Assess and give feedback to learners
Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme
Group work assessment refers to how we evaluate students when they work together on shared tasks. It includes assessing both the final product and the way the group worked together. This can involve grading the group as a whole or assessing each student's individual contribution. In higher education, it's common to use peer assessment to gauge who did what, but it's tricky to get right.
Group work improves students' ability to transfer knowledge to new situations (effect size = 0.30) ➕➕➕ (Pai et al., 2015). Small groups using technology also perform better than individuals, especially on group tasks (effect size = 0.31) ➕➕➕ (Lou et al., 2001). Peer assessment is widely used and perceived as fair by many students, though some find it stressful or biased. Group work assessment can improve motivation and reduce anxiety when implemented well, especially when students can revise and be reassessed individually (Forsell et al., 2019).
Structured methods like scripts, roles, and task specialisation tend to enhance learning. Students benefit most when both group goals and individual accountability are in place ➕➕➕ (Pai et al., 2015).
When doesn’t group work work?
While group work often supports learning, several conditions can reduce its effectiveness or even result in negative outcomes:
This summary draws on two major meta-analyses and three systematic reviews, each contributing unique insights into how group work and its assessment function in higher education.
Together, these studies included over 200 primary research studies and spanned multiple disciplines and contexts. While most used controlled experimental designs, the area of assessment within group work is less studied. For example, few papers measured how different assessment types (peer, self, group-based) impacted learning outcomes or motivation. These gaps point to a need for further high-quality research — but current findings offer a consistent and solid base for using structured, well-designed group work in higher education.
Forsell, J., Forslund Frykedal, K., & Hammar Chiriac, E. (2020). Group work assessment: Assessing social skills at group level. Small Group Research, 51(1), 87-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496419878269
Lou, Y., Abrami, P. C., & d’Apollonia, S. (2001). Small Group and Individual Learning with Technology: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 71(3), 449–521. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543071003449
Pai, H.-H., Sears, D. A., & Maeda, Y. (2015). Effects of Small-Group Learning on Transfer: a Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 27(1), 79–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9260-8
Springer, L., Stanne, M. E., & Donovan, S. S. (1999). Effects of Small-Group Learning on Undergraduates in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology: A Meta-Analysis. Review of Educational Research, 69(1), 21–51. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543069001021
Tomcho, T. J., & Foels, R. (2012). Meta-Analysis of Group Learning Activities: Empirically Based Teaching Recommendations. Teaching of Psychology, 39(3), 159–169. https://doi.org/10.1177/0098628312450414