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Web Resources
Team
Information - Arizona State University: The site contains an
NSF report on teams in the engineering classroom, team training
workbook, and a facilitator's guide for using the team training
workbook.
Puzzled
about Teams – Pennsylvania State University: The report
provides a good introduction using student teams. Readers can find
information on a rationale for using teams, how to form teams, how
to train teams, and how to assess teams.
BESTEAMS
(Building Engineering Student Team Effectiveness and Management
Systems) researches engineering student project team performance.
The BESTEAMS Partnership builds engineering team-centered programs
that support effective project team experiences throughout a student's
engineering the curriculum. Effective team performance is promoted
through longitudinal, and developmental, team-training modules.
The modules are designed for use in one class period each and can
be administered by a trained faculty member or a BESTEAMS Trainer.
Building
Blocks for Teams – Teaching and Learning with Technology,
Pennsylvania State University: Faculty members and students both
can find useful information on using teams: managing teams, being
a team member, team roles, effective meetings, group communication,
team organization, individual responsibilities, and how to address
conflicts.
Perceptions
of Engineers Regarding Successful Engineering Team Design: The
perceptions of engineers and scientists at NASA Langley Research
Center toward engineering design teams were evaluated. A sample
of 49 engineers and scientists rated 60 team behaviors in terms
of their relative importance for team success. They also completed
a profile of their own perceptions of their strengths and weaknesses
as team members. Behaviors related to team success are discussed
in terms of those involving the organizational culture and commitment
to the team and those dealing with internal team dynamics. The latter
behaviors focused on team issues occurring during the early stages
of a team's existence. They included the level and extent of debate
and discussion regarding methods for completing the team task and
the efficient use of team time to explore and discuss methodologies
critical to the problem. The discussion includes a comparison of
engineering teams with the prototypical business team portrayed
in the literature. [PDF]
Strategic
Formation of Groups: Issues in Task-Performance and Team Member
Selection While many researchers have studied effectiveness
in task-performing groups, very little research has examined how
such groups form or how the formation process can affect subsequent
performance. We explore these issues by considering how task and
relational functions in the group may interact in ways that facilitate
or hinder task performance in an organizational context. We conclude
that, in addition to task-performance skills, it is imperative to
consider personal relationships among members when explaining the
potential or realized effectiveness of a group.
References for Further Information
- Katzenbach, J.R. and Smith, D.K. (1992) Wisdom of Teams,
Harvard Business School Press
- Seat, E. and Lord, S. (1999)"Enabling Effective Engineering
Teams: A Program for Teaching Interaction Skills," Journal
on Engineering Education, 88(4), 385-390
- Engineering Education for a Changing World, Report prepared
by the ASEE Engineering Deans' Council and Corporate Roundtable,
Washington, D.C., ASEE, 1994
- ASTD, "Workplace Basics: The Skills Employers Want,"
American Society for Training and Development and U. S. Department
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, 1988
- Evans, D.L., Beakley, G.C., Crouch, P.E., and Yamaguchi, G.T.
(1993) "Attributes of Engineering Graduates and Their Impact
on Curriculum Design," Journal on Engineering Education,
82(4)
- Okudan, G.E., Horner, D. and Russell, M. (2001) Achieving
High Performing Engineering Design Teams: A Curriculum Intervention
Study, Proceedings, International Conference on Engineering
Education
Abstract - A study was conducted to measure the effect of high
performing team skills training on the performance of design teams
during an industry sponsored engineering design project. The design
project was a part of a first year engineering course at The Pennsylvania
State University. High performing team skills were taught to one
half of the sample design teams during three different two hour
"intervention" sessions. The intervention sessions included:
(1) an earthquake exercise, (2) a role playing exercise, and (3)
an after action review. Team performance was measured using team
quizzes, peer evaluations, and a blind evaluation of the project
work. In addition to the intervention results, plans to further
the research are discussed.
- Okudan, G.E., Horner, D., Bogue, B., Devon, R. and Russell,
M. (2002) An
Investigation of Gender Composition on Integrated Project Team
Performance: Part II, Proceedings, ASEE International Colloquium
on Engineering Education
Abstract This study presents the quantitative results of an investigation
designed to measure the effects of gender composition on integrated
project teams as measured by two dependent variables: 1) team
performance, and 2) team cohesion. The duration of the study was
16 weeks during which two design projects were completed. Team
performance was measured using: 1) team quizzes, 2) design demonstrations,
3) peer evaluations, and 4) blind evaluation of team reports.
Criteria for project performance included thoroughness of the
project report, submission timeliness, compliance to project requirements,
and utilization of engineering problem solving skills.
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