A burden is making the students responsible for each other’s learning apart from themselves
One study showed that in groups of mixed ability, low-achieving students become passive and do not focus on the task
Depending on an individual’s motivation and interest on a particular subject that will determine how well they would learn
The goal of scaffolding is for students to become independent and able to think by themselves, without the help of others
High stakes create increased chances for conflict and therefore need for conflict resolution skills
It is difficult for the teacher to be sure that the groups are discussing the academic content rather than something else.
Higher ability students may not experience the stimulation or challenge that they would with other higher ability students.
Lower ability students may feel perpetually in need of help rather than experiencing the role of leader or expert relative to the others in their group