Free Riding in Group Projects and the Effects of Timing, Frequency, and Specificity of Criteria in Peer Assessments

Abstract The free-rider problem, also known as social loafing, occurs when one or more members of a group do not do their fair share of the work on a group project. In this article, the authors present a group evaluation instrument characterized by early implementation, multiple evaluation points, and the use of specific evaluative criteria. They tested their assessment method on a sample of 330 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory, crossdisciplinary business course. The results suggest that the use of this instrument can mitigate free-rider problems and improve students' perceptions about groups and group projects.

[1]  Carol Bormann Young,et al.  Viewpoint: A Conceptual Framework for Designing Group Projects , 2000 .

[2]  N. Falchikov,et al.  Student Peer Assessment in Higher Education: A Meta-Analysis Comparing Peer and Teacher Marks , 2000 .

[3]  Kim A. Stewart,et al.  Lessons from the Best and Worst Student Team Experiences: How a Teacher can make the Difference , 1999 .

[4]  Winnie Cheng,et al.  Peer and Teacher Assessment of the Oral and Written Tasks of a Group Project , 1999 .

[5]  Karen Macpherson.  The Development of Critical Thinking Skills in Undergraduate Supervisory Management Units: efficacy of student peer assessment , 1999 .

[6]  V. Druskat,et al.  Effects and timing of developmental peer appraisals in self-managing work groups. , 1999, The Journal of applied psychology.

[7]  P. Dominick,et al.  The Effects of Peer Feedback on Team Member Behavior , 1997 .

[8]  Anit Somech,et al.  Is Group Productivity Loss the Rule or The Exception? Effects of Culture and Group-Based Motivation , 1996 .

[9]  Richard R. Reilly,et al.  A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF UPWARD FEEDBACK , 1996 .

[10]  Richard R. Reilly,et al.  AN EXAMINATION OF THE EFFECTS OF AN UPWARD FEEDBACK PROGRAM OVER TIME , 1995 .

[11]  Sharon Farago Cramer.  Assessing effectiveness in the collaborative classroom , 1994 .

[12]  Kipling D. Williams,et al.  Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes Social Loafing: a Meta-analytic Review and Theoretical Integration , 2022 .

[13]  J. A. Mello.  Improving Individual Member Accountability in Small Work Group Settings , 1993 .

[14]  Anne S. Goodsell.  Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. , 1992 .

[15]  David L. Williams,et al.  Team Projects: Achieving their Full Potential , 1991 .

[16]  Rolph E. Anderson,et al.  Free-Riding in Group Projects: Control Mechanisms and Preliminary Data , 1990 .

[17]  S. Harkins,et al.  Social loafing and social facilitation: New wine in old bottles. , 1987 .

[18]  Susan Brown Feichtner,et al.  Why Some Groups Fail: a Survey of Students' Experiences with Learning Groups , 1984 .

[19]  A. Denisi,et al.  Potential Problems with Peer Ratings , 1983 .

[20]  Benjamin S. Bloom,et al.  Handbook On Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student Learning , 1971 .