The behavior of the two students is another form of "social loafing", a well-known phenomena in group learning / assessment. They have just been gaming the situation and used the same low-level motivation of teachers who introduce teamwork in their classes in order to save time. Nothing to do with improving or enhancing one's learning experiences and outcomes.

Back to your main question. I know that some tutors go a far way of explicitly 'measuring' and 'rewarding' student attendance and participation in class and team. That's a rather formal, extrinsic way to deal with the problem, and doesn't resolve the inherent issue: lack of motivation because of lack of perceived value, interest and challenge of the assessments on behalf of the students.

I also assume that the lecturer or tutors will be permanently present and accessible during teamwork and group assessments so that students feel that someone is not just watching them (in a negative sense) but indeed actively supervising them (in a positive sense).

Both ingredients should be there, but this is probably just the beginning of a full strategy to PBL which motivates and challenges students so much that the very idea of non-participation (or worse) doesn't even come up.

Dear Pauline,

Here you may read about Assessing Students During the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) process:

http://www.iamse.org/mse-article/assessing-students-during-the-problem-based-learning-pbl-process/

A broad and flexible assessment palette from which the student can choose their own means of answering a problem or question is I think a pedagogically inclusive means of assessing. For example in a masters module considering creative practices in education - colleagues and I have offered the following range of assessment options - but I think this can work at any level of education.

Participants will choose one of the assessment combinations outlined but the choice must be agreed with the tutor.

• Exhibition / Installation, Journal and Critical and Contextual Rationale (100%).
• Exhibition / Installation Journal, and Reflective Sketchbook (100%)
• Performed Event / Events, Journal and Reflective Sketchbook (100%)
• Performed Event / Events, Journal and Critical and Contextual Rationale (100%)
• Practical Presentation, Journal and Annotated Portfolio (100%)
• Practical Presentation, Journal and Critical and Contextual Rationale (100%)
• Practical workshop / workshops, Journal and Critical and contextual rationale (100%)
• Practical Workshop / Workshops, Journal and Reflective Sketchbook (100%)
• Sustained Practical work, Journal and Research Report (100%)
• Performed Event/ Events, Journal and Reflective Portfolio (100%)

Txs Paul, Senad and Simon; interesting stuff

Yes Paul, when time permits I stay around while students work. However this takes a huge chunk of time as I know in real life. So instead I randomly assign one member as group leader (this is usually ignored by many lecturers who blithely give group assignments and creates grey areas or dysfunction in groups according to hearsay from students) who can contact me as group representative, electronically or face to face.

Student class attendance is no big deal for me, though some academics strongly believe in it. Individual choice

To counteract poor group participation, I do make it clear to students that the presentations will provide fodder for exam questions. I am constrained to use the exam strategy assessment, because at the time that the study unit, the students have various group assignments and presentations. I prefer a mixture of assessment methods per semester, not all unseen exams or all assignments to cater for students' preferences.

Senad the interesting article you sent me highlighted what I have been suspecting re our undergrad dissertation based on the PICO and EBP layout:). Like the study unit I mention above, it occurs at the end of the course and hence is a difficult process for some students since the majority of my colleagues believe in sage teaching. When I taught from year one, I used a (modified) PBL approach from day one; modified due to large groups and limited time. When I went for a workshop on PBL at McMasters it was group of four with one facilitator for each group; luxury.

Simon, love the flexible student choice. During my elearning course we had a mixture of reflective assignments and practical application and a portfolio at the end of the course.

Not sure what you mean by journal though; diary or assignment? I am learning here that different countries use different terminology regarding assessments:-)

Thanks again all

Journal wise, it's a bit like an annotated bibliography, in which they keep their research and record thoughts and reflections, more context orientated than the reflective journal which I suppose in this case is more concerned with content and form.

Group work is always problematic- I didn't enjoy it as a young student, and I enjoyed it far less as an adult during my MA studies! Human nature and / or the realities of a busy life will work against the best intentions for design and evaluation, and the reality is that the work is (almost) never divided equally among group members.

With respect to your question about team dynamics, something that I have noticed in my own research and use of PBL is that we don't tend to spend time setting the stage for effective group work. Building in a unit to develop as understanding of group dynamics and team development, including practical exercises could go a long is clearing the path for the team to work effectively.

As Paul mentioned above Sharon, a 'full PBL strategy' should reduce the kinks with regards to group work.

We used the strategy of seminars to encourage group dynamics and we also used a personal and professional development unit to help students mature. Not with resounding results in reality.

Full PBL strategy, whether as a department, faculty or organisational (optimum) teaching and learning philosophy, would resolve some issues re group dynamics. McMaster utilises an organisational PBL method and when students apply, they know that it is the Only teaching method; or at least such was the case 20 years ago.

If PBL is used as a lone teaching and learning method by an academic, than much forethought and hard work is needed, impinging on your admin and research work, to recuce group dysfunction as much as possible. Or at least that has been my personal experience. Also the maximum number for group work should be 5.

I used PBL as a means to eradicate the exam syndrome in large groups and as a means of preparing the students for exams. Due to the increasing numbers and time constraints which were beyond my control, I had groups of 10 or even 12 working together. Some worked more efficiently than others, despite my making it clear what my strategy was and being incontact with students 7 days a week in case of need.

And student ostracisation occured in a group of 4 in which I was working, and I saw it in groups of 5 and 10. The problem is that some people cannot detach the personal life from the professional life; not easy admittedly.

But people also change. I remember a particular student who found it difficult to integrate in a groups. When she came for feedback she not only blamed me for not passing a study unit, but I also learnt the reason for the problem. It turned out that she had had a friend in the class group who abandoned their friendship for some reason or other. If I had known about this I would have made it a point of never allocating them in the same group perhaps. And the perhpas here is purposely put. We humans are strange creatures and can take a loathing just as quickly as a liking to a person for the strangest reasons. And in the real hard life place of work we cannot pick and choose our workmates. We have to work with whoever is allocated to work with us.

On a positive note, this student went on an Erasmus exchange visit to another country. When she came back, by pure coincidence, she was allocated to me for supervision. Her attitude was so totally different, keen to learn, observant and all the rest, that the first sentence I used was something on the lines 'wow what an amazing change and well done indeed'. Which she acknowledged with a quiet smile.

Which is another reason why I love PBL,since it acknowledges the life learning experiences students pass through as part of the HE learning. When I preach to students I always feel uncomfortable because my suspicion is that there is always someone who knows more than me about something. And one thing I learnt is to acknowledge this if challenged by students. The worst thing you can do to a child is lie, as I learnt during paediatric nursing. And the worst thing a teacher can do is to 'pooh pooh' any bit of knowledge the student, adolescent or adult, shares with you in class or on a one to one basis, as I learnt from teaching the 'educationally challenged' to the more 'education oriented' students.