Write for an Academic Discussion

A professor has posted a question about a topic and students have responded with their thoughts and ideas. Make a contribution to the discussion.
You will have 10 minutes to write.

Your professor is teaching a class on education.

In your response, you should do the following.

• • Express and support your opinion.
• • Make a contribution to the discussion in your own words.

An effective response will contain at least 100 words.

Professor’s question:

In many university courses, group projects are a common form of assessment. Advocates argue they teach collaboration and communication, skills essential for the modern workplace. However, other students find them frustrating due to unequal participation and scheduling conflicts. In your view, are group projects an effective way to evaluate student learning? Why or why not?

Student response 1:

I believe group projects are very beneficial because they prepare us for the professional world, where teamwork is essential. Also, working with others exposes you to new ideas and perspectives that you might not consider on your own, which is great for learning and personal growth.

Student response 2:

I disagree. I think individual assignments are a better measure of learning because everyone's grade depends on their own effort. In group projects, for instance, a few students often do most of the work, but everyone gets the same grade, which doesn't seem fair at all.