Students’ Experience with Group Assignment in a Nigerian Library and Information Science School

Abstract

This study explored master degree students experienced with a group assignment at the Department of Library and Information Science, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria. The study adopted quantitative approach. The students were assigned to groups of 4 – 5 each to work on topics in collection development course and were required to orally present a seminar at the end of the first semester of the 2012/2013 academic session. At the end of the seminar presentation, the students were requested to each list five benefits they derived and five problems they encountered in the course of the group assignment. The responses were collated, analysed, tabulated and used for this paper. Frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the data. It was discovered that group assignment enabled the students in this study to build team spirit, share ideas; learn information search, presentation, and management skills. However, majority of the students observed that some members did not cooperate in the group assignment.
The study provided primary data which could assist lecturers to improve on administration of group assignment.

Keywords: Group assignment, Collaborative learning, Group learning, Pedagogy, Nigeria