Sandra Clarke

Assessing student group work: is there a right way to do it?

Many law courses include at least some elements of group work within compulsory or optional modules. The benefits of group work include at least four of the seven “Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education”.1 In addition, employers consistently ask for good team-working skills, evidence of which is often provided by reference to group projects at university. Previous research by the authors2 confirms other reports in the literature that many students find group work difficult, and particularly resent other students “freeloading” from their work.3 They also experience frustration at non-participation by other students and not being able to choose their team mates. This resentment can be exacerbated if all students receive the same mark for the finished project regardless of input. In this article, the authors reflect upon our experiences of setting and grading group work in our own courses and institutions. We will consider different assessment approaches, including peer assessment,4 lecturer assessment, student participation – enhancing student understanding of assessment criteria,5 a mixture of peer and lecturer assessment, assessment of group work as part of a portfolio,6 and non-assessed group work feeding into individual assessments.

Land law : directions

PART I. INTRODUCTION 1. What is land? 2. The structure of land law PART II. LEGAL ESTATES 3. The freehold estate 4. Registration of title 5. Leases 6. Adverse possession PART III. SOLE AND JOINT OWNERS OF LAND 7. The sole owner of land 8. Joint owners of land (co-ownership) 9. Trusts and the family home 10. Trusts of land PART IV. RIGHTS OVER LAND 11. Easements and profits 12. Covenants in freehold land 13. Mortgages PART V. THE BIGGER PICTURE 14. Completing the puzzle 15. Exam technique and the perils of question spotting