Guidelines for group work in an undergraduate learning programme

It is required of higher education institutions in South Africa to provide for the development of general skills such as the ability to function in a team, and to apply group work as a method of instruction. After implementation of group work in the new five-year medical curriculum at the University of the Free State, it was realised that ineffective group dynamics and the inexperience of staff and students warranted clear and comprehensive guidelines for group work. For the development of these, opinions of students and staff involved, as well as inputs by experts on group work and literature findings, were evaluated. Their responses are reported and guidelines for effective group work are suggested.