Student response to cooperative learning homework teams: midcourse and final evaluations

To assess student response to mandatory cooperative learning homework teams, midcourse and final evaluations were conducted over two semesters in a junior-level required Materials Science course at the University of San Diego, USA. Students provided feedback on their group´s effectiveness, how many hours per week the group meets, difficulties and whether they believe they learn best by themselves or in a group. They also rated their perception of change in skill at problem solving, communication, and teamwork, and provided recommendations for the teams in the course. On both evaluations, there were open-ended and specific response questions. Overall, students rated their groups as being successful although many groups´ ratings declined from the midpoint until the final evaluation. Students reported that their experience working in teams positively impacted their skills. The biggest reported difficulty was with finding a common time for the entire team to meet