Impact evaluation of reactive assessment strategies to address social loafing by promoting student cooperation and encouraging mutual support

Abstract

Cooperative work is an effective strategy when team members are kept motivated and collaborate towards the achievement of a common goal. However, social loafing may significantly reduce educational gains. In this article, we analyse whether assessment-based reactive strategies that exploit existing emotional relationships between the team members are effective as a response to unequal commitment in cooperative tasks. In particular, an adaptive negotiation process that permits students to improve their grades by improving future scores obtained by free riders is suggested. Findings support that these types of strategies may have a great impact in fostering peer tutoring, student cooperation and mutual support.

Keywords:

• cooperative work
• team agreement
• equal commitment
• social loafing
• assessment

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank funding from the Vice-rectorate of European Convergence and Quality of the University of Valencia, through projects Finestra Oberta UV-SFPIE_FO12-80215 and 79/FO11/31; and from the Ministry of Education through project TIN2011-29221-C03-02.