Abstract:

Group activities within university settings serve as crucial tools for cultivating collaborative learning, critical thinking, and social skills among students. Nonetheless, their design and execution pose multifaceted challenges for educators. This abstract delves into the intricacies associated with developing successful group activities within the academic sphere.

It is crucial to recognize that group activities have become a standard practice (a “to do”) in higher education, yet their adoption sometimes occurs without a comprehensive understanding of their characteristics or the rationale behind their implementation.
Moreover, utilizing group activities without proper design can lead to various risks, potentially impeding the intended learning outcomes and compromising the student experience.

For these reasons, at Humanitas University, we have made the decision to incorporate diverse offerings within our faculty development programs. These initiatives aim to enhance teachers' skills in designing, managing, and evaluating group activities embedded within their courses. This paper will present and analyze the insights gathered from these workshops, emphasizing particularly the perspectives of educators regarding the benefits and risks associated with group activities.

Keywords:

Group activities, group work, learning in groups, teachers training, faculty development.