“But I want to work with my friends!” Selecting student groups

1. “BUT I WANT TO WORK WITH MY
FRIENDS!”
Jill Clark
Whitireia New Zealand
Trish Baker
Wellington Institute of Technology
Selecting student
groups

2. Group Selection
• Self selection:
– Students select their own group
• Random selection:
– Students grouped according to a criterion randomly
determined by the lecturer
• Lecturer selection:
– Lecturers select the groups based on their knowledge of
the students and their abilities. The groups may also be
determined by asking students to fill in questionnaires
about preferred working style, linguistic proficiency, skills,
study habits etc.

3. Optimal Group Size
• General consensus:
– Three – five members
– Odd numbers
• Under three:
– Less diversity
– Less variety of ideas and skills
– Probability of one dominant partner
• Over five:
– Likelihood of “free loaders”
– Hard for students to manage logistics
– Probability of one or two dominant partners

4. Three to five students in a group
allows:
• Diversity of member skills and ideas
• Easier development of group cohesion
• Visibility of all members - more accountability
• Less chance of group fragmentation
• More chance of meaningful contributions
from all members
• Easier management of meeting
times/ venues