Tools and techniques for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of student teams

Group learning is becoming increasingly common in higher education, yet many students are disappointed by their experiences with it. This is due in part to a lack of understanding, by both students and faculty, of the attributes of effective teams along with a lack of explicit focus on their achievement. This paper presents various tools and techniques by which faculty can identify and explore the attributes of successful teams with their students. They include inclass experience-based discussion; simple exercises, games, and ice-breakers; team attribute analysis; complex exercises and games; and the assessment of individual roles. Through these ideas, a contribution to quality conversations on the effectiveness of student teams is made.