Please Note:
• This session did not run at the Network
event. However, if you are interested in
finding out more, please contact Tim Bugg,
Department of Chemistry at
T.D.Bugg@warwick.ac.uk
Team Development Days for
Undergraduate Students
Professor Tim Bugg
Department of Chemistry
History
1994 Team Development in Chemistry at Southampton University
Led by Dr. Mike Rawlins (BP)
1995-2000 BP-sponsored team development programme at
Several UK Universities
2000 Started team development at Warwick Chemistry
NOW 12 staff trained as tutors in Chemistry
Run half-day programmes for ALL Year 1 & Year 2 UG’s
Run 2-day programme for ALL Year 1 PhD students
Why do Team Development for Undergraduate Students?
•Get to know people in tutorial/learning groups
•A lot of group work in undergraduate degree:
•Tutorials
•Practicals
•Group projects
•Most companies work in teams, important skill for career
•A transferable skill, can apply in many non-University situations
What do we do?
1. Welcome to large group, aims for session
2. Divide into groups of 6-8, orientation, ground rules
3. Exercise (30 min)
4. Review of exercise, facilitated by tutor
(initial feelings, what team did well/could
have done better)
5. Key learning points from day
Orientation
•Form a group of 6-8 people, write names on flip-chart
•Form a circle,say someone else’s name & throw ball to
that person
•Continue until you are familiar with names
•In pairs, take 2 minutes to interview partner, find out:
•Name, where from in University
•An interest outside the University
•A quality that they bring to the group
•Then report back to the group
Exercise: Marble Run
Your task is to transfer a “marble” from the start line to the finish cup
Your team has been given a number of pieces of track. You must conform to
the following rules:
•Once started, the marble must not stop rolling
•Nothing and nobody must come into contact with the marble apart from the track
•Only one piece of track can be in contact with the marble at any one time
•Each team member must be involved at least once in the transfer process
i.e. they must be holding at least one piece of track along which the marble travels
•When transferring the marble, the person holding that piece of track must have both feet stationary
•The marble may not be thrown or transferred in any other way than along the track
•The finish cup cannot be moved
Your team has 15 minutes to plan a solution to the task, and will then have two attempts
to complete the task in front of the other team, and the tutor, who will adjudicate.
Review
•Each person summarise (in a few words) their feelings
at the end of the exercise
•What things did the team do well?
•What things could the team have done better, in retrospect?
•If individuals in the group were not happy, why not? How could
it have gone better from their point of view?
•The 2 groups will then meet to present their conclusions about
the exercise, and any learning points that emerged!
Discussion
Could this be useful for your students?
Any questions?
Would you be interested in:
•observing a Chemistry event?
•being trained as a tutor?
Emotional Learning Curve
NOW
Intellectual Route
Impart
knowledge
Accept
LATER
Apply
Understand
Do
Emotional Route
Risks
Frustration
Disappointment
Anger
Hurt pride
Embarrassment
Feel
Rewards
Awareness
Morale
Pride
Confidence
Control
Kolb’s Learning Cycle
Experience
Plan
Review
Conclude