Group work: a guide for LUBS students
Group work is an important part of the assessment process and a chance to develop soft skills skills that will be invaluable in the workplace. Of course, working with others can also bring some challenges! This page contains useful advice on what you should expect from group work at LUBS and how you can best prepare for it to be a success.
Reasonable adjustments
If your personal circumstances make you feel significantly disadvantaged when working in a group format, you can ask for a type of help called "reasonable adjustments", including for issues around flexibility in attendance.
To request reasonable adjustments, please contact the LUBS Student Support Team:
Engaging with group work
When you are involved with group work you are expected to engage with group meetings in a timely manner. Students who don’t engage can be removed from the group so they don't disadvantage the others.
Make sure you are aware of the deadlines and parameters the module leader has specified. The parameters are specific to each module, because the timing, size and weighting of group work is always different.
Defining "being engaged"
If you are off sick one time, but let the others know and show up the next time, that’s ok. But repeated pushbacks and no-shows is not.
Communication is key!
Removal from a group
Groups need to be able to draw the line if someone isn't properly engaged, but you must speak to your module leader to provide clear justification and request someone is removed. Students must not be excluded from groups without due consideration.
You should also speak with the module leader if you wish to request to leave your group.
What happens when a student leaves a group
If you leave a group, either from your own request or because the module leader removes you, one of two assessment options will be put in place:
- An alternative assessment may be issued, if it is early enough in the semester that it can be completed without disadvantage.
- If it is too late in the semester, you must take the resit version of the module assessment (with first sit if entitled, capped resit if not), which is always non-group.
Where a student is removed, remaining group members should think carefully about about whether they might need need an extension, and how to redistribute work amongst remaining members. You should talk to the module leader about the new group size and whether any further support is needed.
Adjusting marks as a group
LUBS has a gentle voluntary mechanism for minor adjustments to the mark distribution at module end-point, available to groups who’ve worked well together. This is designed to reward members who’ve gone the extra mile.
For example, if the group mark was 68, some members might agree to voluntarily donate 1-2 marks each to someone who worked extra hard; the hard worker gets 70 and others get 66-67. This is good team practice and encourages honest conversations about contributions.
Note: this system only allows 10% of the mark to be redistributed. So, in the 68% example above, there would be 6.8 marks in total available to be redistributed.
The readjustment mechanism is NOT appropriate for groups to use negatively against one member, to exclude or punish. Quite apart from being unpleasant, shifting 6 or 7 marks around does not compensate for someone who’s been totally absent – in the 68% example, a person who’d done no work at all but stayed allocated to the group, would get a minimum mark of 61.2% without even turning up. This isn’t fair, and is not the intended use of this mechanism. Absentee group members need to be discussed with module leaders early in the semester, to ensure that both they and the other group members are supported, and appropriate solutions are put in place.
How to be part of a successful group project
The most important tip for getting your group off to a good start is to agree targets and expectations at the very start of your project, this may include agreement about how and when you will meet and communicate. You should also work out a draft timeline and decide how best to allocate work in a way that works to the strengths of each individual member of the group.
Each member of your group should also be aware of the behaviour expectations for group work, and agree to follow them.
Respect
Respect every individual within the group. Allow everyone to voice their opinions or ideas, without interrupting or talking over each other.
Be honest, but considerate.
Cooperation
Cooperate with other group members. Be open to opposing ideas.
Take a democratic approach to disagreements.
Equality
Work should be distributed evenly, working to the strengths of the individual.
Do not dominate or allow others to dominate.
Meeting environment
Make sure communication is clear, taking into account language barriers and other needs. Do not be unnecessarily critical of a team member and avoid negativity.
Ensure everyone feels ‘listened to’. Create a supportive environment that allows and encourages everyone to be comfortable expressing their ideas.
Time management
Attend all group meetings and arrive promptly to the meetings. Ensure meetings stick to their purpose/agenda. Ensure work is completed ahead of meetings to promote effective meetings.
If you are experiencing any problems in your group, and finding it difficult to resolve issues – it is important that you get in contact with your module leader as soon as possible.
For further resources on group work, visit the Skills@Library group work section.
Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is a success