CLI Research Lunch | Reducing free-riding in group projects in line with students’ preferences

Reducing free-riding is an important challenge for educators who use group projects. In this lunch seminar presentation, Tim will discuss how he measured students’ preferences for group project characteristics and specifically answers the question whether characteristics that better help to reduce free-riding become more important for students when stakes increase.

The discrete choice experiment he used, had twelve choice tasks in which students were asked to choose between two group projects that differed on five characteristics of which each level had its own effect on free-riding. A different group project grade weight was presented before each choice task to manipulate how much there was at stake for students in the group project. Data of 257 student respondents were used in the analysis.

For the specific results of the study we invite you to attend the presentation on Thursday the 29th of September in the Education Lab (Polak building). Specific advice for educators will be given on how to design group projects that better help to reduce free-riding.