Two difficulties with group work in higher education are considered. The development of an assessment procedure integrating aspects of co-operative learning and Mastery learning to overcome these difficulties is described. Groups of students considered course material. Assessment focused on group learning. The procedure was structured to develop positive interdependence and individual accountability. Student achievement significantly improved. Students' attitudes are overwhelmingly positive. Comments from journals illustrate the effect of this process on a) students' attitudes to working in heterogeneous, co-operative groups and b) the value of group processing and the resolution of academic controversy. It is concluded that the prudent structuring of student learning experiences to exploit affiliative motivation can produce behaviours normally associated with intrinsic motivation.

Keywords: co-operative learning in higher education, affiliative motivation, achievement.