Many instructors put students into groups to work on projects, discuss topics and get to know each other better.  All of these outcomes are good but in order for teams to really be effective the structure of these teams need to be thought out carefully.  Many of you will recall being put on a team where it seemed that a couple of you did all of the work while the rest of the team got equal credit.  As a result many instructors have moved away from using learning teams but with some planning they can be effective learning tools.

When using teamwork in your classes or lab use the following guidelines to create effective and balanced teams.

• Chose the teams yourself to ensure a mix of styles abilities.  This also breaks up cohort groups which enables students to work with others they may not know as well.
• Limit the number of members of the team.  Three to four members is ideal with five to seven being the maximum number.  With the limited size each person is called upon more to contribute to the group.
• Closely monitor the teams.  Make interact with each team so you can measure their effectiveness in working toward the goal.
• Provide guidance to the teams.  This may be the first time some students have been in a a group so they may be unclear about how to organize themselves and what each person needs to contribute to the outcome.
• Assign work to be completed by each group member that leads to successful completion of the project.  This will help each member to understand how their contribution is essential to the total success of the group.
• Recognize each group and each member so the students will see value in being a part of the team and producing a specific outcome.

With some planning, time and interaction you can make the creation and use of learning teams a valuable part of your instructional delivery while helping your students to learn how to work with others on common projects.