Robert W. Lingard California State University, Northridge Improving the Teaching of Teamwork skills in Engineering and Computer Science Robert W. Lingard California State University, Northridge EEET June 30, 2010

Overview Teamwork – The Neglected Skill Identifying Teamwork Skills Assessing Teamwork Skills Recent Results Improving Teamwork Learnin Conclusions EEET July 11, 2009

The Problem Teamwork skills are considered important for Engineering and Computer Science graduates, ABET requires they be taught Industry demands that graduates have them But programs often do not adequately address the teaching of them Little specific instruction is given Skills are typically not evaluated EEET July 11, 2009

Teamwork Teaching Fallacies It’s not the responsibility of Engineering and Computer Science faculty to teach teamwork and communication skills But then who does it? Experience is the best teacher Poor team experiences create negative feelings regarding teamwork Students will learn to work on teams once they graduate and get jobs Their lack of teamwork skills can make it harder to get jobs in the first place EEET July 11, 2009

Assessment Driven Teaching What should be taught and how should it be taught? First, we need to define what we mean by teamwork (a specific set of performance criteria) Then, if we assess how students perform against the criteria we can determine what needs to be taught Different performance deficiencies will suggest different approaches to improve the teaching of teamwork skills. EEET July 11, 2009

Teamwork Performance Criteria Attend (nearly all) team meetings Arrive on time for (nearly all) team meetings Communicate clearly with other team members Share knowledge with others Introduce new ideas Openly express opinions EEET July 11, 2009

Teamwork Performance Criteria (Cont’d) Consider suggestions from others Adopt suggestions from others Try to understand what others say Provide help to other team members Ask for help form other team members Complete assignments on time EEET July 11, 2009

Teamwork Performance Criteria (Cont’d) Complete assignments with acceptable quality Do research and gather information Do a fair share of the work Be committed to team goals Show respect for others Distinguish between the important and the trivial EEET July 11, 2009

Assessing Teamwork Skills Independent observation Evaluating the evidence of individual team member contributions Conduct peer reviews EEET July 11, 2009

Independent Observation Instructors, lab assistants, or outside observers attend team meetings But this observation can influence student behavior And only some team activities are practical to observe EEET July 11, 2009

Evaluating Individual Team Member Contributions Individual contributions can be independently evaluated Requiring students to post contributions online is an easy way to gain access to these contributions But, not all teamwork skills involve artifacts produced by individual team members EEET July 11, 2009

Peer Evaluations Each team member evaluates the performance of other members Evaluations should be anonymous and include self ratings Team members are in the best position to evaluate teammates But, students are often reluctant to be critical of fellow students EEET July 11, 2009

Peer Evaluation Form EEET July 11, 2009

Techniques for Teaching Teamwork Specific Instruction on the Group Process and Group Roles Developing Individual Skills Oral Team Presentations Meeting Reports Individual Reflection Understanding Individual Differences EEET July 11, 2009

Group Process and Group Roles Instruction Basic instruction in the group process and group roles can be helpful The Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University is an excellent online resource for this material EEET July 11, 2009

Developing Individual Skills “Think, Pair, Share” is an excellent teaching approach in which students can practice their communication and collaboration skills. The approach was developed by Frank Lyman at the University of Maryland EEET July 11, 2009

Oral Presentations by Teams Teams provide oral presentations (status reports, design reviews, etc.) to the rest of the class This helps develop both internal and external oral communication skills EEET July 11, 2009

Meeting Reports Each team documents the results of team meetings, including attendance, duration, decisions made, and action items This encourages meeting attendance and contribution by individual members EEET July 11, 2009

Individual Reflection Students are asked to reflect on the group process and difficulties they are having This reflection can help students to focus on ways to make improvements to the group process EEET July 11, 2009

Understanding Individual Differences Several instruments are available to help students understand their individual approaches to problem solving By understanding the different ways others approach problems, they can better appreciate and work with others. EEET July 11, 2009

The Kolbe Concept® It identifies the conative instincts that drive the way one operates, e.g., the way one approaches problem solving. It focuses on strengths and provides insight on how to help people be more productive and effective It is universal, unbiased, and an individual’s Kolbe index tends to remain the same over time EEET July 11, 2009

The Kolbe Instinctive Talents Fact Finder Collects data, asks questions, probes Follow Thru Makes schedules, plans ahead Quick Start Innovates, takes risks, improvises Implementor Builds and constructs, creates models EEET July 11, 2009

Sample “Kolbe” Results EEET July 11, 2009

Recent Results Three courses with ten teams and a total of 45 students were assessed Results showed the lowest scores for the following: Ask for help from other team members Provide help to other team members Introduce new ideas Distinguish between the important and the trivial EEET July 11, 2009

Conclusions Engineering and Computer Science programs need to devote significant and specific attention to the teaching of teamwork skills Finding effective teaching strategies for developing teamwork skills is a challenging task Tackling the problem from an assessment first approach can be an effective strategy EEET July 11, 2009