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In
courses leading to professional qualifications, authentic tasks
are the basis of learning through assessment. Problem solving and
project work in professional life is almost always a collaborative
process. Hence, authentic assessment tasks require students to collaborate
in groups.
If the experience is carefully devised and managed, group assignments present a rich environment for learning. Collaborative group work
effectively fosters both discipline-specific and generic professional
attributes. All too often, however, group assignments are a frustrating,
even unproductive experience for students, leading to a grade that
appears to be unrelated to the work they put in, and which makes
no allowance for problems encountered by the group.
This
two year project, funded by The Carrick Foundation is a collaboration
between the University of Canberra, University of NSW, College of
Fine Arts (Sydney) and Macquarie University. The project investigates
best practice in group assessment across a range of disciplines
with the aim of developing a set of resources - a Web-based toolbox
- for teachers and students undertaking collaborative projects.
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