A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

Computing science
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Group work
Today’s employers have expressed a need for graduates to improve their group working
and communication skills. Group working forms an integral part of computing
programmes. With large student numbers, the ability to coordinate and manage group
projects is a laborious task. The system is fraught with problems, including allocation of
members to groups, delegation of tasks within the group, motivation of team members
and attributing appropriate marks for individual effort. The problem is further
exacerbated where a course is offered in mixed mode with part-time students/distance
learners finding it difficult to engage in activities with their full-time counterparts.
Furthermore, the pedagogic shift from the traditional teacher-centred to a student-centred
approach requires a fundamental change in the role of the educator, from that of
information provider to a facilitator of learning.
Team exercises and small group work enhance both the personal and professional skills
of students and are often employed to inculcate transferable skills. Group projects are
particularly useful for sharing ideas (and concerns), debating issues of mutual interest and
learning to work to an agreed schedule. They can also help to promote confidence among
quieter members of the team (see Chapter 12).
Collaboration is not easy but can provide added value in a number of areas, most
notably the stimulation and motivation of students, who take responsibility for planning,
and the generation of ideas. There are a number of examples of good practice in
teamworking, especially where they have been used to develop both transferable and
specialist skills. At Durham, second-year students undertake a group project in software
engineering (see Case study 2). The organisation of this project is based on a tutor,
supported by research students trained specifically for the purpose of acting as facilitators
at group meetings. The students run the meetings and keep log-books and minutes, all
of which are signed off weekly by the facilitator. This organisation is simple but effective.
There are a number of examples of good practice in teamworking, especially where they
have been used to develop both transferable and specialist skills.
Case study 2: Group working
Within computer science at Durham the organisation of the Software Engineering
Group project is based on a customer who acts as the driver and academic
overseer of the group. Since each group has different requirements there are
substantial differences between the work of individual groups, and thus there
are no issues of plagiarism. On the management side the students run the group
work coordination meetings and keep log-books and minutes, all of which are
reviewed by the academic facilitator. Thus a careful watch is taken of the
contributions of members and the progress of the group as a whole. Unfortunately
however, group work practices are not without their difficulties. Typical problems