Opinions were evenly divided as to how the groups should be selected. Some tutors allowed group formation on the basis of friendships although this can create problems with 'loners' and poor attenders. Other tutors selected the groups themselves on the basis of known skills and abilities and to ensure a balance of maturity. Where both methods had been tried there was considerable support for the first grouping being by the students themselves according to friendships etc. A valuable insight was provided by one institution which distinguishes between 'Teams' and 'Groups'.
Teams share out the work as they wish, utilising the strengths of individuals within the group.
Whether or not this is acceptable to a department is dependent upon the learning objectives which the students have to achieve. In Group work, each member must declare the extent of their involvement in each facet of the report - with the tutor having the option to establish this using a viva. Several respondents expressed concern about the existence of 'passengers' within a group and the need to be able to provide a robust mark which truly reflected the contribution of each group member. The models all involve peer assessment within each group. On the whole though the majority of institutions have found this to be a robust method which the students seldom if ever abuse.