Teamwork resources to support students and teachers at QUT
Karen Nelson, kj.nelson@qut.edu.au & Judith Smith, je.smith@qut.edu.au
Queensland University of Technology
The educational advantage of students working cooperatively in teams has been acknowledged in the higher education sector
as being profitable in the world of work and other post-university experiences.
The development of team skills is one of the most painful and often complained about experiences. It has been found to cause the most
distress and concern for both the students and the teachers attempting to manage teamwork assessment. A common approach to assist
teachers design and implement optimal conditions for setting teamwork assessment is required, and students require aligned resources
that support them during the teamwork process.
QUT Teamwork Protocol for staff
The Protocol is a set of best practice guidelines to assist
in team design, development, management, support and
assessment. It provides guidance and suggestions on
designing and developing team assessment and details
the crucial team processes and assessment criteria that
need to be considered before, during and at the
completion of team project. Additionally, the protocol
incorporates generic templates provided by the Higher
Education Research and Development Society of
Australasia (HERDSA) to assist with team processes.
Demand for copies of the Teamwork Protocol has been
high. 300 hard copies have been distributed and a
number of electronic versions forwarded across the state
and country. It is available through the National Library
(ISBN 9781741071771 http://nla.gov.au/anbd.biban42125773), and an electronic version is posted on the
QUT Staff Just-in-time resources for teamwork site on
BlackBoard.
Mapped to the Teamwork Protocol principles, an online diagnostic tool
allows teachers to evaluate their teamwork processes
Online team learning modules
These are designed to prepare students to achieve project goals in teams. Students
reflect upon and critically analyse team experiences in order to arrive at
understandings of team behaviours. These reflective exercises are underpinned
with a theoretical background which informs best practice in the field. Feedback
from staff and student surveys and focus groups found that the learning modules
were a significant source of knowledge and real life examples for students which
they could then apply in their current teamwork activities. Based on the evaluation,
the modules have been revised to include videos of practitioner’s reflections on their
team experiences. In semester 2, 2008 the modules were integrated into the
foundation unit Creative Industries People and Practices (1300 students). More than
95% of students undertook these modules.
Online team learning modules for students can be located at
www.teamlearning.qut.edu.au
A teamwork survival guide for students
The Teamwork Survival Guide: Essential tips for getting started
is a just-in-time strategy designed to be distributed to students
when a new teamwork task is introduced into a unit where
students are expected to manage their own process. It explains
different expectations, skills and motivations students’ may have
and and provides tools to help students work through some
sources of conflict. It is hoped that by receiving a succinct, easily
readable, just-in-time brochure directly from their unit
coordinator, they will attend their first team meetings armed with
a resource that will assist them to identify their strengths and
with tools to measure and monitor each team member’s
contribution mitigating the most apparent sources of conflict in
teams.
2000 brochures will be distributed to four first year units in first
semester 2009. Students and staff willed be interviewed for
evaluation and feedback will determine amendments.
The Teamwork survival guide is available to QUT staff on the
First Year Experience wiki:
https://wiki.qut.edu.au/display/FYEN/Shared+Resources
CRICOS No. 000213J
Queensland University of Technology