Cissy J Ballen, Raleigh Bellard, Peter R Marting, Michael L Smith
Group work is common in undergraduate STEM classrooms and is associated with several benefits for student learning. However, its effectiveness may be limited by the Ringelmann effect, whereby individual effort decreases as group size increases. In contrast to humans, recent work shows that weaver ants are not subject to the Ringelmann effect when working collaboratively. In this essay, we consider what big lessons can be drawn from small insects that can in turn inform teaching strategies to enhance group work for students. We propose three insect-inspired recommendations: design group-worthy tasks, embrace the division of labor and develop shared rules of engagement. Taking inspiration from the natural world, instructors can look to the behaviors of social insects to maximize the positive effects of group work in undergraduate classrooms.