Deconstructing information flow in student groups

Groups, the building blocks of modern knowledge based organizations, are complex adaptive systems composed of individuals who exist within larger structures and who use information as their fuel [13]. To accomplish tasks, groups identify their information needs, find information, and then add pieces together in innovative ways to create something new. These information processes at the heart of group work have been linked to group innovation, creativity and learning, as well as serendipitous or accidental discoveries [6]. Conversely, ineffective or inefficient information processes can result in diminished group effectiveness, and at the far extreme, have contributed to organizational failures such as the space shuttle Challenger disaster [4].