scholarly journals Strategies to Promote Effective Student Research Teams in Undergraduate Biology Labs

2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Kendra Spence Cheruvelil ◽  
Angela De Palma-Dow ◽  
Karl A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Effective Teams ◽  
Team Culture ◽  
Team Assessment ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Communication Conflict ◽  
Team Functioning

Biology labs often make use of student teams. However, some students resist working in teams, often based on poor experiences. Although instructors sometimes struggle with student teams, effective teams in biology labs are achievable. We increased student learning and satisfaction when working in research teams by (1) including in the syllabus a teamwork learning objective “to practice effective teamwork and team management, including modeling behaviors of inclusion and ethics, and using leadership skills to foster problem solving, team communication, conflict management, consensus building, and idea generation”; and (2) designing and implementing exercises that teach students the value of working in a team and how to be part of an effective student team (e.g., developing shared expectations, creating norms of behavior and team culture, and building awareness of the importance of team conflict and likely student responses to such conflict). We also used individual and team reflections on team functioning, following formal online team assessment. This article presents details about our curricular innovations as well as pretest and posttest data demonstrating student attitudes and beliefs regarding teamwork. We experienced improved student satisfaction and success in introductory biology lab courses, as well as reduced instructor guesswork and stress regarding student teams.

scholarly journals COMPARITIVE STUDY OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF ENGINEERING STUDENT TEAMS AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radhika R. Kartha ◽  
Dr Michael W. Fowler ◽  
Dr Roydon A. Fraser
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Team Effectiveness ◽  
Organizational Structures ◽  
Engineering Student ◽  
Effective Teams ◽  
Team Culture ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Capstone Projects ◽  
Insight Into

 Abstract – Design-and-build competitions are integral to effective higher engineering education. Yet, there is not much research investigating if the organizational structures of engineering student teams and team effectiveness follow any trends. This paper delves into the possibility of this correlation by measuring parameters that contribute to effective teams. This research provides data that is used to judge best practices for engineering student teams. The findings from this paper can then be used as a basis for action when the students find a need for organization development in the future. Additionally, this analysis provides insight into teamwork in engineering. This could benefit 4th year design (a.k.a capstone) projects as well as innovative companies with similar settings. The core contributors to a team's effectiveness are leadership, direction, planning, knowledge transfer, and meetings for engineering student teams. Although parameters like communication and team culture are important, student teams generally have no problems in these areas. By comparing three organizational structures, it is concluded that in general engineering student teams are best when they follow a holocratic or flatter organizational structure as opposed to a strictly flat organizational structure.  

Interdisciplinary Health Care Evaluation Instruments: A Review of Psychometric Evidence

2021 ◽  
pp. 016327872110408
Author(s):  
Hosung (Joel) Kang ◽  
Cecilia Flores-Sandoval ◽  
Benson Law ◽  
Shannon Sibbald
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Team Assessment ◽  
Health Care Evaluation ◽  
Team Functioning ◽  
Interdisciplinary Health Care ◽  
Psychometric Evidence ◽  
Improve Patient

Teamwork among health care professionals has been found to improve patient outcomes and reduce burnout. Surveys from individual team members are often used to measure the effectiveness of teamwork performance, as they provide an efficient way to capture various constructs of teamwork. This allows evaluators to better understand team functioning, areas of strength, and to identify potential areas for improvement. However, the majority of published surveys are yet to be validated. We conducted a review of psychometric evidence to identify instruments frequently used in practice and identified in the literature. The databases searched included MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. After excluding duplicates and irrelevant articles, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria for full assessment. Seven surveys were validated and most frequently identified in the literature. This review aims to facilitate the selection of instruments that are most appropriate for research and clinical practice. More research is required to develop surveys that better reflect the current reality of teamwork in our evolving health system, including a greater consideration for patient as team members. Additionally, more research is needed to encompass an increasing development of team assessment tools.

Innovation per DiEM: Design in Emergency Medicine, A Longitudinal Medical School Design Curriculum

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Chi Zhang ◽  
Bon Ku ◽  
Robert Pugliese ◽  
Dimitrios Papanagnou ◽  
Mark Tykocinski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Thinking ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
School Design ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Future Goals ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Project Deliverables ◽  
Faculty Mentors

Abstract Background The use of design principles in tackling complex health issues is gaining significant traction. Medical education must evolve to prepare future clinicians on design thinking methods. Method Twenty second-year medical students and seven EM faculty mentors from the Sidney Kimmel Medical College were enrolled in eight, 3-hour experiential design didactic sessions in 2017-18. Student teams were matched with EM physician-mentors to apply design thinking methods to specific ED problems. Didactic content included: 1) empathy building; 2) idea generation; 3) prototyping; 4) testing; 5) the user experience; 6) service design; 7) business canvas planning; 8) idea presentation. The curriculum was developed based the Kolb’s cycle, constructivist framework and Stanford d.school design thinking and students were evaluated using the Kirkpatrick Model through self-evaluation, group presentations, and project deliverables. Results Quantitative evaluation of the simulated training session was extracted through an 11-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale. Overall responses were positive. Both students and faculty reported that participation in the curriculum was a valuable experience and provided deeper insight into applying design in healthcare. Areas of improvement included requests for longitudinal feedback, diverse collaborative efforts, and practical design workshops. The majority of learners recommended this curriculum to future learners. Conclusion Innovation per DiEM is a unique design curriculum that focuses on EM challenges with active EM clinician mentorship. Future goals include developing longitudinal evaluation and broadening healthcare challenges beyond the context of the ED.

Exploration of the Timing of Introduction of Design Heuristic Cards to Early Design Brainstorming Sessions by Interdisciplinary Student Teams

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abimelec Mercado Rivera ◽  
José E. Lugo
Keyword(s):  
Design Thinking ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Early Design ◽  
Design Heuristics ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
The Individual ◽  
College Of Engineering

Abstract This research focuses on improving the outcome of idea generation sessions of interdisciplinary student teams working in the early design stages of a product or solution by measuring the effect of incorporating Design Heuristics Cards at different points of ideation sessions that adhere to the brainstorming guidelines. Using the design thinking methodology, an open-ended challenge was given to the participating teams for a Brainstorming exercise divided into a fifteen-minute individual segment followed by a thirty-minute team ideation segment. Three experimental treatments were designed where Design Heuristics Cards were introduced at different points of the ideation exercise: the start of the individual ideation segment, the start of the team ideation segment, or the second half of the team ideation segment. A fourth control treatment did not introduce the cards at any point but used the Brainstorming guidelines throughout. The metrics observed were Fluency, Novelty, Feasibility, and Market Fit of the ideas generated by the students. Eighty-four students participated in the experiment, with 58.3% being from majors in the College of Engineering, 28.6% from majors in the College of Business Administration, 7.1% from majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, and 6.0% from majors in the College of Agriculture. No significant difference was found among the experimental treatments; however the results are not considered final due to the explorative nature of the study. Recommendations are made on future work and possible improvements to the experiment.

How Instructor Immediacy Behaviors Affect Student Satisfaction and Learning in Web-Based Courses

2001 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. Arbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Classroom Behaviors ◽  
Mba Programs ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Immediacy Behaviors ◽  
Instructor Experience ◽  
Instructor Behavior

In this study I investigated whether instructor classroom behaviors, called "imme diacy behaviors," are significantly associated with student learning and satisfaction in Web-based MBA courses. Immediacy behaviors represent instructors' attempts to reduce the social distance between themselves and their students. While my study found that immediacy behaviors were positive predictors of student learning and course satisfaction, such other factors as student attitudes toward course soft ware, the length of a course, and prior student and instructor experience with Web-based courses were also significant predictors. These findings suggest that both structural characteristics of MBA programs and instructor behavior merit attention for Web-based courses to successfully deliver graduate management education.

Exploration of Entrepreneurial Student Teams Performance and Student Team Members’ Personality via the Big Five Test

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
José E. Lugo ◽  
Mari Luz Zapata-Ramos ◽  
Carla P. Puig
Keyword(s):  
Big Five ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Interdisciplinary Design ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
Behavior Theories ◽  
Group Compositions ◽  
Start Ups

Entrepreneurial teams are generally interdisciplinary in nature; they tend to combine business, design, and engineering disciplines/expertise. The effectiveness of interdisciplinary design teams has become more important for both start-ups and companies that want to innovate; however, it is often troublesome to determine the group composition that delivers a good product/business idea. The purpose of this study is to investigate the traits in personalities that are needed in a successful entrepreneurial student design team. A study was conducted in which 40 students were divided into seven groups to deliver a technology-based product using design thinking techniques, and consumer behavior theories and research. The personality for each team member was evaluated utilizing the Big Five Test and analyzed jointly as a team, denoted as Team’s Overall Personality (TOP); and by the variability of their personalities in the group, referred as Team Personality Distribution (TPD). The teams’ performances were accounted, ranking them in Best of Best (BOB) and Worst of Worst (WOW) by taking into consideration their performance in: interview collection, idea generation, prototyping, and final presentation. The results demonstrated that the teams with best performance had high variability in Neuroticism and Extraversion when analyzed by TPD and average personality traits in Extraversion and Agreeableness when analyzed with TOP. Therefore, analysis supported that each member’s personality affects his or her team’s performance. It is recommended that the relationship is further investigated for a better representation of efficient group compositions. Recommendations on how to compose entrepreneurial design teams are provided.

scholarly journals Teams That Work: Preparing Student Teams For The Workplace

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-234
Author(s):  
Diane D. Galbraith ◽  
Fred L. Webb
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Work Teams ◽  
Successful Outcome ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Effective Teams ◽  
Student Teams ◽  
High Level ◽  
Workplace Events

Organizations today often require collaboration in the form of work teams. Many tasks completed within organizations, whether in the workplace or in academia, however, can be beyond the capabilities of individuals alone. Productive teamwork and cooperative activities in business are expected and can begin very early in a person's career. The pedagogy for teamwork instruction in the classroom may not simulate real workplace events or parallel organizational behavior in order to attain a successful outcome. In universities, teamwork often breeds frustration and dysfunction, since the teams often do not perform at a high level or reach their full potential. This paper will provide best practices for creating productive teams in the classroom in preparation for the workforce. This insight will include ideas that will bond team members through collective values and goals, resulting in effective teams and a productive environment.

The use of Electronic Brainstorming for Collecting Ideas in Scientific Research Teams

2012 ◽  
pp. 157-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Michinov
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Idea Generation ◽  
Online Research ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Electronic Brainstorming ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Group Members

The purpose of this chapter is to present an under-used technique for collecting ideas in scientific research teams, namely electronic brainstorming. This technique employs networked computer terminals and software designed to allow group members to communicate electronically during idea-generation tasks. A large number of studies have demonstrated that electronic brainstorming is a useful non-verbal technique for improving the efficacy of e-collaboration, but there are very few situations in which this technique has been used to collect ideas in scientific research teams. Writing articles, reports, white papers, and other scientific documents requires good ideas that can be generated through effective brainstorming. Brainstorming is also recognized as a problem-solving technique which can help researchers find solutions to complex problems by listing their potential causes. Although it is a simple technique that can gather ideas from a group of individuals rapidly by letting them express their ideas freely, it has not been widely used to collect ideas for complex research projects involving researchers working together or in geographically dispersed teams. After reviewing the literature in the field of (electronic) brainstorming, the challenges and opportunities for extending this technique to online research by scientific teams are discussed.

The Effect of Educational Games on Learning Outcomes, Student Motivation, Engagement and Satisfaction

2020 ◽  
pp. 073563312096921
Author(s):  
Zhonggen Yu ◽  
Mingle Gao ◽  
Lifei Wang
Keyword(s):  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Motivation ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
Educational Games ◽  
Educational Game ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Positive Effects

While educational games have been increasingly popular in education, insufficient studies have comprehensively reviewed their effectiveness. To complement this missing link, this study explored game-based learning outcomes including academic achievements, problem-solving, and critical thinking abilities, knowledge, learning efficiency, skills, student attitudes, and behaviors. Both negative and positive effects of educational games on motivation were also explored based on comprehensive literature analysis. The role of engagement in game-based learning was studied, coupled with the ways to enhance student engagement. We also explored the importance of gamified components in student satisfaction and provided constructive suggestions for designers and practitioners. Future research should highlight learning analytics and data mining techniques of educational game-based learning and try to find out solutions to address various problems to improve the effectiveness of educational games.

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