What is the ideal number for the group size for this task?
Are students clear about what effective collaboration looks like and sounds like?
What are the group goals and individual goals for this task? Are they clear to the students?
How are you going to fend off ‘social loafing’?
Should personality differences influence our grouping decisions? Are there introverts in the classroom that should receive particular attention as we decide upon grouping students?
How should we group in relation to ability or skill levels? Are the groups separate by ability or mixed, or randomised? Does this make a difference?