Teamwork Must Be Experienced to Be Developed

Collaboration.

LinkedIn released a report entitled, The Most In-Demand Hard and Soft Skills of 2020 and collaboration was #3 on the list of soft skills that companies need most.

But, what does it mean to collaborate?

Merriam Webster defines it as “working jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.”

If collaboration or teamwork is such a valuable and necessary skill in the marketplace, how do we help college students master the art of collaboration?

It is only through the assignment of meaningful group projects that are thoughtfully and strategically planned that students experience collaboration and thereby learn how to contribute to a team, effectively.

Consequently, online, face-to-face and blended courses that do not require group projects deny students of the opportunity to grow in this area.

I know that you may be saying, “Group work, group work, nobody likes group work” and I get it.

I had a couple of bad experiences as an undergraduate working with groups. So, when I went to graduate school, I made sure that I was the group leader so that I could oversee the process and ensure that things got done.

Now, with almost 16 years of teaching online under my belt, I have a few tips to share with you on how you can create positive learning experiences for your students around teamwork.

7 Tips for Assigning Group Projects

1. Provide a training module or an instructional video on the purpose and benefits of group work and how the project will help them master learning outcomes and soft skills.
2. Ensure that every person in the group has a specific role—not just a portion of the project, but a role with responsibilities. Outline specific details regarding the responsibilities of each role.
3. Request minutes from the reporter of the group on a weekly basis that include questions that the group may have for you, updates on the completion of tasks, attendance at live meetings, etc.
4. Require synchronous meetings to discuss, plan, and execute milestones within the project. (Yes, you can do this with asynchronous courses by allowing students to choose their groups based on convenient meeting times.)
5. Suggest baby steps that break the project into a whole unless making the students do that on their own is a part of your assessment.
6. Hold the group leader or project manager accountable for keeping you posted on any issues that arise so that you can provide support.
7. Provide a sample of the project that was successfully completed by former students.

If you implement these tips, you will find that your students excel at teamwork and with consistent practice in all of their courses, they will pounce on the marketplace having mastered the art of collaboration.