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A Reflection on Action Approach to Teamwork Facilitation

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Conference

2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Publication Date

August 23, 2022

Start Date

June 26, 2022

End Date

June 29, 2022

Conference Session

ERM: Instruction and Engagement

Page Count

15

DOI

10.18260/1-2--40544

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/40544

Download Count

618

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Paper Authors

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Aparajita Jaiswal Purdue University at West Lafayette (PPI)

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Devang Patel Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

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Yi Zhu Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

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Jin Su Lee Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE)

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Alejandra Magana Purdue University at West Lafayette (COE) Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0001-6117-7502

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Alejandra J. Magana is the W.C. Furnas Professor in Enterprise Excellence in Computer and Information Technology with a courtesy appointment in Engineering Education. She holds a B.E. in Information Systems and an M.S. in Technology, both from Tec de Monterrey; and an M.S. in Educational Technology and a Ph.D. in Engineering Education, both from Purdue University. Her research program investigates how model-based cognition in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) can be better supported by means of expert tools and disciplinary practices such as data science computation, modeling, and simulation. In 2015 Dr. Magana received the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award to investigate modeling and simulation practices in undergraduate engineering education. In 2016 she was conferred the status of Purdue Faculty Scholar for being on an accelerated path toward academic distinction.

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Abstract

Working in teams has been recognized as an essential 21st-century skill. Introducing teamwork in the undergraduate classroom is crucial as it allows the students to work with individuals with diverse skillsets and learn from one another. It is important to note that just creating a team and allowing the students to work does not foster teamwork skills. Inculcating teamwork skills requires a consciousness on the part of the instructor and the teaching assistants. Pedagogies such as cooperative learning have been recognized as effective in helping students develop teamwork skills. We introduced a joint reflection on action approach to developing teamwork skills among novice students as part of a sophomore-level systems analysis and design course. In this evidence-based practice paper, we report on students’ reflections regarding their perceptions of teamwork. This study approaches the following research questions: What are students' reflections about the role of communication while working in teams in a cooperative project-based learning environment?

The guiding pedagogical framework for this course is cooperative learning. The course requires the students to work in teams in a semester-long software development project. To elicit reflection on action about their teamwork experience. Specifically, we exposed students to concrete experiences as part of their teamwork interactions, which became the basis for observations and reflections. For this, the semester-long project was complemented with one reflection-on-action activity. In the activity, students were asked to watch a video of secrets of successful teamwork and were asked to reflect on their perceptions about the role of communication within teams. The students’ reflections on the activity were analyzed using qualitative inductive thematic analysis to understand the students’ perceptions regarding teamwork and communication within teams.

Keywords: cooperative learning, teamwork, team communication, undergraduate students

Jaiswal, A., & Patel, D., & Zhu, Y., & Lee, J. S., & Magana, A. (2022, August), A Reflection on Action Approach to Teamwork Facilitation Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Minneapolis, MN. 10.18260/1-2--40544

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