Say No to Free Riding: Student Perspective on Mechanisms to Reduce Social Loafing in Group Projects

Uthpala Samarakoon, Asanthika Imbulpitiya, Kalpani Manathunga

2021

Abstract

Project based learning is a popular teaching method in Information Technology undergraduate programs where students gain necessary skills and knowledge via a hands-on capstone project. Key learning gains from such projects are problem-solving skills by applying theoretical knowledge while improving soft skills like collaboration and communication. Students can improve critical thinking, learn to face challenging situations, and build creative solutions for a desired problem as a group. Irrespective of all these benefits, social loafing or simply free riding can be recognized as the key challenge in these group-based projects. Some students in group projects put less effort on group work than when they work alone while surviving in the group and taking credits for someone else’s work. This scenario leads to demotivation of hard-working members and lot of group conflicts. Ultimately, social loafing affects the group performance while resulting with unsuccessful projects and dissatisfied students. Seeking mechanisms for reducing social loafing in group projects is becoming a vital and this research proposes set of mechanisms to reduce social loafing in IT group projects and presents the students’ perspective on usefulness of each mechanism.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Samarakoon U., Imbulpitiya A. and Manathunga K. (2021). Say No to Free Riding: Student Perspective on Mechanisms to Reduce Social Loafing in Group Projects. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-502-9, pages 198-206. DOI: 10.5220/0010449701980206

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu21,
author={Uthpala Samarakoon and Asanthika Imbulpitiya and Kalpani Manathunga},
title={Say No to Free Riding: Student Perspective on Mechanisms to Reduce Social Loafing in Group Projects},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,},
year={2021},
pages={198-206},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0010449701980206},
isbn={978-989-758-502-9},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 1: CSEDU,
TI - Say No to Free Riding: Student Perspective on Mechanisms to Reduce Social Loafing in Group Projects
SN - 978-989-758-502-9
AU - Samarakoon U.
AU - Imbulpitiya A.
AU - Manathunga K.
PY - 2021
SP - 198
EP - 206
DO - 10.5220/0010449701980206