In non-formal or informal learning situations, I believe group work can be more valuable and potentially easier to manage. The primary reason for this is that there is no push to achieve a good grade. But there is still the issue of individual personalities and expectations. 

I believe one of the biggest challenges to facilitating group activities is navigating individual personalities and thus, group dynamics. It can be very challenging for some individuals to work effectively (or at all) together. As Cross et al. (2014) explain, they may have poor interpersonal skills and may not be able to negotiate conflict. They may not have the confidence to speak up (or write in the case of an online class) and voice their opinions and ideas. Some may have too much confidence and monopolize the group. There can be many interpersonal issues that can railroad group work. When these issues get in the way, the learning that we (as facilitators) had intended may not happen as the groups are focusing instead on managing group dynamics. 

References

Cross, K. P., Barkley, E. F., & Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative Learning Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/brocku/detail.action?docID=1745058

In my personal experience as a student, I have encountered both the positive and negative aspects of collaborative learning experiences in a formal setting. In my positive collaborative learning experience, all my group members were active participants and engaged regularly by communicating, sharing equal responsibility, and working together to achieve common goals. 

On the other hand, my negative experience with collaborative learning left me feeling unsupported and unheard. It was a group project in college with four of my peers. This collaborative group work had poor communication, and unequal participation, with some members having poor attendance and a lack of shared responsibilities. While two group members did not get along, leading to frustration and disengagement within our group. Perhaps, Cross et al. (2014) stand correct that some students have poor interpersonal skills, which often presents a problem when they are asked to work in groups. Moreover, when a few of the members in the group reached out to the professor, they were directed to voice their concerns through the student peer evaluation of assessing collaborative activities. 

Hello group,
Given that collaborative learning has both positive and negative aspects. Suppose you have noticed that one of your group members has a different learning style and shy away from actively participating within the group. How would you meet the individual's needs during collaborative learning?

Reference

Barkley, B.F, Major, C.H., & Cross, K.P. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Read Chapter 8, Avoiding and Resolving Common Problems, pp. 118-150