While evaluating a group project, it is essential to assess the efforts of every group member. Group work is not without problems; there are cases where some members of the group put above average efforts, and some contribute very little to the project, this makes the students reluctant to work in groups. Therefore the evaluators need to make sure that they are fair to all the members of the group and evaluate every member individually. Evaluating the group members is an intimidating task. Best practice for this includes building a good relationship between members, make sure honest participation of the students (Gueldenzoph & May, 2002). The most suitable method of demonstrating an individual contribution to a project are self-assessment and peer review.
Using this technique, students are asked to assess their own as well as the contributions of their group members either in an undisclosed manner or the open. Evaluation of self and others gives best results when done in secret. Peer assessment allows teachers to evaluate and understand their students and their contribution to group work (Tollefson, n.d.) A questionnaire to each student containing questions about the contributions of each member like how much time each member devoted to the group work, what efforts he or she made, reviews about his attitude towards other group members and suggestions for every member individually. This method is a source of giving feedback. Research on feedback and constructive evaluation showed that this practice supports self-regulation. The main point is that students while working in a group are already assessing themselves, and their peers and their judgments should be valued (Nicol & Macfarlane‐Dick, 2006). This method is helpful as this will help in overcoming the hurdles of group work and will aid the members to work more efficiently in the group.
References
Gueldenzoph, L. E., & May, G. L. (2002). Collaborative peer evaluation: Best practices for group member assessments. Business Communication Quarterly, 65(1), 9–20.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199–218.
Tollefson, E. (n.d.). Evaluating Peer Contributions to Group Work.
