Student conceptions of group work: visual research into LIS student group work using the draw-and-write technique

The use of collaborative pedagogies is a well-respected and common feature of higher education, and the ability to work well in a team is a desirable graduate and professional attribute. However, tutors can often experience significant issues with the support and management of student group work, and students can find group work difficult to manage and have very negative perceptions of group work. This paper examines LIS students’ conceptions of group work as revealed through the students’ drawings. Some 146 drawings of group work were collected from taught postgraduate and undergraduate students in an Information School. The drawings reveal a wide range of conceptions of group work, from very process- and tool-driven conceptions to more metaphorical conceptions of idea generation, puzzle, or a site of strength. Students were concerned with group structures and the role of leader. Group work is negatively affected by stress and perceptions of unequal contribution of group members. Implications are drawn for LIS educators, and suggestions are made for the use of drawing as a method of group support.