The challenge of assigning groups

Group work is increasingly used in higher education and is associated
with several benefits, both for the students and the teacher. How groups are
assigned is of significance for the success of group work. This study aspires to
explore the ways in which teachers can assign groups in order to enable successful
group work. The findings indicate that heterogeneous groups that consist of
students with complementary abilities are the most favourable for successful
group work. Furthermore, three different methods for assigning groups were
identified via interviews with teachers in higher education: 1) groups
intentionally assigned by teacher, 2) randomly assigned by teacher, and 3) groups
decided by students. Each method is however associated with both advantages
and disadvantages, and it appears challenging for teachers to assign groups in an
optimal manner.