Problems with Collaborative Learning

Although collaborative-learning techniques show a great deal of promise, it is important that these techniques not be accepted uncritically but that they be carefully tested for their effect on student learning, which is, after all, the ultimate objective of our teaching. I have used both collaborative-learning and active-learning techniques for at least twenty-five years and have encountered a number of significant problems, including the following: 1) many students strongly prefer to work alone and actively dislike dealing with the problems created by having to work in groups; 2) commuter students often have difficulty finding mutually acceptable times for group meetings; 3) some students are simply irresponsible, fail to do their share of the assigned work, and leave the rest of the group to deal with the irresponsibility; 4) groups tend to have dominant members who often do the work, monopolize the group discussion, and carry less assertive members along with them; 5) superior students often resent ha...