The greatest (obstacle) was communication and there was also a tendency for some members to slack on their responsibility and let others do the work for them. Both obstacles were greatly lessened at the end. Communication skills ... were greatly improved. This ability ... to communicate better especially regarding scientific ideas and solutions to small problems should allow us to be a better team member in the future. Individual responsibility also improved, though not nearly as much as communication.

The greatest improvement was in each team member's education. By education, I mean in terms of knowledge and ... new ways of thinking. Both are gained in part from other members of the team and in part from oneself. One can learn from others and one can, through one's creativity, learn by one's self. By learning through creativity, I mean that for each original problem that is solved with creativity, that person gains a new way of thinking ... for the future.

When I registered for analytical chemistry, I thought I was in for 5 credits of pure boredom. Not so. It turned out to be my most interesting class, due partly to the group work. Keep it. BUT, group work is very time consuming, especially outside of class. Overall, I would highly recommend that you continue to teach using team approaches.

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