Virtual project rooms (VPRs) may support collaborative project-based learning groups by facilitating project management, documentation and communication. In this study a set of experiments was carried out at Eindhoven University of Technology using the MS Outlook/Exchange software as a groupware platform for design-oriented group projects. The results of the questionnaires filled out at the end of the courses show that students are fairly positive about group work supported by groupware. The documentation function is appreciated most by the students, also for those groups who collaborate intensively in a face-to-face setting. The involvement of the tutor, the flexibility of the VPR and the technical performance of the groupware are important factors for the success of a VPR for group work. (Contains 3 tables and 8 figures.)