Abstract
The inherent benefits of group works continue to project it as a prominent means of learning in an era when theory is as important as the practical skills that students develop to cope with the demands of the recruiters. The benefits are, however, shadowed by the downsides of free riding complicated by the social settings, rather innocuous relationships which exist between students and the responsibilities of cooperation of students and lecturers. An exploration of the phenomenon was the thrust of this study with views of six postgraduate students in a Malaysian University sought through interviews. The analysis revealed that strong policies exist which encourage group activities concretized by the adherence on the side of the lecturers on the ground. However, such strong will has not been transformed into a strict workable formula to curtail free riding due to the looseness of forming groups, lack of supervision of group activities, the special bond of group members, and the student workloads. The paper finally advices on the need for more stringent supervisory means in group projects, group formation modalities, and a re-look into the academic workload of students especially those working full time.
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Njie, B., Asimiran, S. & Basri, R. An Exploratory Study of the Free Riding Debacle in a Malaysian University: Students’ Perspectives. Asia-Pacific Edu Res 22, 257–262 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-012-0029-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-012-0029-x