[simplify]

The author is not criticizing project-based learning in general, but instead how some curriculum (I wonder who's?) uses group projects as the only form of learning.

This feels a bit like a strawman. I agree group projects are not the best way to teach individual concepts. However, they're the best way to put what you've learned into practice. To use the author's martial arts analogy, group projects are like sparring in a safe environment.

Group projects are also the best way to practice your group communication skills, something isolated exercises cannot help with.

[watwut]

Group project communication and work communication are different. I have rarely had problem to communicate in work, but group projects were usually crap.

The worst about group project is when one person picks all the interesting tasks and learns, others don't. Which means that people who know least and need practice most, are the ones that are pushed to anciliary roles with only little practice happening.

[simplify]

> The worst about group project is when one person picks all the interesting tasks and learns, others don't.

The reason this happened is because of a lack of group communication skills. I would blame your instructor for not pre-addressing problems like this before things got started, or not checking in at all.

[watwut]

Pre-addressing these problems won't make shy person instantly not shy. It wont make controlling person not controlling nor change someone who is not self aware or don't think much about others.

While these exist in workplace too, setup is different, goals are different and dynamic is completely different. And you can usually find yourself non-group setup with own accountability and tasks.

Most important difference is that in school you are supposed to learn and this turns whole thing to waste of time where you don't learn - and then you miss stuff you was supposed to learn.

[simplify]

> Pre-addressing these problems won't make shy person instantly not shy.

Of course. But it at least sets the expectation that these things need to be talked about. Otherwise students won't know what to do, or even realize what's happening until after the work division has been decided.

Not just that, but a competent instructor should have checked in with the groups to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen.