I cannot be the only person who groaned every time I was assigned group work in school and found it an utter waste of my time, can I? I know many of my peers swear by it, and I’ve used it, but I’ve never been a fan.

My partner I think identified why it so often fails in pedagogy, and why it doesn’t actually simulate “real world” group work: in any normal job, roles would already exist, the hierarchy would be clear, and the consequences of not carrying one’s weight would be more immediate.

I never assign a group grade in any of my classes, and any serious group assignment has clear sections so that each student can be graded on their own work.