I think I had at least one group-work assignment per module for the last two years of my degree, and of that only about 25% were actually enjoyable, with the other 75% being an absolute nightmare.
The hardest thing about group-work is simply finding spare time where everyone can be there at once. When most people do altering modules and therefore timetables, combined with part-time employment, it becomes next to impossible. In the end, you just learn to adapt.
I've had groups where everyone pulled their weight and the work got done very quickly and to a high standard. I think we may have even got the highest mark in the class. Needless to say, we chose to work together when the next assignment rolled around. Others I have had a large group of lads where perhaps one or two members (alternating people) would not be able to turn up, but everyone at least put in some effort. Again, we got good marks for the two assignments.
However, it's all too easy to end up with people who do nothing. For one particular assignment, I send out nigh on 20 e-mails and tried to track down contacts, only for the people to not respond until the last moment. Like the OP, one lad copied and pasted off of wikipedia. I took it on the chin and just wrote the essay by myself and everyone benefitted. But, when you're stuck up all night with a headache and they're sleeping sound in their beds, it doesn't impress you that much! The lad in question here however, ended up failing the year with his only mark of merit being the group work. Another piece involved a small group where the two girls never turned up and had the cheek to complain that we [my friend: see below] weren't pulling our weight!
One assignment I had was quite amusing and stressful at the same time. One of my friends (we worked together a lot) wasn't able to contribute too much due to time constraints, but he was basically around mine till the early hours the night before trying to help. Sadly he kept falling asleep, but I was happy he hadn't left me in it on my own. In the end I just told him to go to sleep, and by the time he woke up (a few hours later) the work was done and I was on the verge of passing out. He went over and checked it as I caught a few, so yeah -- group work does sometimes work!
In conclusion though, I hate group-work. As far as I'm concerned, it's my degree and I didn't want any other person having any say in what grade I was awarded. Sadly, you always seem to take a gamble and students being students will do whatever they can get away with. The sad thing is, you just can't rely on other people when it comes to things like this.
The hardest thing about group-work is simply finding spare time where everyone can be there at once. When most people do altering modules and therefore timetables, combined with part-time employment, it becomes next to impossible. In the end, you just learn to adapt.
I've had groups where everyone pulled their weight and the work got done very quickly and to a high standard. I think we may have even got the highest mark in the class. Needless to say, we chose to work together when the next assignment rolled around. Others I have had a large group of lads where perhaps one or two members (alternating people) would not be able to turn up, but everyone at least put in some effort. Again, we got good marks for the two assignments.
However, it's all too easy to end up with people who do nothing. For one particular assignment, I send out nigh on 20 e-mails and tried to track down contacts, only for the people to not respond until the last moment. Like the OP, one lad copied and pasted off of wikipedia. I took it on the chin and just wrote the essay by myself and everyone benefitted. But, when you're stuck up all night with a headache and they're sleeping sound in their beds, it doesn't impress you that much! The lad in question here however, ended up failing the year with his only mark of merit being the group work. Another piece involved a small group where the two girls never turned up and had the cheek to complain that we [my friend: see below] weren't pulling our weight!
One assignment I had was quite amusing and stressful at the same time. One of my friends (we worked together a lot) wasn't able to contribute too much due to time constraints, but he was basically around mine till the early hours the night before trying to help. Sadly he kept falling asleep, but I was happy he hadn't left me in it on my own. In the end I just told him to go to sleep, and by the time he woke up (a few hours later) the work was done and I was on the verge of passing out. He went over and checked it as I caught a few, so yeah -- group work does sometimes work!
In conclusion though, I hate group-work. As far as I'm concerned, it's my degree and I didn't want any other person having any say in what grade I was awarded. Sadly, you always seem to take a gamble and students being students will do whatever they can get away with. The sad thing is, you just can't rely on other people when it comes to things like this.
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Hope it helps. Just stick it on the end of your document. It is perfectly acceptable and was required for all of our group work at uni.