A study was conducted at Bunker Hill Community College to assess the impact of the use of learning groups on student absenteeism and academic performance. The study involved four sections of a Biology 1 class. Two sections were designated as the control group and were taught using the traditional course format, which involved a 2-hour session in the audio-tutorial laboratory, a 1-hour seminar session using a primarily lecture format, and a 1-hour testing session each week. The other two sections were designated as the experimental group and participated in learning groups rather than the 1-hour seminar session. In the learning group sessions, permanent groups of four to five students met under the direction of a rotating group leader to discuss the week's learning objectives and to clarify material. The group leader was responsible for making work assignments, monitoring attendance, and making decisions about obtaining assistance from the instructor. Study findings included the following: (1) of the 48 students in the control group, none had perfect attendance and 84% had more than three absences; (2) of the 44 students in the experimental group, 39% had perfect attendance and 51% were absent between one and three times; (3) the mean grade point average for the control group was 1.9, while that for the experimental group was 3.1; (4) the control group had higher mean reading levels than the experimental group; and (5) experimental group students insisted that the learning group method be used in Biology 2. (HB)