Using TeamsUsing Teams and Group

Projects EffectivelyEffectively

Active Learning in the Classroom Series17 March 2009

Presented byDavid Santandreu &David Santandreu &

Dr. Susan Gano-Phillips

Intended Learning OutcomesIntended Learning Outcomes

At the end of today’s session, you will be able to:

Describe reasons to use group or team work in t d t l istudent learning

Explain common challenges faced when using teams/groups as well as strategies to address these challenges

Modify an existing activity or design a new group activity for use in one of your classes g p y y

S i O tliAre teamwork skills important? Session Outline

Differences between groups and teams

Addressing the challenges

* Formation of teams Formation of teams* Functioning of teams* Assignment/activity design Assignment/activity design * Assessment and Student

Accountabilityy

Are Teamwork skills important?

Most corporations are looking forMost corporations are looking for employees who are not only good at the mastery of a particular set of academic skills but who also have the ability to

work harmoniously with a wide variety of coworkers as a cooperative teamcoworkers as a cooperative team

(Aronson, 2000)

Job Outlook 2008 survey, conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Oral communicationCommunication skills

Team work

Time managementStrong work ethics

Teamwork skills

Coping with multiple tasks

Presentation skillsInitiative

Interpersonal skills

Written communication

Managing one's own learningProblem-solving skills

Analytical skills

IT skills

PlanningFlexibility/Adaptability

Computer skills

0 0.5 1 1.5 2

Decision makingTechnical skills

Important qualities/skills for a job candidate

TOP BUSINESS SKILLS

1. Team working and interpersonal skills2. Initiative3. Analysing and problem solving4 Verbal communication Software innovation like4. Verbal communication 5. Personal planning and organising6. Flexibility7. IT skills

Software innovation, like almost every other kind of innovation, requires the ability to collaborate and

Source: Microsoft (500 UK business leaders surveyed)

ability to collaborate and share ideas with other people, and to sit down and talk with customers and gettalk with customers and get their feedback and understand their needs,"

Bill GatesBill Gates

At CityU

The keys toThe keys to winning the runner-up prize wereup prize were excellent teamworkand diligent study of related g yinformation.

12 March 2009

Differences between

Groups and TeamsGroups and Teams

In a group project members

A team project is when members of the team work interdependently

In a group project, members work independently and are often not working towards the same goal The members in the the team work interdependently

towards the same goal and when every member in the group feels a sense of ownership of their role

same goal. The members in the group also focus a lot on themselves because they are

t i l d i th l i f sense of ownership of their role.not involved in the planning of their goals collectively.

G TGroups Teams

Members are given their tasks or told what their duty/job is, and suggestions are rarely welcomed.

Members collaborate together and use their talent and experience to contribute to the success of the team's objectives.

Members are very cautious about what they say and are Members base their success on trust and encourage allMembers are very cautious about what they say and are afraid to ask questions. They may not fully understand what is taking place in their group.

Members base their success on trust and encourage all members to express their opinions, varying views, and questions.

Members do not trust each other's motives because the do not fully understand the role each member plays in their

Members make a conscious effort to be honest, respectful, and listen to every person's point of viewnot fully understand the role each member plays in their

group. and listen to every person's point of view.

Members may have a lot to contribute but are held back because of a closed relationship with each member.

Members are encouraged to offer their skills and knowledge, and in turn each member is able to contribute to the team's success.

Members are bothered by differing opinions or disagreements because they consider it a threat. There is not group support to help resolve problems.

Members see conflict as a part of human nature and they react to it by treating it as an opportunity to hear about new ideas and opinions. Everybody wants to resolve problemsnot group support to help resolve problems. ideas and opinions. Everybody wants to resolve problems constructively.

Members may or may not participate in group decision-making, and conformity is valued more than positive results.

Members participate equally in decision-making, but each member understands that the leader might need to make the final decision if the team can not come to a consensus agreement.

Deciding to use group projects vs. g g p p jstudent learning teams

Why is a team or group project being used?

Are your ILOs focused exclusively on content or b th t t d t d l t don both content and team development and

interpersonal skills?

How will the decision affect student and/or i t t kl d ?instructor workloads?

Comparing Learning Outcomes and I t ti l St t i i T diti l T hiInstructional Strategies in Traditional Teaching

vs. Team-Based Learning

Learning Outcome How Accomplished with Traditional Teaching

How Accomplished with Team-Based LearningTraditional Teaching Team-Based Learning

Ensure mastery of subject matter

LectureClass Discussion

Pre-class individual studyReadiness Assurance PIndividual Study Process

Develop ability to use course concepts in thinking &

bl l i

Class discussionIndividual exams/projects

In-class team workIndividual exams/projects

problem-solving Group presentations and/or papers, etc.

Enhance team “Sink or Swim” In-class group/team work

interaction and interpersonal skillsP f lif l Little or nothing Active learningPrepare for lifelong learning

Little or nothing Active learning

Teamwork: a definition

A i l it i ti f b fA social unit consisting of a number of individuals interacting with each other with respect to:respect to:

1. Common motives and goals; 2. An accepted division of labor, i.e. roles, 3. Established status (social rank, dominance)

relationships; 4 Accepted norms and values with reference4. Accepted norms and values with reference

to matters relevant to the group; 5. Development of accepted sanctions (praise5. Development of accepted sanctions (praise

and punishment) if and when norms were respected or violated

Muzafer Sherif (One of the founders of Social Psychology)

Characteristics of effective teams

1 Th t l l d h d b ll i di id l1. The team goals are clear and shared by all individual members

2 Roles and responsibilities of all members are clearly2. Roles and responsibilities of all members are clearly defined and stated.

3 All members participate actively responsibly and3. All members participate actively, responsibly and enthusiastically synergy

4. There is effective communication based on mutual4. There is effective communication based on mutual trust and respect, as well as an understanding of the diversity within the group

5. Effective processes are in place (for holding meetings and making decisions) so that members can do their b t d b i t th b t i thbest and bring out the best in others.

Characteristics of low-performing teamsCharacteristics of low performing teams

1. Inattention to results

2. Avoidance of t bilitaccountability

3. ‘Holding back’4 L k f4. Lack of

commitment5 Fear of conflict5. Fear of conflict6. Absence of trust

Let’s Try Some Teamwork!

You need X

Lost on the Moon to go there

X

Your spaceship has just crashed-landed at 300 km from your destination, the moon’s base camp.

The landing has ruined your ship and destroyed all equipment on board except the 15 items listed on

You are board, except the 15 items listed on

the handout.

[Your team] survival depends on hi th b t

here

reaching the base camp so you must choose only the most critical items to take for the 300 km-trip.

Common Challenges

I. Constructing the teamsI. Constructing the teams(Having clear ILOs)

Constructing the teamsWhat is the optimum size

of the teams? Are the teams self-

selected, randomly assigned or assignedassigned, or assigned by the instructor on the basis of some important characteristics?characteristics?

How is diversity (gender, skills, cultural b k d ibackground, experience, age, etc.) reflected in the teams?

For what period of timeshould a team remain together?together?

Optimal Team Size

members?members?The consensus in the literature on the optimal team size is 5-7 p

members. However, groups may function well with fewer members, depending on several factors.

Two factors to consider:Two factors to consider:1) The difficulty of the task(s) to be performed (more difficult tasks allow

for larger team size)

2) The length of time available to develop group cohesiveness (too large of a team working over a short time period does not allow for the team to form)

The team size decision is a trade-off of intellectual resources and member involvement.

How to FormForm

TeamsTeams

R dRandom assignment is fair,

isn’t it?

S lf l t d tSelf-selected teams

A tightly knit group of g y g pfriends is more likely to incline

d i ftoward covering for one another rather than informing onthan informing on infractions such as plagiarism or failureplagiarism or failure to participate in group efforts.g p

Self selected TeamsSelf-selected Teams

Many friends on a team can result in similar minds working together ‘groupthink’.

C i i i d ti it (f f h ll i hCan minimize productivity (fear of challenging each other or quick to agree with one another.)

Instructor-selected Teams

Distribute member assets and liabilities equitably across teams. ea s

Assets: work experience, previous relevant course work, grade, etc.

Li biliti l k f l t k li it d fl iLiabilities: lack of relevant course work, limited fluency in English, negative attitude about group work, and pre-existing subgroups (e.g. boyfriend/girlfriend).

Collecting the data neededCollecting the data needed for Instructor-selected team formation

f GAsk all students to fill out the Getting to Know You form or some other brief survey

This form provides information related to ability levels and times available to

t t id lmeet outside class (Felder & Brent, 1994; Felder & Brent, 2001)

Homogenous vs Diverse TeamsHomogenous vs. Diverse Teams

A team should be diverse “at the level of knowledge, skills, and abilities ”knowledge, skills, and abilities.

(Mannix and Neale, 2005)

Studies show that teams that deviseStudies show that teams that devise successful responses to problematic or challenging circumstances are composed ofchallenging circumstances are composed of members with a high degree of diversity in both experience and point of view (Goleman 1988)both experience and point of view (Goleman, 1988)

“Being user-centered is a skill IDEO hones by employing teams of experts in human f t th l th hfactors—anthropology, ethnography, psychology—to observe how people actually use a product or approach a problem.”

At IDEO, we work both

David Kelley, Stanford Professor and IDEO Chairman

At IDEO, we work both broadly and deeply, pooling the expertise of multidisciplinaryof multidisciplinary individuals to work together in domain-specific teams Thesespecific teams. These teams represent our breadth of capabilities and enable us toand enable us to work across a range of industries.

Time is indispensable toTime is indispensable to transform a group of students into anstudents into an effective team. Therefore, team e e o e, teamembership should be permanent throughout the semester. In this way, members

expect mutual t bilit faccountability from one

another.

Common ChallengesCommon Challenges

II Functioning of the teamsII. Functioning of the teams

Functioning ofFunctioning of the teams

Do students knowDo students know why they are working inworking in teams?

Do students have the tools necessary to be ysuccessful?

First Things First Why Teams?First Things First – Why Teams?

Communicate the message that improving teamwork skills is important Students need toteamwork skills is important. Students need to know that learning teamwork skills is an intended learning outcome of the courseintended learning outcome of the course.

Thi h ld b itt i t thThis message should be written into the syllabus, explicitly stated in the first class,

d h i d th h t th tand re-emphasized throughout the semester

Tools for Team SuccessTools for Team Success

The first day of class should beThe first day of class should be devoted to team formation and a t b ildi iteam building exercise. Students learn about the TBL pedagogy, course expectations and factors that promote successful teamwork beginning with thethat promote successful teamwork, beginning with the team formation process.

Preparing students for working in teamsp g g

1. Do students understand what is meant by teamwhat is meant by team learning?

2. Do they know how working in teams might b b fi i l?be beneficial?

2 D th d t d th2. Do they understand the resistance to working in teams, the problems, pthat arise in working in teams, and have strategies to cope withstrategies to cope with these challenges?

Will the teams be id d ith

Instructor Preparationsprovided with team operating guidelines or encouraged to develop their own?

Has in-class timebeen set aside forbeen set aside for team work on the project especiallyproject, especially for each team’s first meeting?first meeting?

Common ChallengesCommon Challenges

III. Assignment/Activity Design(A i t TLA )(Appropriate TLAs)

Team AssignmentsTeam Assignments

I t d f i l il ti f i di id lInstead of a simple compilation of individual work, team exercises should require each t t k ifi d i iteam to make a specific decision or choice.

Structure assignments so students must work together

The best assignments to foster group interaction "require students to make ainteraction require students to make a decision with respect to a complex set of d t " t " k t d i i b ddata" or to "make a concrete decision based on an analysis of a complex issue." (Michaelsen)

Decision making and consensus building skills

Designing and Implementing Effective Team Assignments

Individual work Team Work Class Discussion

Characterized by 3 S’s:

1. Same problem2 Specific choice2. Specific choice3. Simultaneously reported byp yall teams

(Michaelsen et al 2004)(Michaelsen et al., 2004)

Common Problems with Team Assignments

The assignment can be completed by one or several group members working alone orseveral group members working alone or sequentially

The assignment does not require teammatesThe assignment does not require teammates to reach an agreement/consensus

Some Assignment ExamplesSome Assignment ExamplesMarket value vs. Book valueMortgage regulationsHow shall I prepare for my own financial future (e.g.;

retirement)? Should I invest in stocks, bonds, the lottery?P t f di t t t d d tiPropose grant funding structure to reduce domestic

violenceSelect best treatment for physical therapy patientSelect best treatment for physical therapy patientSelect location for new businessSh ld b t l b l i d if h tShould we worry about global warming and if so, what

should we do about it? Multidisciplinary teams

C Ch llCommon Challenges

IV. Assessment and Student Accountability (P l Ali d AT )(Properly Aligned ATs)

Students need to know that there is l l d fi da clearly defined assessment

processprocessWhat is assessed?

Will th b k f th b d thWill there be marks for the group based on the process and/or outcome of the team’s work?

By whom is assessment performed?Will team members be assessed by instructors, peers,

lf t bi ti ?self-assessment, or a combination?

Individual vs Group assessment?Individual vs. Group assessment?Will there be one mark for the group and one for the individual?

What is assessed and by whom in Team Work?

Process of working as a teamILOs related directly to development of– ILOs related directly to development of teamwork and interpersonal skills

Outcome of the team collaboration– ILOs related to course contents and mastery of

problem-solving or thinking skills

Evaluating the team process

What mechanism is in place to evaluate the team process and give feedback to the students? How will the feedback be incorporated into future teamwill the feedback be incorporated into future team projects?

Evaluating the Team Process

Th l fThe role of * Peer feedback* Self assessment* Self assessment* Instructor feedbackfeedback

More often than not, students don't know what to pay attention to if they're being asked to observe theasked to observe the process of team dynamics y

Discussions on teamwork shouldn't be about the work that is being done (e gis being done (e.g., what happened in the lab), but instead should comment on how the team is functioningfunctioning.

Self Assessment / Peer AssessmentSelf-Assessment / Peer-AssessmentPotential benefits of SAPA have been widely acknowledged

1. Promotion of effective teamwork;

2. Development of professional skills in self-reflection on behaviour;

3 Resolution of self-rater problems when self-assessment only is used;3. Resolution of self rater problems when self assessment only is used;

4. Development of professional graduate attributes for working in multidisciplinary teams and lifelong learning; shifting of the student’smultidisciplinary teams and lifelong learning; shifting of the student s role from passive receiver to active participant in learning;

5 Explication to students of learning objectives and desired5. Explication to students of learning objectives and desired performance levels.

(1) Brown, 1995 / (2) Sluijsmans et al, 1999 / (3) Freeman & McKenzie, 2002 / (4) McGourty, Dominick, & Reilly, 1998

Peer-assessment has been shown to promote independent reflective critical learningindependent, reflective, critical learning (Somervell,

1993), to enhance in students the motivation for participation and to encourageparticipation (Michaelsen, 1992), and to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning (Rafiq & Fullerton, 1996).

Students can be given a list of criteria or gquestions that look at team interactions

1. Communication patterns: Who talks the most? The least? How does the team ensure that all voices are heard? How is the agenda set for what topics are discussed? Can new topics be introduced in the course of the discussion?

2. Intercultural communication and diversity: If team members have different cultural backgrounds, do their backgrounds contribute to differences in their communication style? If you need to be more sensitive to differences in the future how will you accomplish that?sensitive to differences in the future, how will you accomplish that?

3. Task assignments: How does the team decide what needs to be done? Once tasks are identified how are they divided up? Howdone? Once tasks are identified, how are they divided up? How are deadlines determined? What happens if someone doesn't meet a deadline?

4 Leadership and other roles: How is a leader or facilitator of the4. Leadership and other roles: How is a leader or facilitator of the team determined? [Note: Often students are either required or encouraged to rotate the role of facilitator among group members.] What other roles do you find team members playing?members.] What other roles do you find team members playing?

5. Problem solving: How has the group gone about solving problems (both related to tasks and to the maintenance of the problems (both related to tasks and to the maintenance of the group)? What has been effective about the processes you have used? How can you improve on your ability to solve problems?

6. Decision making: How are decisions made in your group? By consensus? Through voting? What happens if a group member is unhappy or uncomfortable with a decision the group has made?made?

7. Conflict Resolution: Have you had a serious conflict in your group? Assuming you resolved it how did you do so? If yougroup? Assuming you resolved it, how did you do so? If you haven't worked it out, how is it affecting your ability to get work done? What will you do to resolve the conflict?

Instructor Assessment

Give feedback with specific criteriathroughout the semester and at multiplethroughout the semester and at multiple points during longer projects to avoid social loafing

Providing immediate unambiguous constructiveProviding immediate, unambiguous constructive feedback helps to promote both team development improvement and learningdevelopment, improvement and learning.

Shall feedback be made public in order to allow comparisons with other groups?

Individual AccountabilityIndividual Accountabilitywhen using Teams

Teams benefit from substantial marks assigned to both the individual and to the teamteam

Individual Accountability is necessary to prevent social loafing

(free riding) because:(free riding) because:

Sh d i i i iShy students resist participation

Some students tend to dominate conversationSome students tend to dominate conversation

Some students do not have adequate content knowledge q gto contribute to a team project

Some students may not be committed to the team’sSome students may not be committed to the team s success

Methods of Individual AccountabilityMethods of Individual Accountability

Readiness Assurance Tests (TBL)– Readings outside of class to get a good introduction

(not full mastery) to the information and ideas– Short test on foundational concepts

Daily writing or quizy g q

Peer assessment on preparation for team workPeer assessment on preparation for team work

ConclusionsConclusions

* Choice of group vs. team work depends on intended learning outcomesg

* Challenges to forming, engaging, and g g g g gevaluating groups/teams exist but can be met with adequate planning

* Group/team work helps prepare students for life after universitylife after university

Essential Principles of Using Groups or Team-Based Learning

1. Groups/Teams must be properly formed and managed

2. Groups/Teams must be made accountablefor their individual and group work

3. Group/Team assignments must promote both learning and team development (in the case of teams)

4. Students must have frequent and timely performance feedback

ResourcesResourcesMichaelsen, L. K., Knight, A. B., and Fink, L. D. (2004). Team-Based Learning: A

Transformative Use of Small Groups in College Teaching. Sterling, VA: Stylus.Debessay, A. (2004) Creating a Deeper Learning Environment using Group-Based

Active Interactive Collaborative Learning.Active Interactive Collaborative Learning.Lam, M (2008), Learning While Doing: Applying Team-Based Learning in a Finance

Course.Smith, G. A. (2008). First-Day Questions for the Learner-Centered Classroom. The

National Teaching and Learning Forum 17 (5) 1-4National Teaching and Learning Forum, 17 (5), 1 4.

Virtual teams:Johnson, et al. Team development and group processes of virtual learning teams.

C t & Ed ti 39 (2002) 379 393Computers & Education 39 (2002). 379-393Gomez, E; Bieber, M (2005). Towards Active Team-Based Learning: An Online

Instructional Strategy. Proceedings of the Eleventh Americas Conference on Information Systems, Omaha, NE, USA August 11th-14th 2005

Web: http://teambasedlearning.apsc.ubc.ca/?page_id=7