Reasonable adjustments for group work assessments

Published on: 10/09/2025 · Last updated on: 15/05/2026

1. Anticipatory adjustments for the whole cohort

The following support strategies will help support the needs of all students, in addition to being particularly beneficial for students who may have a disability, long-term health condition or specific learning difficulty, following the principles of Universal Design for Learning.

Consider using mixed pairs for group formation
Encourage students to plan for the unexpected
Assign group roles based on process rather than product
Reframe expectations around ‘unequal contribution’
Break tasks down

Enable the students to self-select someone they want to work with and then group two pairs together to make a group of four. This method of assigning people to groups can help to reduce anxiety associated with working with new people.
When producing a group contract or creating a work plan, remind students to build in flexibility rather than having an idealised vision of how things should work. This could also include setting up a ‘buddy system’ or a Plan B, so that if hurdles arise, these can be anticipated and better managed.
Encourage students to assign roles based on individual strengths. Students often split tasks up by product (e.g. each member completes a different part or section of the assessment ‘product’). A more efficient way of managing group work is by process e.g. one member might be great at planning and project management, one might have strengths in data analysis or research, another might have skills in displaying information effectively. This approach better harnesses the strengths of individual members.
This can often be one of the most challenging aspects of group assessment for students and staff. Yet, a shift towards inviting students to note examples of ‘equal’ contribution may go some way to help groups create a more positive and supportive environment for all students, but especially those who have a disability, long-term health condition or specific learning difficulties. The CLT’s Iceberg of Equal Contribution (see page 13) can be used to encourage students to recognise that contribution can exist in many forms, some of which are less obvious.
Encourage students to break down tasks into manageable chunks. ‘Do research’ might become a seemingly endless task for a student, leading to them not completing it. ‘Identify x number of articles’, or ‘make notes on five articles’, supports effective and realistic task management, leading to group members feeling more able to complete tasks. This can, in turn, reduce the occurrence of members becoming distant or absent from the group.

The purpose of group work
The expectations around group collaboration
how individual and group contributions will be recognised or assessed

Enable the students to self-select someone they want to work with and then group two pairs together to make a group of four. This method of assigning people to groups can help to reduce anxiety associated with working with new people.
When producing a group contract or creating a work plan, remind students to build in flexibility rather than having an idealised vision of how things should work. This could also include setting up a ‘buddy system’ or a Plan B, so that if hurdles arise, these can be anticipated and better managed.
This can often be one of the most challenging aspects of group assessment for students and staff. Yet, a shift towards inviting students to note examples of ‘equal’ contribution may go some way to help groups create a more positive and supportive environment for all students, but especially those who have a disability, long-term health condition or specific learning difficulties. The CLT’s Iceberg of Equal Contribution (see page 13) can be used to encourage students to recognise that contribution can exist in many forms, some of which are less obvious.

2. Anticipatory adjustments for individual students

Various adjustments can be be offered to individual students where we are/become aware of a disability, long-term health condition, or specific learning difficulty which means they experience a substantial disadvantage in a group work assessment. This may be formally via a DAP where group work is identified as a suggested reasonable adjustment or via a student indicating that they experience disability related difficulties with group work. These are adjustments we can plan in advance for individual students and do not require escalation or approval beyond the department.

Sample intended learning outcome: Collaborate with others to solve a problem

The list below is not exhaustive but provides approaches which may be reasonable without formal escalation or approval beyond the department, drawing upon practice across the sector.

Provide mini milestones and check-in points for specific groups to provide additional support that will scaffold the students’ progress.
Provide quiet or low-stimulation environments for group meetings if sensory sensitivity is a concern and/or allow asynchronous collaboration for students who may struggle with live interaction.
One-to-one collaboration: pair the student with a peer or staff member for a more manageable interaction.
Limit group size.

The most appropriate adjustment to mitigate the disadvantage experienced by the student will depend upon both:

The students’ condition(s), circumstances and how these interact with the assessment task, and
The context of the assessment and the learning outcomes being evaluated.

In addition to the above adjustments, consider the following support strategies to build in flexibility for the student:

Where the group work assessment contains an oral element (e.g. group presentation) you may find it useful to consider the accompanying guidance on anticipatory support and reasonable adjustments for oral assessments as many of the approaches outlined will also be relevant in a group work assessment context.
Where appropriate, prepare the peer group to be supportive to ensure the adjustments are effective and provide a learning opportunity for the group in harnessing diversity. Where implementation of the adjustment would require sharing details of the student’s’ adjustment need with other staff or peers, both their consent and preferred approach to this should be sought, and only the information required to put the adjustment in place should be shared.

3. Exceptional individual adjustments for students with more complex support needs

In the small number of cases where there is a concern (from the student or staff) that even with individual adjustments such as those listed above, the student would still experience a substantial disadvantage in the group work assessment, their individual case may need to be escalated for consideration of more substantial adjustment (e.g. an alternative approach to assessment may be required, specialist advice sought, or measures requiring Board of Studies approval considered).

Where this is the case, it is recommended to discuss with the Director of Studies/Teaching and Faculty Assistant Registrar in the first instance. Please note that any change of assessment must be approved by a Board of Studies.

FAQ

What are some common foreseeable barriers to participation?

Perceived unfairness and concerns about unequal contribution
- This is the big one. If students think their mark depends on others’ effort, it can cause motivation to drop. This can come in a variety of forms from disengagement from less motivated students, to individual students choosing or being forced to take on an increased burden of work. Fears of unequal contribution amongst group members, perceived or accurate can also have a detrimental effect. Giving though to group composition and establishing expectations, group roles and developing students group work skills and perceptions of what is contribution may mitigate. (The guidance and resources on the Designing and Assessing Group Work hub page can support you in your group work design.)
  - Design in group and individual components into the assessment so that students can feel they are being assessed on their own efforts as well as the total group effort.
Practical coordination barriers (time, schedules, competing commitments)
- Students can struggle to meet and work together, especially outside of timetabled sessions, this can be exacerbated by students who need to commute, those who are in part-time employment and those with caring or other responsibilities.
  - Help students by providing timetabled time for students to meet and work together on their group objectives. Make students aware of ways that they can asynchronously collaborate, using tasks and tools such as Moodle or Teams to communicate and update each other on progress.
Lack of familiarity with group working skills and structure
- Many students haven’t been taught how to collaborate effectively. Without clear roles, milestones, or guidance, groups drift, a few students dominate, and others disengage.
  - This can be alleviated by explicitly scaffolding of the project, help groups develop by helping them allocate roles, draft a project timeline and providing guidance on how they should communicate and make decisions. Pair this is formative opportunities to practice and build in reflection as part of the assessment exercise, giving marks to the process (and awareness of) rather than just the final product.

How can I strengthen group work assessment from the point of design?

There is useful guidance and suggestions on how to design and assess group work on the Teaching Hub page: Designing and Assessing Group Work.

Find out more

The University is committed to supporting the diverse needs of all learners, including students with disabilities, long-term health conditions, and specific learning difficulties. If you’re interested in finding out more, read our support for students with disabilities page to help you as you plan and delivery your teaching.

For further guidance on supporting specific needs of students with DAPs, staff are encouraged to contact Disability Services.

The University’s Inclusive Education Project sharepoint site contains up to date information on the future development of inclusive approaches at Bath and contains answers to frequently asked questions.

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