Biology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225.
Science Education Group, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2018 Dec;17(4):ar60. doi: 10.1187/cbe.17-12-0283.
Group work is often a key component of student-centered pedagogies, but there is conflicting evidence about what types of groups provide the most benefit for undergraduate students. We investigated student learning outcomes and attitudes toward working in groups when students were assigned to groups using different methods in a large-enrollment, student-centered class. We were particularly interested in how students entering the class with different levels of competence in biology performed in homogeneous or heterogeneous groups, and what types of group compositions were formed using different methods of group formation. We found that low-competence students had higher learning outcomes when they were in heterogeneous groups, while mid- and high-competence students performed equally well in both group types. Students of all competence types had better attitudes toward group work in heterogeneous groups. The use of student demographic variables to preemptively form groups and allowing students to self-select their group mates both yielded heterogeneous competence groups. Students in the instructor-formed, demographic groups had higher learning outcomes compared with students allowed to self-select. Thus, heterogeneous groupings provided the most benefit for students in our nonmajors, large-enrollment class.
小组作业通常是学生为中心的教学法的一个关键组成部分，但对于哪种类型的小组最有益于本科生，证据相互矛盾。我们在一个大规模、以学生为中心的班级中，使用不同的分组方法来研究学生的学习成果和对小组作业的态度。我们特别关注在生物学方面能力不同的学生在同质或异质小组中表现如何，以及使用不同的分组方法形成了哪些类型的小组。我们发现，低能力学生在异质小组中学习成果更高，而中高能力学生在两种小组类型中的表现相当。所有能力类型的学生在异质小组中对小组作业的态度更好。使用学生人口统计学变量预先分组并允许学生自行选择小组伙伴都产生了具有不同能力的小组。与允许学生自行选择相比，由教师组成的、基于人口统计学的小组的学习成果更高。因此，对于我们的非专业、大规模班级的学生来说，异质分组提供了最大的益处。
