Clear and agreed upon expectations upfront helps to ensure group success. Setting expectations – the use of a team charter.What does a good team look like? What are some problems they have experienced in teams? What have been your personal experiences? Having an open discussion and brainstorming together how to ensure the group work is positive sets the stage for strong communication, collaboration, and planning. Discussing their concerns upfront is also advisable. Since team skills are needed in any discipline, relating the group project to their future careers can be beneficial, such as discussing together important team skills needed for their future success and reviewing recent job descriptions in which these skills are identified. Students at first may be apprehensive about group work so it is important to set the right tone from the beginning. Build in time to prepare students to work as a team. These tools can also be used before teams are selected to identify good mixes and make-ups. The team contract can include provisions for revisiting team roles as a project proceeds. These include the University of Kent’s Teamwork Skills Quiz or Helen Fisher’s Personality Profile survey. A variety of survey tools exist that identify individuals’ personality profiles and group-related skills. Assigning roles and their duties can also reduce the number of ‘free-riders’ or ‘lone wolves’ who feel disconnected from the group’s work. Examples of roles include organizer, observer, facilitator, researcher, writer, and editor (Chao & Pardy, no date). Assigning roles and responsibilities to group members can enhance productivity and cohesion.An effective team charter example used in the School of Business at Camosun College. (Sample) Team Charter from School of Business. Common items to agree on are a team name, communication methods, deadlines, meeting days/times, roles, and conflict resolution steps ( Spring, no date). A team contract or charter, developed with student contributions, can pre-empt conflicts within the group and increase cohesion and commitment from the start of a project.A ‘speed-interview’ mingler can be used for students to identify prospective teammates and their skill sets ( Spring, no date). Students can be agents in the process by requesting teammates that meet agreed-upon criteria: mix of genders, ages, cultures, etc. Keep in mind that unfamiliar teams can lead to the most growth in terms of group-based skills. Groups selected with instructor’s informed input tend to outperform randomly or self-selected groups (Michaelson, Watson, & Black, 1989).Depending on the project, 3-5 students per group is shown to be an effective number (Fay, 2000 Wheelan, 2009), allowing for diverse perspectives, communication work, productivity, and cohesion.Time needs to be allocated to selecting groups, helping students to choose roles within groups, and helping students manage conflict. Group dynamics are essential to the success of group projects.
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