Assessing teams and groups
While we recognise the importance of team work in student learning and graduate attributes, we need to help students optimise their team work experience by preventing and managing problems before they arise.
UQ’s Policies and Procedures Library specifies requirements for group assessment:
- The need for group work must be necessary to achieve the course objectives and hence be specified as a learning objective and outcome of the course in the course profile.
- Students must have had the opportunity to learn how to work effectively in teams/groups; either by way of specific training in the course, a prerequisite course, or an online course.
- Students must have the resources and support available from the course coordinator to enable students to manage cases in which groups are not functioning effectively, and be directed to these resources through the course profile.
Further information on UQ’s assessment policies and procedures can be found in the PPL Assessment Procedures and Guidelines.
Please find below some resources designed to help you manage and support student teams.
Proactively Ensuring Team Success
The PETS (Proactively Ensuring Team Success) approach to team-based student projects in higher education is a multifaceted approach to creating effective, productive and happy student teams and minimising team dysfunction and poor project outcomes.
Teams101x online course
A free online course has been developed to help students develop their teamwork skills. They can learn how to build effective teams, be a great team player and manage conflict.
Library resources
The Library offers Digital Essentials, a series of online modules developed to help students build their digital skills to succeed in study and work. Included within Digital Essentials are modules specifically prepared to help with assignment writing:
- Information essentials - finding quality information, evaluating online information, identifying fake news
- Types of assignments - video, audio, presentations, posters, 3D models, coding
- Write, cite, and submit - plagiarism, referencing and referencing styles, EndNote, submission requirements.
Student Services resources
Student Services provide learning resources for students including Learning Hub resources, online learning guides and individual appointments with Learning Advisors.
Learn.UQ support for students
The Library also provides Learn.UQ support for students, including assignments and quizzes.
Group Peer Assessment tool
Peer assessments are a valuable tool to use with student groupwork to encourage students to reflect on and critically evaluate not just their own learning and skill development, but those of their team members as well in preparation for their professional careers.
Buddycheck is a tool for collecting student responses on the contribution of individual group members in a group project, which can be used
- formatively: to identify dysfunctional groups to allow you to put appropriate support strategies in place
- summatively: to generate a mark based on students' individual contributions to a group assignment (Likert option or divided points).
eLearning Adviser consultation
The eLearning Systems and Support team also provide an eLearning Adviser consultation to help staff implement eLearning solutions for the most common teaching and learning problems, using centrally supported eLearning tools.
Ready to Teach Week
Twice a year, ITaLI puts together a program of online and in-person activities designed to help you prepare course materials for the upcoming semester.
Need help?
ITaLI offers personalised support services across various areas, including providing guidance on assessing teams and groups.