<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Group assignments at </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/universities" rel="" target="_blank" title="universities"><span>universities</span></a><span> should be scrapped because students "hate" them, according to the shadow </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/education" rel="" target="" title="education"><span>education</span></a><span> minister.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It is an experience millions of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australians"><span>Australians</span></a><span> have had to endure during their education, and Julian Leeser says he has received such strong feedback from students that the projects should be banned.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Unless there are compelling reasons or exceptional circumstances, I am calling on you to get rid of group assignments," he told the Universities Australia Solutions Summit today.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>JUST IN:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/sydney-royal-prince-alfred-hospital-aspergillus-fungus-cluster-deaths/0a534d48-13b8-4b65-9f4e-c2fe16a9ea26" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Two dead after fungal infection cluster at major hospital</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While a 2023 </span><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2023.2227677#d1e489" rel="" target="_blank" title="study"><span>study</span></a><span> from the Australian Catholic University in 2023 suggested "students perceive collaborative group work as beneficial in many ways", Leeser disputes this finding.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He believes individuals are more likely to suffer from the experience, and don't actually learn much from the assessment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>NATIONAL: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/new-disaster-alert-system/e4d9e2ac-bf93-48a1-810f-a81d8b9afdeb" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Loud alarm to blare from every phone in Australia in matter of months</span></strong></a></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/group-assignments-university-australia-removed-julian-leeser/1eb45cbf-2e18-48a2-ab75-5041840d7858" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Leeser claimed group assignments "cheapen" university degrees.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There is always that student who does the work, and that student who reaps the benefit. It diminishes the role of the individual," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/alleged-bondi-gunman-naveed-akram-family-prison-visit-cancelled/223efe61-d78f-4407-8c9f-adefde2b8d8c" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Family's prison visit to accused Bondi gunman cancelled</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In most cases, there is no compelling justification."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He believes universities and students as a whole will benefit if they reframe the thinking and focus surrounding assessments to be on an individual basis.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I am calling on you to rethink assessments by focusing on whether we are truly and fairly assessing individuals on the basis of their individual performance," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></strong></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" rel="" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>