Purposes, benefits and challenges of group work assessment

Group work assessment plays a crucial role in academic processes, aiming to enhance teamwork skills, motivation, and knowledge co-construction. This article explores the purposes, benefits, and challenges of assessing group work, emphasizing its impact on student learning and employability. While group work can foster collaboration and critical thinking, issues such as unequal contributions, cultural dynamics, and assessment fairness remain significant concerns. The study highlights different perspectives on group assessment, including the debate on its effectiveness in preparing students for the workplace. It also discusses alternative strategies, such as individual grading within team-based learning, to balance collaborative benefits with fair assessment. The role of tutors in designing, monitoring, and reassessing group work is examined to ensure meaningful learning outcomes.