Scaffolding + Support + Problem-Driven Learning = A Recipe for Effective Group Work in the Biomedical Engineering Classroom

Group projects center learning as a collaborative process, but they often produce mixed results in terms of student commitment and final products. The authors outline their experience with a course designed to engage undergraduate biomedical engineering students in a semester-long group experience and share data from their students' analyses of their group processes. They argue that with the proper supports--a carefully scaffolded assignment, instructional support, skilled facilitators, and proper resources--group work becomes a positive learning experience for all involved. Overlaid with previous research on the common challenges of group work, their findings offer instructional lessons for each phase of a group project.