I always include a group project in my class. It always creates issues that are always associated with group projects: distribution of tasks, communication, compromise etc..
I use these isues and problems to become a learning experience and tell them that what they are learning today to resolve these problems are the same ones they will encounter in the professional world. If they truly embrace these skills they will be ahead of the pack in the real world.
I incorporate in-class activities throughout the semester and have the students work in different teams. There tends to be a level of anxiety when they are assigned with classmates they don't generally communicate with throughout the course. However, they generally identify their issues and boundaries, respect each other, and complete the assignment within the specified timeframe.
theory comes first
understanding and respecting diversities
understanding responsibilities and urgencies
understanding comun goals and leadership
undrstanding social skills and rewards
then goes into practice using varied monitored exercices where multiple people are needed to complete a task. it can be as simple as washing dihes
To help encourage positive teamwork, I assist them in analyzing the problem at hand and self-assessing and other-assessing for strengths and weaknesses so that tasks are effectively broken up for time yet students can also model their own future behaviors upon positive behaviors noted in team mates.
I put students in groups and emphize the importance of being able to work together. I encourage them to rely on each other to complete their assignments in lab. They seem to enjoy the fact of working in a group enviroment.
I use group enviroment in my class as well, by doing this all students are engaged
Steven,
Group work is also a hard one to manage, good job.
Philip Campbell
I have them do group projects and presentations
Mary,
Good skills can be learned by working together.
Philip Campbell
I use exercises in tha classroom that require a teamwork approach. This enables the students to collectively complete the exercises. When the students have completed the class work we discuss what behaviors they used as effective team members. This is extremely benefical in that it reinforces the actual skills necessary to be a good team member
Paul,
Teamwork practice now helps with teamwork when they are finished with school.
Philip Campbell
i like to allow them to choose there groups for our class room projects,so they may look at each other in a different point of veiw then just students.now they become a team and can work together with out conflict on the part of the instrutor being the reason to use,if their should be conflict. teaching them to work independently
with in the group,it helps make the group much stronger.so they may so off there soft skills.
I try to mix it up every week so that the students get a chance to work with different people and their different personalities. It can be challenging for some, but it does take them out of their comfort zone and get them thinking about how to resolve any internal conflicts in order to get the job done.
Patricia,
Keeping that variety helps the students.
Philip Campbell
I also put my students in teams. But to get them all to work together and not with the same people all the time I put them with someone that I have never seen them interact with. That way they learn to work with others as a team also.
I teach a capstone class in a culinary arts program. A lot of my practicals envolve group work and the ability to work in a team. I like to foster soft skill development in my students to make them better, "team players",as well as better future managers and leaders.
I like to promote teamwork by putting students in groups and help each other. I like to do peer reviews when research papers are due to help bring them together as a team
Julie,
Group work helps many students get the concepts of teamwork.
Philip Campbell
Having students do group projects is a great way to bring home the importance of team work. There are instances when I allow the students to chose their own leader, and times when the roles are assigned. Natural born informal leaders emerge whether that is the role assigned to them or not. These are the students whose strengths could be harnessed to influence the entire class' take on certain things.
Rotating role assignments is also a good way to make all the members involved know the group dynamics and how to function in different positions within the group. The instructor is able to observe the strengths and deficiencies of the group as a whole and of each individual member.
I have divided the students into groups to present material in the past. This gets the students interacting with their classmates. Also, hands-on type learning involves more of a teamwork approach.
