary, this study is expected to provide input to stakeholders in improving the existing alternative assessment practice in Vocational Colleges in Malaysia. Therefore, suggestions for improvement are given for the intervention.

“If we can do it, anyone can!”: Evaluating a virtual “Paper Chase” collaborative writing model for rapid research dissemination

The Paper Chase model is a synchronous collaborative approach to manuscript development. Through a structured and team-based design, authors participate in a “marathon” of writing, editing, revising, and submitting their publications within a specified period. This active-learning approach is considered a high-impact practice by engaging students in research dissemination through a collaborative project. This study sought to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual Paper Chase exercise. We conducted the Paper Chase with six teams led by multidisciplinary faculty (with 24 undergraduate students and four graduate students). All participants were given pre-and post-surveys, with both open- and closed-ended questions. Results indicated that the process increased cooperative and problem-solving components of group work attitudes, increased participants’ confidence in writing skills, increased understanding of research processes and that participants appreciated putting their skills immediately into practice. Participants identified strengths as well as opportunities for improvement in online modules and facilitation. The process was effective in that half of the manuscripts were submitted to peer-reviewed outlets within 90 days of the event. The positive evidence for learning in the virtual Paper Chase model supports future applications and may strengthen the involvement of students in research dissemination. Additional research may expand upon the findings by assessing group work dynamics, quality of final products, and conducting the process in a hybrid model.

Utility and Acceptability of a Peer Assessment Rubric to Improve Interprofessional Learning.

Peer assessment rubrics (PARs) facilitate equitable distribution of responsibility among group members and help educators assess learners' contributions. This study sought to (1) address health science students' attitudes toward group work and peer assessment, (2) apply evidence-based recommendations and student suggestions to the adaptation of a PAR, and (3) determine the rubric's effectiveness for educators and acceptability among students. A PAR was identified, modified, and tested with graduate students (N = 502) in the health sciences. Compared with prior PARs, graduate students rated this rubric as easier to use and more helpful in assessing peers' contributions and explaining their ratings. Educators reported the PAR's utility with diverse health science students across both in-person and virtual platforms. Using a PAR that is acceptable to students and useful for faculty may contribute to more meaningful interprofessional experiences, ultimately preparing students for effective interprofessional collaboration. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(4):213-216.].