Influence of the Curriculum and Learning Environment on Group Learning Approaches Outside the Classroom

Case studies are presented of the out-of-class behaviour of two contrasting class groups of university students from departments with very different learning environments. One group displayed <i>avoider</i> behaviour, by working together to minimise the amount of work each individual had to do. The other class consisted of more coherent groups of students who socialised together and worked to reach a better understanding of conceptual material; we labelled this <i>engager</i> behaviour. The cases show that both the levels of social coherence of the groups and the out-of-class group learning approaches were strongly influenced by: the curriculum, the type of teaching, the nature of the assessment, the relationship between teachers and students, and the environment within the respective departments.