- improves oral communication skills and language skills
  (beneficial especially for second language students)

- help keep students involved with their work

- easier to manage a wide range of academic skills

- socializes students for adult roles

- helps develop one of Gardner's Seven Intelligences

- Interpersonal Intelligence - is the capacity to understand and
   interact effectively with others.

- motivates students (by working together can experience
   sharing ideas and information)

- encourages active learning - research has shown that
  students learn more when they're actively engaged in
  discovery and problem solving

- increases respect for diversity

- helps prepare students for today's society (team approach to
  solving problems in business etc.)