Group Assessments: Fair To University Students?

Group assessments are a common feature of university courses, but are they fair to individual students? On the one hand, group work can benefit students by improving learning outcomes and providing valuable real world experience. On the other hand, group assessments can be a source of stress and frustration for students, who may encounter problems such as unequal contribution from group members, clashes between group members, and time management issues. While some universities give all group members the same grade, others combine group and individual assessments to ensure that diligent students are not demotivated by the actions of their peers. This raises the question of how to assess individual contributions to group work fairly, and whether it is possible to create a group assessment system that is perceived as fair by all students.

The benefits of group work

Group work is a common feature of university life, and for good reason. When groups work well, students tend to learn more and produce higher-quality outcomes. Group work can also give students a taste of the "real-world" group experience that will be required of them in later employment.

Higher-Order Thinking

Group work can encourage higher-order thinking. Students can learn about leadership, conflict management, and time management.

Better Communication

Working in a group can also help students develop their communication skills. They will learn to respectfully listen to and consider opposing views, as well as how to manage conflict and keep the group on track.

Understanding

Group work can lead to a greater understanding of a subject, as students are exposed to the ideas and interpretations of their peers.

Development of Transferable Skills

Group work helps students to develop skills that are transferable to the work environment, such as teamwork, time management, and interpersonal skills.

Less Work for Lecturers

Group work can also be beneficial for lecturers, reducing their workload when it comes to marking.

Less Plagiarism

When students submit one product as a group, it also decreases the likelihood of plagiarism.

Student Motivation

In addition, group work can motivate students to focus on both individual and group work, allowing them to develop in both areas.

Fair Reflection of Student Contributions

When done well, group work can also ensure that individual contributions are fairly reflected in the marks awarded. For example, students can be asked to assess their own and each other's contributions, and these peer assessments can be combined with instructor evaluations to determine final grades.

The drawbacks of group work

Group work can present several challenges and drawbacks for students, and it is important for instructors to be aware of these issues to ensure fair and effective assessments. Here are some common drawbacks of group work in university settings:

• Inequality in Contribution: One of the most frequently cited drawbacks of group work is the inequality in contribution among group members. Some students may put in more effort or have stronger skills than others, leading to an unequal distribution of work and potentially unfair grading. This can result in diligent students being disadvantaged by less engaged or capable group members.
• Clashes and Conflict: Working in a group inevitably leads to clashes and conflicts between members. Differences in opinions, work ethics, or personalities can lead to tension and negatively impact the group's overall performance.
• Timetabling and Logistical Challenges: Forming groups with compatible schedules can be difficult, especially when students have varying class timetables and other commitments such as part-time jobs. This can result in additional organisational challenges and hinder the group's effectiveness.
• Free-Riders: "Free-riders" are students who leave most of the work to others and contribute minimally to the group's efforts. This issue can demotivate diligent students and create resentment within the group.
• Time Management and Organisation: Group work requires effective time management and organisational skills. When these skills are lacking within the group, it can lead to delays, rushed work, and a decreased quality of output.
• Plagiarism: In group work, there is a potential for plagiarism or unintentional copying of ideas and contributions. This can occur when proper guidelines and expectations are not set, or when individual contributions are not clearly distinguished.
• Motivation and Engagement: Group work may not always motivate or engage all students. Some individuals may prefer working independently and may find it challenging to collaborate effectively.
• Subjective Evaluation: Evaluating group work can be subjective, especially when it comes to peer evaluation. Students may give higher marks to friends or struggle to provide unbiased assessments of their peers' contributions.
• Inconsistent Criteria: In group work, it can be challenging to set consistent criteria for evaluation, especially when different instructors or institutions are involved. This can lead to confusion and unfair grading.
• Instructor Workload: Group work assessments can increase the workload for instructors, who may need to design additional evaluation methods, review more submissions, and provide individualised feedback.

Fair grading methods for group work

Group work can be an important part of both cognitive and social learning. However, it has to be carefully designed and assessed if it is to enhance learning and not alienate learners. When students are asked about fairness, group work—especially group grades—are often at the top of their list of unfair practices.

Instructor Assessment of Group Product

The group submits one product and all group members receive the same grade, regardless of individual contribution. This encourages group work as the group will sink or swim together and decreases the likelihood of plagiarism. However, individual contributions are not necessarily reflected in the marks, and stronger students may be unfairly disadvantaged by weaker ones and vice versa.

Individual Submissions Scored Individually

Individual submissions (allocated tasks or individual reports) are scored individually. The group members each receive the average of these scores. This may provide motivation for students to focus on both individual and group work and thereby develop in both areas. However, it may be perceived as unfair by students, and stronger students may be unfairly disadvantaged by weaker ones and vice versa.

Individual Grade – Allocated Task

Each student completes an allocated task that contributes to the final group product and gets the marks for that task. This is a relatively objective way of ensuring individual participation and may provide additional motivation to students. It also has the potential to reward outstanding performance. However, it is difficult to find tasks that are exactly equal in size/complexity, and it does not encourage the group process/collaboration.

Individual Grade – Individual Report

Each student writes and submits an individual report based on the group's work on the task/project. This ensures individual effort and is perceived as fair by students. However, the precise manner in which individual reports should differ is often very unclear to students, and the likelihood of unintentional plagiarism is increased.

Individual Grade – Examination

Exam questions specifically target the group projects, and can only be answered by students who have been thoroughly involved in the project. This may increase motivation to learn from the group project, including learning from the other members of the group. However, it may diminish the importance of group work, and it creates additional work for staff in designing exam questions. It may not be effective, as students may be able to answer the questions by reading the group reports.

Student Distribution of Pool of Marks

The instructor awards a set number of scores and lets the group decide how to distribute them. For example, a group of four students receives a product grade of 80/100, which is then multiplied by four to give a total of 320 points to be distributed. No student can be given less than zero or more than 100. If members decide they all contributed equally, then each gets 80. If they decide that one person deserved much more, that student might get 95, and the remaining three would get 75. This may motivate students to contribute more, and negotiation skills become part of the learning process. However, it may be perceived as unfair, may lead to conflict, and may foster competition and therefore be counterproductive to teamwork.

Students Allocate Individual Weightings

The instructor gives a shared group grade and an individual grade adjusted according to a peer assessment factor. For example, a group grade of 80/100 is multiplied by a peer assessment factor of 1.5, resulting in an individual grade of 120. This helps clarify criteria for assessment, encourages a sense of involvement and responsibility, assists students to develop skills in independent judgement, and increases feedback to students. However, it is time-consuming, and students may not have the skills necessary for the required negotiation.

Peer Evaluation – Random Marker

Assessment items are anonymously completed by students who identify whether their peer has met the assessment criteria and award a grade. These grades are moderated by the instructor and rating sheets are returned to the student. This helps clarify criteria for assessment, encourages a sense of involvement and responsibility, assists students to develop skills in independent judgement, and increases feedback to students. The random allocation addresses potential friendship and other influences on assessment, and provides experience relevant to careers where peer judgement occurs. However, it may be time-consuming to teach students to evaluate each other, and instructor moderation is also time-consuming.

Grade Individual Learning and Assess Collaboration Separately

For grading purposes, assess individuals—don't give "group grades". While group grading may be the easiest approach, it encourages free-riding and provokes unfair experiences for students. It also ignores the fact that report cards are issued to individual students, and therefore individual measures of achievement are needed.

Peer-to-Peer Grading and Student Negotiation

Instead of having the teacher determine how a group's participation or project will be scored, teachers can grade the project as a whole and then turn the individual participant grades over to the group as a lesson in negotiation. Each student must have evidence of what they contributed to earn points. For example, a group of four students receives a grade of 'A', which is worth 50 points. Each student would then negotiate how to divide these points for a grade. If all students worked equally, each would receive 43 points out of the original 50 points available (86%). However, if two students did the bulk of the work, they could negotiate for 48 points each (96%) and leave the other two with 34 points (68%).

Tips for Fair Group Work

• Establish a clear purpose for working in groups.
• Use heterogeneous groups, but offer choice if possible.
• Use flexible seating and design tasks so everyone contributes.
• Grade individual learning and assess collaboration separately.

The role of the instructor in group work assessment

Setting Clear Criteria and Objectives:

Instructors should clearly communicate the assessment criteria and objectives to the students at the beginning of the course or semester. This includes outlining the weightage of process- and product-related skills in the overall grade, as well as any specific requirements or expectations for the group work. Clear criteria help students understand what is expected of them and how their performance will be evaluated.

Assessing Both Process and Product:

Instructors should evaluate not only the final product or output of the group work but also the process by which the group arrived at that product. The process assessment may include evaluating teamwork skills, collaboration, conflict resolution, meeting deadlines, and effective communication. This comprehensive approach ensures that students are graded on their ability to work together effectively, not just the quality of their final product.

Encouraging Individual Accountability:

To prevent free-riding and ensure that each student contributes meaningfully, instructors should assess individual understanding and performance in addition to the group's overall output. This can be done through individual write-ups, journal entries, quizzes, or other assignments that demonstrate each student's learning and participation.

Using Multiple Assessment Methods:

Instructors can employ a combination of self-assessment, peer evaluation, and instructor evaluation to gain a holistic understanding of the group's dynamics and individual contributions. Self-assessment and peer evaluation encourage students to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and develop judgement skills. Instructor evaluation, on the other hand, provides an external perspective and can help identify any issues or conflicts within the group.

Providing Feedback:

Instructors should give feedback to students throughout the group work process, not just at the end. This helps students understand their strengths and areas for improvement and allows instructors to guide the group's progress. Regular feedback also provides an opportunity to address any concerns or issues that may arise during the collaboration.

Grading and Weightage:

Instructors need to determine how to translate group performance into individual grades while maintaining fairness and equity. This may involve using a combination of group grades and individual grades, with weightage given to both process and product assessments. The specific weightage will depend on the learning objectives and the importance of group work in the overall course grade.

Instructors play a pivotal role in facilitating and assessing group work at universities. By setting clear criteria, evaluating process and product, encouraging individual accountability, using multiple assessment methods, providing feedback, and determining appropriate grading weightage, instructors can ensure that group assessments are fair and beneficial to individual students.

The role of the student in group work assessment

Group work is a common feature of university life, and while it has benefits, it also has its challenges. Students often have concerns about group assessments, and these can be reduced by addressing three aspects: helping students understand the criteria for the group product and processes, informing them of how individual contributions will be measured, and explaining how grades will be allocated between individuals in the group.

Understanding the criteria

Students need to know what they are being assessed on, and this should be communicated at the start of the course. The assessment can focus on the product of the group work, the process of group work, or observing group dynamics. The product might be a report, project or poster, and the process might include how well the students collaborated with each other.

Measuring individual contributions

Students are keen to ensure that their grades reflect their level of contribution to the group. Instructors can assess individual contributions in a number of ways, including:

• Individual submissions: each student completes a task that contributes to the final product and is scored individually. The group receives the average of these scores.
• Individual reports: each student writes a report on the group's work.
• Examination: exam questions target the project, which can only be answered by those who were involved.
• Self-assessment: students assess their own teamwork skills and contributions.
• Peer assessment: students evaluate each other's contributions.

Allocating grades

There are several methods for allocating grades to individuals within a group. These include:

• Shared grade: all group members receive the same grade.
• Student distribution of marks: the instructor awards a set number of scores and the group decides how to distribute them.
• Individual weighting: the instructor gives a shared group grade and an individual grade adjusted according to a peer assessment factor.
• Instructor judgement: the instructor can use oral interviews to assess individual participation and give specific feedback.

Benefits and challenges

Group work has benefits for students, including improved learning outcomes and the development of teamwork skills. However, there are also challenges, such as "free-riders", clashes between group members, and time management issues. Students may also have concerns about the fairness of group assessments, particularly if they feel their grade does not reflect their contribution.

Instructors need to consider these challenges when designing group assessments and put measures in place to ensure fairness and encourage participation. By doing so, they can enhance the benefits of group work while minimising the potential drawbacks.

Frequently asked questions