Course delivery by 'chalk and talk' is still the predominant
process favoured by economics university departments, but with
an estimated 75 per cent of departments using group projects and
presentations it seems that group work can already be designated
as significant (Economics LTSN, 2003). An increasing interest in
group work has been promoted by higher student-lecturer ratios
and rhetoric about learning and teaching. This chapter on the
'why', 'how' and 'what' of economics group work in higher
education is ambitious. It attempts to give relevant
justification, explanation and ideas to those who are
considering group work options for the first time, while
providing details to a conceptual and practical standard that
are of use to the more seasoned exponent. Section 2 addresses
some practical issues in using group work, at the same time as
exploring potential benefits in terms of learning outcomes.
Lecturers who have been hesitant to reduce their reliance on
traditional teaching methods may find this particu