Marginalised students in group work assessment: ethical issues of group formation and the effective support of such individuals

In this project we focus on our experience of group work assessment over a number of years on a 20 credit, year-long, option module Soil Degradation and Rehabilitation, which forms part of the final year of our BSc (Hons) Geography degree programme and has a cohort of around 30 students each year. The group assessment comprises 40% of the module marks and includes a group oral presentation and written report. We became concerned about a number of issues adversely affecting the student learning experience, such as marginalised individuals, adverse group dynamics and unequal contributions by individuals within groups (Mills 2003, Hand 2001). Of specific concern, however, were the ethics of group formation (Chang 1999, Knight 2004). Allowing self-selected groups inevitably leaves some students marginalised and in a position where they may be not only disadvantaged materially in terms of marks but also could be personally affected in a negative way. In this paper we explore to what extent is it our duty to address the needs of these students, as well as ways of maintaining equity and transparency in tutor-led support across the entire cohort.