Abstract:

Working in groups has some advantages and disavantages. There are several advantages of practising teamwork in an assignment, for example, searching for information and conclusions from different points of view enriches the work and avoids making mistakes. Members also learn how to distribute tasks and organize their time, as well as to be tolerant towards mistakes made by others. Being part of a team can also increase motivation, that is, team-members work harder in order to progress because they are in a group where they want to be respected. Furthermore, once the team is well coordinated, the results are very satisfying. Finally, working in group leads to better performance resulting in creative ideas and decisions.

Some disadvantages to be taken into account are the presence of personal problems that may exist between the members as well as difficulties when distributing the tasks necessary to develop the assignment. Furthermore, problems might appear when a member of the group works less than the others, or when a member doesn’t respect the task he or she has been given. Another disadvantage is the loss of time due to meetings to discuss solutions and actions among the members.

Finally, working in group is an important preparation for the students’ professional future. In this article some university students’ considerations about teamwork are also presented.

Keywords:

Teamwork, tasks, university, students.