The upsurge in the requirement for team
-
based assessment at university has been well
documented. In this paper, a first year
unit, Professional Development 1: Critical Thinking
and Problem Solving (PD1), at Victoria University (VU) in Melbourne, Australia, is used as a
case study to examine issues concerning diversity in team
-
based assessment. Diversity in
the classroom has bee
n identified as a both a challenge and an opportunity for academics in
Australian universities, so arguably, diversity in team
-
based learning presents similar
opportunities and challenges. While findings from focus groups in Melbourne suggest that
unintend
ed outcomes for international students of team
-
based learning in PD1 include
improved English language proficiency, increased confidence and opportunities to mix with
local students, these outcomes are in part due to the remarkable diversity of the student
cohort in Melbourne. The diversity of student teams in Hong Kong is different and does not
necessarily include the linguistic and cultural diversity evident in Melbourne. Comments from
Student Unit Evaluations and findings from student focus groups conduc
ted in Melbourne
and Hong Kong illustrate the student experience of diversity and teams in these different
cohorts. Issues such as the fairness of team
-
based assessment and the capacity of team
-
based learning to develop student capabilities, such as the ab
ility to work collaboratively and
in a socially and culturally responsible manner, are considered.  -Australian International Education Conference