Conversations in a World Cafe: engaging staff and students in groupwork

This paper presents research that is part of an ongoing review of groupwork being undertaken by the authors within Swinburne University of Technology, Australia. The authors have surveyed student reactions to groupwork and, from the concerns raised by students, developed strategies to begin improving the way groupwork is understood and managed by both staff and students. Initially the focus of the research was on the problems students were encountering and ways to provide information and support to students so they could benefit more from working in project groups. It was the realisation that we needed a far more collaborative process that involved staff and students and other interested parties that has led to the current approach described in this paper. The World Cafe methodology was used to facilitate discussions between staff and students to address groupwork issues.