Group work is frequently used to promote collaboration skills and critical thinking in post-secondary education (Kågesten & Engelbrecht, 2007). The value of group work is well established in professional education and senior level courses in a variety of disciplines; this study examines the group work experience in a first-year undergraduate setting (Bourner et al., 2001; Brown & McIlroy, 2011; Pauli et al., 2008). First year students are unique in that they are just beginning to build conceptual foundations and may lack the confidence in their knowledge base to fully engage in active learning activities for fear of being judged as “not smart”. This poster presentation will outline the findings of a study undertaken to investigate the effect of group work on student learning experience and course outcomes in a first year health sciences course. Specifically, students completed a modified Student Feedback on Group Work questionnaire (SFGWQ) after the completion of a group Journal Club group presentation (Bourner et al., 2001). Overall, students reported a positive learning experience as a result of the group project (82%), and data suggests that this group project contributed to building important collaboration skills; particularly working with others, planning, and time management. 95% of students also reported that the group project helped improve their critical thinking skills. This poster presentation will highlight the benefits and challenges of using group work and tips on how to structure group work to promote a positive learning experience. _x000D_ _x000D_ Bourner, J., Hughes, M., & Bourner, T. (2001). First-year Undergraduate Experiences of Group Project Work. [Article]. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 26(1), 19-39. doi: 10.1080/02602930020022264_x000D_ _x000D_ Brown, C. A., & McIlroy, K. (2011). Group work in healthcare students' education: what do we think we are doing? [Article]. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(6), 687-699. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2010.483275_x000D_ _x000D_ Kågesten, O., & Engelbrecht, J. (2007). Student group presentations: a learning instrument in undergraduate mathematics for engineering students. [Article]. European Journal of Engineering Education, 32(3), 303-314. doi: 10.1080/03043790701276833_x000D_ _x000D_ Pauli, R., Mohiyeddini, C., Bray, D., Michie, F., & Street, B. (2008). Individual differences in negative group work experiences in collaborative student learning. [Article]. Educational Psychology, 28(1), 47-58. doi: 10.1080/01443410701413746
