Evaluating Group Work

One of the dilemmas faculty often face when assigning group work is how to evaluate the students.

• Should each student receive her/his own grade?
• If so, how would I evaluate individuals’ contributions to a collaborative task?
• Should I grade only the final outcome, thus assigning the same grade to every individual?
• Should I try to find a balance, assigning some percentage of the grade to the individual and some to the group as a whole?

The best way to evaluate group projects is to find a way to evaluate the individuals as individuals and also the group as a group. Failing to do one or the other fails to hold both the group and the individuals accountable, and is much more likely to cause problems in the course.

The tab box below illustrates how to evaluate the individuals as individuals and also the group as a group.