Learning in small groups in university geography courses: Designing a core module around group projects

As class sizes have increased and staff-student ratios have worsened, group work has been seen as one way in which the quality of the learning experience for students may be maintained or improved. This paper focuses on the use of learning in small groups to undertake geography projects. We explore how the advantages for students and staff of learning through group project work may be achieved, and how the potential disadvantages can be reduced or overcome. This is done in the context of a case study of a course for final-year undergraduate geography students which the authors taught for two years at Coventry University, UK, which was designed around a field course and two eight-week group projects.